Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-08-06
IN SARATOGA.
An Hour In the Club HOuse-The
Games and Players.
Saratoga Letter to New York SUM-

Saratoga Letter to New York SUM-
The successor of John Morris
sey, Mr.. Charles Reed, is a we'll
knit, muscular man, about five feet
ten, Of strongly marked, swarthy
features, quiet demeanor, warm
hospitality, and ready to take the
chances without flinching. The
main room Of the club house would
serve as a model, well-ventilated
ecclesiastical chamber. The walls
are of pure white, the room is very
spacious and high, beneath two
lofty domes large and elegant chan
deliers are suspended, rich and
heavy curtains confne the light In
side the high windows, and a beau
tiful velvet carpet covers the floor.
Heavy black walnut and gold doors,
mountings, and mirror frames
make a pleasing contrast to the
immaculate whiteness of the AL
pine walls. There are no paintings
in the room, the living pictures
affording study enough for the OBJ
serving visitor.
Ranged around the room, about
three feet from the wall, are three
roulette tables, a faro layout, an
American buuco game, and an
elaborate dice table, with painted
figures and dice on the polished
surface, showing how much each
throw will pay on dollar invest
ment. Three dice are used, so that
at each throw from three to
eighteen spots make the total count.
If a person places a dollar on the
Is and three skies are thrown, he
receives $3.50; if a dollar is placed
on IS, $50 is paid If Is is thrown,
and so on down to the average
throw, when five or six for one is
paid. The low combinations, three
or four pay the same as seventeen
and eighteen. Money placed on
any single number, from l to s,
pays only dollar for dollar if it
comes on one die, double if it comes
on two, and treble if it comes on
three; but if a person bets that any
three will come, he receives $3.50
for Fl when he hits it. The pre-
siding genius of this table has the
white hairs and cheerful demeanor
of a savings bank president, while
the director of the faro bank
closely resembles the Hon. John
NJ. Francis, of Troy. He is the
embodiment of judicial dignity,
and would not look out of place as
presiding justice of the Supreme
Court The roulette tables are
presided over by an olive-complex-
ioned young man, with black
mpstache, who would figure well in
fashionable bop.
The point Of attraction tonight
is the lower roulette table on the
far side Of the room. A half dozen
players sit in the chairs close to the
table fringed by border of larger
lookerS-ol threp deep. In the
large, beautifully polished inlaid
wood basin in the center of the ta-
bic the complicated part of the
roulette mechanism is revolving
slowly. There are thirty-eight lit.
tle.partitions in this revolving ma
chinery, numbering from one up to
thirty-six, with two Others marked
single Q and double 90, The com
partmepts are alternately black and
red. On the table, at each side OF
the basin, are painted large figures
10 red and black, with the single 0
and double Aa.' 4 laFgs red dia-
mond is painted on one side Of each
set Of figures, and black diamond
on tbp other, The colors pay dol
lar for d9lIar. If 8 ReFsq4 plqqas q
dollar on . single figure, and that
figure wins, he receives $50 for 81.
Bets are also made on sections of
figures marked out on the board,
which are paid according to the
PhaRseS 9f winglng, the banker, of
course, always having a per centage
in his favor. For instance, there
are thirty-eight winning or losing
spptiana, The Winner Only gets
thirtY-six. If the ball stops on the
single 0 or double 90, all on the ta-
BILE is raked in by the game keeper,
unless seme one has bet on the
single or double 90, when they re-
ceiVe thirty-six for one, as on the
other figures. The game keeper
takes a marble between his thumb
and forefngers, and givingit a dex-
ferrous twirl the marble flies around
under an upper rim of the large
basin, in an opposite direction from
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