, 1874-07-03
LOCAL LETTERS.



~ the Editor af The Chicago tribune:
SIR: For the benefit Of honest mon Wiah to
stnto how mau, who has sufficient egotism to
beliovs he possesses common senae, with ton
yenrs' experience In Chicago and 4 1oader OF the
daily papers, was led into . gambling-hcli, No.
80 Doarborn street, and swiudlod Of all ho would
"put up" which was nearly his "ple. although
but $25. :.
Tho first and common oppression is: "seryed
him right; he had no business there" But
when you understand the modus operandi you
cau better Judge whether m honest man might
not teel justified In gambling under tho now
rcgimo, or. il m old one I have not noticed its.
exposition in the papcrs In some OF itH most im-
portaut features, concerning which relating the
simple story will best inform your readers. I
only wisl! the renaor nov to start with me, with,
put SUSPICION, and confidence in humanity, and
Judge whether he, too, might not have gamblea.
You meot ono who purports to ho stranger,
decoutly clad, iuquiripa for the Post-ofiice. He
!afrom b.; Louis, and aSknowledg9oa Chicago
wonders If 1t would not DO good point to ehip
horses to from st. Louis, AZ tho Southern mar
kot haa been cut off BY the overflow Of the Mis-
.issippi making paupors OF the people,-unable
business on that. ae talks freely, 70 gain ia.
formation of Nyery-men at points In Michigan,
after learning Of my acquaintance thero and,
as was going . distance toward tho Post-Ohice,
mutual aoolnbiltty, common courtesy, aud do
ronoy took Us along together to the place above
mentioned, when the at. Louis CONT strongly
urged that wo stop, and "wet up.n which de-
clinod at first, but finally consented to stop and
take glass OF lemonade, everything looking
We stepped behind tho curtain to tuke aoat,
when st. Louls called my attention to three mon
playing with three cards on an adjoining table,
with hands full Of money. Two Of the men
soemed to be sharperB skiuntng IN old man, who
seemed to have more money than sense. He
represented an old farmer, whom St. Louis
thought wns being " "1eecea. and that hc might
II VOL share the spoiie. AZ they would rob him
anyhow, showing mo tic marks on the cards,
Rlsoh woro very plain. 60 in ho "pitchod
[the st. Louis man) and ron twice on tho
ma1lod card he showed mo, which I could 500
fIon, of courso, tic Two sharpora would not play
bin more, apparently supposing that tho Bt.
Louis man bud learned thoir mark. OF covrs2,
then tho St. Louis man gavo way to mo to try Q
band, urging mo strongly that might as we'll
10 lose.
The thought struck mo that had better take
hand and givo 1t back to tho old man With a
good parting advice when TO came to his aonsoa.
to, arguing that might as we'll nlake a good
haul az ANAL one, matched s26 against the
party winning most Of the old man.s monoy,i but
alas the marked card lad another face o. It.
crowd that they had better refund tho &25, which
they dld like Rontlomen.
The matter being all important In my mind, /
commenced conyersation about 1t to the first
crowd outside, md learned In moment that
they wore part Of the gang and upon my tell
Ing them that tho Mayor would stop 1t or close
tho saloon, they advised mo to keep Quiot-I had
lost nothing, md tho Mayor would on!y laugh st
me- and Bny / hed no buainoss there, and that
they had boen running TINT institution all aum-
mer, aud the Mayor knewtt.
Unless the Rrent mass arc shssWtler than N.Y.
self, th!s business ought to be stopped anu,
whllo lRye thought othsrn suckers that have
been snared presume these details will convey
tho same idea to tho render IN regard to mysolf,
for whiola reason Withhold my name. I pre-.
sunse II | had been going in another direction
would Aayo bean Invited to drink at another
place In return for tho information freely AUD
Kindly given tho stranger in the city.
presume 1t III 4 combined systcm, zach run.
nor who osn oatoil sucker having half the
profits. and tho pnrty at tho card-table whero lie
g taken, tho otlies half. would mention two
Of the geng who aro noH In TuE TRIBUNE office
Iryiug to got gtlmpse Of what an writing, and
Tie H Louis gentleman stauds acsoag ths atreot,
having watched me- lero'.
Nothlug short Of hanglng will ever cure the
OWL, for those aona Of Satan. Like theis fathers