The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-09-17
the 81. Louis Republican,
KENO AMONG THE L4TIES.
Remarkable Scene In q Fashionable
Hotel.

A lady in much distress of mi nd
asked me how she could raise a Ger.
tain sum of money. She had already
tried to pawn some diamonds, and
found that brokers were only advanc-
ing, even on $500 Of security, insignifi-
cant sums ranging In the tens.
Wouldn't be good enough to talk
some pecuniary liability of my own
over before her husband =? Then she
could get large sum from him after
ward, Ostensibly to loan me. This was
8 very nice scheme for me, and I ask
ed what sort of difficulty she was 10
that she couldn't make full contest IN
to the gentleman who had contracted
according to the prayer book to pay
her bills. Well, she had got in debt to
Mrs -, and must pay her. Then
knowing Mrs. - was neither mil
liner nor dress-maker, but a lady of
like situation with herself--bOth board
it was borrowed money.
"NO. Lost-lost at lottery"
Mrs. - has fine parlor in an up
town hotel, it seems, and the other la
dies, to the number of fifteen or twen-
ty, get together in her room and play
the game called "lotJeryi n the pot
sometimes being as big as $50. This
grew interesting, so, with Mrs. -
permission, went up to play "lot-
terv."
Eight ladies sat arOuni u marble
center table, while q ninth had q gen.
tleman's soft hat 10 her lap, In which
were ninety numbers on little wood
en- buttons Each lady had put fftY
cents to the pot, and had three cards
before her, with numbers in squares.
As Mrs. - called %, Al, 10, 35, each
little woman huugrily eyes her card
either moving up her glass chip tri-
umphantly, or deJectediy grOaning as
on her row of figures. Lottery ?"
The precious dears were playing the
simple game Of keno, and getting as
excited and eager over their g pot as
if IL were thousand.
Mrs. - kindly desired 10 teach
me the game, but thought I'd bring
it up to perfection before / went in, so
showed 'em how when one lady got
her row complete, she should say
"KenO" (which was correct instead
of "Full" as they hitherto had done.
Then I told them they should "veri-
fy" by the dealer stringing the but
tens in los, 20s, and so on in lines on
the table. Before that she had always
dumped them from one hat to anOth-
er. Then I fixed it that the winner
take the pot and ali the rest should
come I'D again, and so on until the
buttons were all on, instead Of begin
ming 3 new game st the end Of one
call, as they always had done. Thus,
you see, tried TO do these wretched
gamblers all the good could.
Thanks to my magnificent wav OF
drawing out of the old hat. Ems
nearly oLt Of debt, and Mrs. IS
room was In full blast till twelve and
one at night (no limit sud II looks
To me like q prosperous enterprise.
Having looked up the gambling law,
find 1t refers entirely to men. WO-
men are not amenable. Twenty-Five
cents is now deducted from each pot
for the dealer which proves remuner-
alive and don't know Of any bet
ter place to lose few dollars than by
playing "I.otOD at the strict church.
going Mrs. IS.
Aud as / wanted to help my little
friend who was in debt heavily at the
bank, "calIed Ofi'' for an hour. II
was certainly surprising how many
big pots she won, especially as | In
stitnted the buying Of cards at fifty
cents apiece, aud some greedy ladies
got five to watch at time, aud could
not see half their numbers. AS they
all had their hands full with their
own business, could take q row on
my friends card and call 'en straight
OF, 10 poor EMS astOnisbment, who
would excitedly shrek "KenO," TO
my extreme terror, lest the captain of
the precinct heard her, and instantly
demanded a percentage on the game,
or pulled rs on the spot.