The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-05-29

Price 80 cts Sold by f. Y. Griggs, Ottawa, His.
Victims of the Gaming Table.
| According to wellconsttuted and reliable
authorities gambling unquestonabIy com
menced in heaven. Hercules used to shake
the bones with the high priest Of his temple,
the stake beng the Gods favor agalnta pretty
woman Even Jove himself frequently got
INTO trouble with Mrs Juno as he came stag.
gering home at daylight, loaded clear up TO
the muzzlc with nectar and with the neck OF Il
turkey in his convulsive clutch.
The lIindOos and other Oriental races were
desperate gamblers as were also the Greeks
and Roman gamesters who used to have special
salves to pick their dice up and put them IN
the box, and worked two boxes so as not to
lose time, which in tins case was certainly
money for snmebody. When the Emperor
Augustus had no other opponents he would
throw raics with the children about the place.
Caligula, who threw dice on his WaytohlS SIS
ter's funeral, was an unlucky player, ana when
he was cleaned out would have some capitalist
slaughtered and contiscate his property TO keep
the game going Caudius is represented by
Sepeca rs beng cOndemncn to pick up dice
forever IN hell, dropping them into Il bottom
less box. Nero would stake 100000 scstertl
I($ 100000 on Il cast, and $25, 600 was a avolte
wager with Domtian, Cato got drunk and
gained like "a maniac, and though Julius Caesar
was a blueribbon man, he had the other weak
ness quite as bad.
The Greeks were not bit better. While
Philip of Macedon was winning their liberty
at the battle OF ChprOna, the Athenlans were
dicing merrlly, and Themistocles, on his way
to fight the Pcrsians halted his army to watch
two wayside cocks spur one anothert to pieces
One favOritc Greek game was played with
shells pitch black on one side, and tossed into
the All the player calling the color for 1t to
fall. 1t may be some comfort for gentlemen
from the rural districts to know that the
skin" ganc is no modern institution. Lead
ed dice have been founG in Athcnian ruins
ami among the ashes of llercuaneum.
The brother of that most virtuou, of French
monarchs. st Louis, was an infatuated diccr.
Charles " s. brother used to win all his mon
ey from him and force him to pay. Constable
Du Guesclin, the greatest Of Gallo warriors OF
his time, amused himself during his long i'm
prisonment by gambling all his property away.
Phlhbert, prince d'Orange, who besleged
Florence for the Emperor Charles v, gam
bled away all his soldiers pay, when they
mutinled and actually surrendered to the
enemy, who were about to captulatc.
Gaming IN Russia and Germany, up to a
few years ago, held quite as much prominnCe
ttS tISCNtit. ALA Ia Sh'I'NIiS was WV 'iNI''
German gaming resort, and previous To the
creation of lIomburg and Baden, as play cen
tres, colossal contests at chance went on there.
In 1878 an Irish lord lost over s 100000 there
at billiards A little Italian adventurer on a
stake of S won 100000 at hazard, lost it,
again, and finally went broke. At lIomburs
an unlucky Muscovite lost million francs in
six weeks. The gaming propretors at Baden
Baden paid $4,000 year for the privilege Of
the tables, and contracted 10 spend Sl25OoO III
beautltying the place. The obscure games at
Spa netted the proprietors 100000 annually
Homburg was run by IA company, regular divl-
dends beng paid on the bonds, and $4,000 Il
year license passing to the landgrave Of llesSe-
IIomburg. Wlesbaden and Nance were sim
liar gold mines
In England gambling prevailed extensively
during the reign of Henry the king HIM
self Being gamester of the most INSCRIPTIONS
sort But the real age of gaming in Albion
commenced about l171, with the so-styled club
houses. At the Carlton house i'll Pail Mall,
play was contant A few years later Moreys
gam bling-house became famous for the mum
Der of young clerks who plundercd their
masters in order to play there. Faro was the
favorite game at first. When it dropped out
of fashion macao took lis place. Hazard was
never entirely neglected, however, and whist
began to be played for stakes.
Walther's club, sO-called after an old Chef OF
George ~, who ran it, was favorlte resort
Beau Brummel was one of its staunChcst sup.
porters. The Union, Cocoa Tree and Graham's
also saw very heavy play. At the first named
the most conspicuous player was a Col. Aubrey,
clever man and good player, who had been
twice to India and made two fortunes, and
who played day and night. Lord Rivers, one
of Whites patrons, was known in Paris as the
Wellington OF play. 1t Is said Of him that he
once lost e3, 400 at whist hy not remembering
that the seven Of hearts wa, in. Rivers played
the highest stakes ever known to hazard and at
one time is known to have pottei 100000 at
one sitting.