Idaho tri-weekly world. (Idaho City, Idaho) 1875-1875, 1875-03-14
OUR GAMBLING TRAGEDY.
QuARTZBURG. March 5. 1875.

QuARTzBURG. March 5. 1875.
Thou art gone. aud the man who would assaIl thee
In thy grave. OH let him pause.
As the Rev. ID. G. Strong announced to US
in language as truthful as it was eloquent.
while we were gathered in awe around the
inanmate dust OF James Thompson. gam.
bling aud the evils directly connected there
with was the true source and fundamental
cause which pointed the way and urged him
on to bis tragic death.
Struck down in what should have been the
pride and the bloom of his manhood, not by
the hand of the great Muster. but by his own,
he has gone to his account, alike uncaled and
unprepared.
Lacking that moral courage necessary to
enable bin Ia brave the adverse fate which
his own folly had To a certain extent. brought
about He. in q moment Of blank despair
and mad frenzy. committed u deed tina. has
left blot upon his memory which his many
r-de-,ning traits Of character must ever fail
10 ebli,-rate He had borrowed his iricnds'
money and s.aked it at the gambling table.
and side BY side with that treasure he s'aked
his sacred honor tina. h. would return that
which he had borrowed unto It's righ,iul own.
er and both were lost. Ruin and disgrace
were here; escape or refuge appeared no
where. save in the dark oblivion oi the grave.
He embraced III. fearful alternative. for in
the words OF Hood b. was
Mad from tsfes history. glad to deaths mystery
swift To be hurId. anywhere. anywhere oai OF the
world
In the words of another. am aware oil
the fact.
That every brother rake will smile 81 sec
Tha. miracle. = morAliss in mo.
To find that | had attained 10 any consider
abb. d-pre of moral excellence would be
equally surprising and far more gratifying "a
myself than to any OF my friends. / have
done nothing OF the kind however.
have undergone no great revuls'on in my
own feelings nor do expect TO rcvolutionize
any body BY the few words purpose to say IN
regard to the subject Of gambling. / merel!
wish to tender few observations tor the con
sideration OF those men whose situations and
conditions in life are similar to my own. IL
those men 10 whose social scale | have al
ways and always expect to move; and more
especially to those who are my persona
friends and associates. To those men o
pIacervile and Quartzburg, who. like myself
work for their living. and who gamble for nc
apparent reason except to keep ourselves
Door. l would ask, Is il not mete that tn
shockjnp termination OF our late friends ca
reer when we consider il seriously A. WI
should dol should prove a warning to US wh'
are. and who have been for years. on tina
same well.worn though crooked highwa!
which has led to bic tragic and untimely tax
ing of. ,,
/ would not have it understood that /. for
| Ill q 81 hn fan
that because James Thompson has throw!
his life away. there are any more OF 10 NJ 81
liable to follow his example. On the contra
~. all evidence on the subject goes to prov
trat OF the many thousands who indulge II
the habit of gambling. only very inconsider
Able DER cent ever resort to tho frightful al
tentative Of suicide to tree Themselves from
the difficulties which the practice 10 Ut al
times liable to weave about them. 1t u rare
liv that we have 70 record an instance OF
mans reverscs and losses 1t the gambllng.ta
( bio making him 20 desperate and 20 blinde'
70 HE own interests ~ to take bis own lite
the highest boon bequeathed to Us BY the Gre
ator. and ono we are in duty bound TO IRE
serve 70 the best Of our ability, until in hi
own rood time he shall see At to redeem II
Tho teaching Of Christianity, the influence 9
} civilization, the innate conviction implante
} n the hearts Of al men Of an eternal life d
tor death, ~ well A. natural adherence 2
In deed in itself 20 revolving. all combined
|, preserve and restrain us from selfdes.:ucticr
Admitting then. a. l for one am glad TO d
, that suicide. although not entirely foreign I
the practice Of gambling. 10 but Distant
connected with il. Al Il 10 the extremes
penalty, 70 alec IL it the remotsst. Bot q
|. there lot enough and moro than enough n
nor yet mighty reasons that ever 80 hasd
hand With gambling and arc insepsarable frc'
Iit which should make 10 pause in caroe
slthat ~ are morally certain can lead g .
rood end or result. cay We oil know sn'
| & can DO % 10 good; and further claim 20
81 lively TIT every man with common cent
u ana oommon Judgment enough e enable q
10 play . - yarioas games q essaee, knoV