San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-11-30
THE GATES OF HE'LL.
Mr. Tal,uagc on the WfcIedMcss Of NeW
York.
from the New York Tribune.I

from the New York TribuneI
Mr.. Talmage continued his series of
sermons on the wickedness Of New
York, yesterday, before an audience
that filed all the available space in the
Brooklyn Tabernacle. In giving the
announcement of the Friday evening
lecture ON the secular affairs of the
week, he said that great election was
approaching, and he would leave no
one in doubt as to whom he ought to
vote for. The next text was taken from
Matthew xvi, 18: "The gates of hell
shall not prevail against it," Mr.. Tai
mage began his sermon rs follows:
at is only ten o'clock, said the Off
Ger of the law, as We got into the car
rage for the midnight exploration. ut
is only ten o'clock, and it is too early to
see the places that we wish to see, for
the theatres have not yet let out" l
said to him: "What do you mean by
that?" The officer replied: "The places
of iniquity are not in full blast until
the people have had time to arrive from
the theatres" So we loitered on, and
the officer told the driver to stop on
street where was one of the costliest
gambling houses in the city of New
York. All seemed dark. The blinds
we're drawn. All was guarded. But
after the whispering of the officer to
the guard at the door we were admitted
into the hall and thence into the par
lors. Around the table we found eight
or ten men in middle life, well dressed.
All the work was going on in silence,
save the noise of the gathering OF chips
in one parlor and the revolving ball of
the roulette table in the other parlor
Some of these men, we were told, had
served terms in prison; some were ship
wrecked bankers and brokers and mon
ey dealers, and some were going their
first rounds of vice. But all were in
tent upon the table, as large or small
fortunes moved up or down before
them. Oh! there was something awful
in the silence, the intense gaze, the sup
pressed emotion of the players. None
looked up. They all had money on the
table, and / have no doubt some saw, as
they sat there, horses and carriages and
lands and home and family rushing
down into the vortex. Some Of these
men went in by Il private key. Some
went in upon a careful introduction.
Some were taken in by the patrons OF
the establishment. The officer of the
law said to me, mo one gets in here
except by police mandate or by letter
from patron" While we were there
young man came in, put his money
down on the roulette table and lost.
Put more money down on the table.
Lost. Put more money down on the
roulette table and lost. Then, feeling
IN his pockets for more money and find
ing none, in severe silence he turned
his back upon the scene and passed out.
All the reports of the glitter and the
costly magnifcence of such places are
untrue. Men kept their hats on and
smoked, and there was nothing in The
upholstery to forbid. While we stood
there, men lost their property and lost
their souls. Mercilcss place. Not once
IN all the years of that gambling-housc
mas there been one word of sympathy
uttered for the losers Of the game In
The gAmbling-houses Of our cities men
nave their property wr1ng from them
aud then they go out. some to drown
'heir sOrrovs in drink, others TO ply the
'orgeTs pen, others to resort TO the SUI
0de's revolver. Every day in ClIristen-