The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-08-08

that several of them will have selected
the winning horse. Let any one cast a
die so times, keeping record of the re-
suit Cor it will serve equally well to cast
a pair of dice 80 times), and he is GER
tain to find that every face-ace, deuce,
tray, quart, quint and size-will have
shown several times, and most probably
about 10 times, but almost certainly 5
or times So with go who named at
random horse out of engaged IN a
race. 1t is probable that about 10 will
select the winner, almost certain that as
many as 5 or will, and practically GER
tain that or 8 will do so. Here, then,
will be certainly 2 or 3, and probably 9
or 10, to whom the paralyzing coinci-
dence which so greatly astonished Dick
ems will have occurred at a first trial.
When we consider that probably not
10. 900. but several hundred thousand,
make such experiments about every great
race, that there are many great races in
the year, and that gambling on races has
been going on for very many years, it
will be seen that condolences far
more surprising than Dickens experience
must occur many times each year, and
that yet more startling condolences "
must often have occurred since rae
ing began. Add to these the millions
of experiments yearly made in gambling
transactions of other sorts, and also in
more or less speculative business trans
actions, and we see that there must of
necessity be an enormous mass of evil
dence apparently favoring the belief in
luck. lucky persons, lucky seasons, etc.
The marvellous stories (true stories,
too of men who at Baden and HON.
burg, in the bad old times. had wonder
full runs of luck (some of them are given
in the essay on "Gambling Supersti-
tions " in my B0rderlGaad of Sc6ence)
are found, when thus considered, to be
not marvellous at all. The wonder
rather is that among the multiplied ex-
periences at rouge ct noir, roulette, etc.,
still more curious cases have not oc-
cured, or have not been noted At a
first view, nothing seems more certainly
to demonstrate the reality of luck than
the success of those who have several
times "broken the bank" and have
amassed in a short time enormous sums
at the gaming table. But SO soon as we
consider that among the millions who
gamble, tens of thousands must be very
successful for while; that, among these,
hundreds must continue to be success
full yet longer; and that, among these
hundreds, several must have further
spell Of success, we see how the stories
of great good luck, and lastly, Of SPAR
alyzing" luck, can not only be explained,
but are necessary consequences Of null
tiplied gambling experiences.
But the lesson from all this is alto
gether against gambling, apart from the
innate immortality. IL there were such a
thing as real luck, men might try their
luck in the way Steinmetz' blackleg
taught, and by playing only when in
vein,' or abstaining altogether if they
found themselves absolutely unlucky by
nature, might experience no great loss.
But when it is seen that there is such
thing as luck; that by the very nature of
gambling transactions every great win
ner represents many losers; while i'll the
long run all the great winners have in
variably become great losers, (the only
lasting successful men being the black
legs, high class and low class, } the utter
folly of gambling is clearly seen-that
is to say, it would be clearly seen if men
were not, in such matters, willfully
blind.