The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1877-07-07
VIRGINIA CITY VICES.
TIE BIG BQNANZAS or SIN AND
CRIME.

A Scene: Of Gambling Hells, Opium
Dens, and Liquor Saloons "A Fasci-
mating, Picturesque Town.
Correspondence Of The Philadelphia Times
The most striking feature of G
street, the main thoroughfare of Vir-
ginia City, Nevada, is it's long array of
drinking saloons. No effort is made
by the owners of these establish
ments to shiold their patrons from
public view by erecting a screen or
other device before the outer doors,
as is customary in most cities, nor
do the patrons of tho bar seem to
care for the eyes of passers-by
when lbations are being passed over
the bar. M Most of the establishments
go SO far in tho display of their
interior as to open tho whole
front of tho building SO that on un-
obstructed Wow may be had and
there is much real business method
In this, as the attention of every ono
is thus drawn to the glare and gilt
ter of the massive bars and their
elegant surroundings. Everything
that human ingenuity and artistic
skill can devise to make the Bnccha
nalian resorts attractive is adopted.
Nowhere on the continent arc the
drinking establishments more elabo.
rate than here. A bit of dust is the
moro common charge, though some
Of the older saloons adhere to the
old times rate of two bits-twenty-
five cents. The bar-kcepers are all
we'll paid, receiving as they do from
500 to $50 per month, according
to the standing of the saloon and it's
run Of custom. A fact in connec-
ton with these drinking dives may
startlo the Eastern reader, and it is
no less than that there is one saloon
to every ono hundred residents of
the city. An inspection of the
license collectors books developed
this astounding state of affairs. At
the present time that official is col,
lcctipg license fees from ono hun,
dred and fifty saloons in Virginia
City, and from sixty in Gold Hill.
The bars generally average from
$50 to 5000 per day. Their doors
arc never closed-day and night
these whiskoy mills run with tho
same unceasing regularity as do the
great mills Of the silver mines. The
bulk of the customers take whisky
straight it is the local drink, and
but few fancy decoctions are i'm
bibed.
GAMES OF CHANCE.
The profits of the saloon do not
lie wholly in the sales of beverages,
About one-fourth of their number
run gambling games which seduce
miner and merchant alike. There
are eighteen games of faro running,
with numerous racketa less protein
tiouf. These cause coin to flow
rapidly into the Golfers Of the houses,
ana despite the fact which is patent
to nearly everybody that gambling
is ultimately q losing game to all
except the professionals, yet such is
it's fascination that scores and hun
dreds Of men may be seen nightly
crowded around the gaming tables,
ventu,ing their coin against that of
the "banlf." The harvest time of
the gamblers is shortly after the
first of each month, when the miners
are paid off, Then thousands upon
thousands of dollars are distributed
among the hardy toilers. When
they arc flush they are reckless, and
soon the bulk Of thoir hard earned
wages finds it's way into the hands of
the scheming manipulatiors of the
cards and the chips.
aILpED CRIME.
The State protects gambling and
many other immoralities, which,
in the older communities ore der
nominated crimes and punished as
such. A heavy license fee furnishes
the immunity from legal wrath. The
gambling, OF faro, privilege is $476
per quarter liquor license, al and
in addition to these, the United
States revenue on liquors and on
cigars ia collected annually. A
cbornn of fva Io11oro ,,o,, r,,1orfor 10