The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-10-03
A Gamblers Story.

omclaiS WHO protect III anu allow IL 10
prosper. Those who suffer are the
players and the ones dependent on them.
The proprietors reap the first profit; the
official-well, this is rather a delicate
matter, 1t is intended that nothing un-
reasonable, malicious nor extravagantly
sentimental shall appear in the Posts
articles on gambling. 1t is grave sub
ject, and demands grave and earnest
treatment. But it is intended that every
hideous feature of gambling shall be re-
vealed SO that the public may know the
enornnitv of the evil that is allowed to
exist without restraint. The law has
put gaWbling under the ban because it
is w5eng-beeause it is an enemy to the
peace and substantially of society
and because it is devoid of a single re-
deeming quality As above remarked,
the sufferers are those who patronize the
gambling houses. Upon these the pro-
prietors of those establishments feed as
the big fish feed upon the lesser ones.
They spread their nets. and the unwary
go in and are swallowed up. The young
and the inexperienced are the ones
sought after: They are the green ones
and the most foolish. The professional
gamblers make but little off one another,
and if gambling were confined to them
but little evil would follow. A Post
reporter met with a young man yester-
| day who is victim to the gamblers
| He told his story. Said he: have
| been reading the articles in the Post on
gambling and have reason to sympathize
with the efforts of the paper to break it
up. I came to St. Louis three years ago
and took position in one of the whole
sale dry goods houses on Fifth-street. l
had been in a country store and had be-
come very good salesman. ] went into
my position here on salary of twenty
dollars week. | had wife and one
little boy, and the future looked very
bright TO me. The city was new thing,
and, being naturally of a very sociable
disposition, | made many friends.
Among the number was a gentleman
who was at the head of an extensive
boot and shoe house. He was we'll
known to all the statesmen in town, and
| commanded large salary; but, poor
fellow, he is not here now-went down
to nothing and skunk out of town like a
dog. He had a family, and one of his
children was a beautiful girl nearly
grown. l had formed a very favorable
opinion of him, and looked upon him as
a model Through him l was led into
the gambling business. had confidence
in him, and have seen him win great
deal of money. I would stay away
from home till one or two o'clock fire.
quently and when | would 60 home |
would almost die with remorse. / had
some good luck at faro. | remember
one time | went into place on Sixth
street with only five dollars in my pocket.
1t was hardly enough to take me through
the balance of the week, but put it all
up and won. | put up and won again
and again. got excited and bet as high
as fifty dollars at time. Sometimes
lost, but luck was with me most of the
time, and at three o'clock in the morn.
ing was five hundred dollars ahead.
resolved to draw out. They begged me
to keep on said would break the bank
) and get rich in single night; that l hao
better play when my luck was good
etc. But [ insisted, and drew out my
five hundred dollars of winnings. Tit
next morning | put one hundred
dollar bill under my wife's plate at tht
breakfast table, but when she took it ou
she cried because she had no idea how
made it. Before left for the store sh'
and | had a talk and I promised he
that | would quit, | believed I coult
day with strong resolution to attent
to my duties better, but before night
= had met one or two friends and tolC
them Of my good luck. They said w
: must have spree that night: we did
3 and after we had got pretty full loane'
!, , one hundred dollars to one of the boy
/ | Il &C. nd I
1t was not month till my money wa
:, all gone and I was hard up as ever.
u had lived pretty fast and drank a goo
, deal. I took five dollars and went t
u u try my luck at faro one night. | wo
7 three hundred dollars, and believed
! was going to be as lucky as before. Blu
i the thing changed. I lost my thre
> hundred dollars and my original fy
,, dollars, and was left without a cent.
I went home as miserable a man as eve
y you saw. From that time I began t
;; have all kinds of bad luck, but wa
u continually trying to make a raise 8
= gambling. ! went to extremes to &c
y money-used what of my earnings
u could spare-often left my dear viii
- and little boy without what they reall
5 needed Finally was driven to such
y strait that I pawned my clothes an
=, every thing else that l could get m
;e ;e hands on drank good deal, and OF
10 10 morning I was told that my service
81 were no longer needed. 1t came like
y clap of thunder, and did not kno
-. as what on earth to do. l went down ar
u got place in second-class hous
= - where did not stay long. ....
h "From worse to worse it went all Il
a time: I had got terrible mania f
I'd gambling, and l neglected every thi1
- for it, Nobody knows how I felt al
de the misery, that was at my house. we
to one of the gambling houses there
town and stayed there most all Il
time, depending on the chances for
living. 1t was a terrible suspense. Ha
IL the time ! was without cent of none
nd One day, | remember, | went al
in pawned my only coat for two dolla
ch and sent half of it to my wife wi
en- which to get some dinner. l went /;
lie. day withoutmy coat, and at night ma
ad little raise and went and took it OF
it's | got to be a kind of hanger-on, and t
ed men who had made hundreds off me h
IS. no further use for me. Oh, it W
lis frightful-w worse than death-a hundr
of times worse. Tears are nothing h
er- no tears; my wife's tears were also dri
wo up in sorrow. | could have torn mys
ed into thousand pieces many tin
he One bright morning last July | we
ed out on the street and solemnly resolve
no by the help of God, | would there a
Jill then forsake gambling forever. ! "
&C. without money and without friends.
I'VE sent my poor wife to the country, n
ing however, till she had pawned some
1T her jewelry that had given her VIII
kel we were married, in order to raise
it'll dollars. | kept two dollars and Ga
of her the balance. did not know wh'
ces the next was to come from. Well
re- have struggled along for over mon
,wo and am still alive. | am going to esca
after all, and, as am still a young M
l have hopes of making some amends
Lith tell YOU there is nothing in gambli