Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-12-15
CLEARFIELD, Pa, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER Is, IS

the other "Como on, III give you
another hack, right here" at the same
time brushing the tracts on the floor,
and throwing down in their place o
pack OF cards. Green witnessed the
operation, and at once became indig.
nant at tho rough manners of the gam.
blers. Stepping up to the table he
coolly picked up the deck of cards and
threw them through the window into
the OHIO river, and then picked up the
tracts and placed them on the table.
Turning to the men who were so amaz-
ed at this intrusion that their wits fairly
forsook them, he informed them if
they wanted to play cards to go some
where else and do 1t that those tracts
could not be removed from the table
He was known as desperate charac.
ter, and the gambler thought it best
not TO attempt to resent the insult.
Then Green went 10 the minister and
asked him If he would preach for them
if he had an audience The minister
readily assented, and the passengers of
the boat-partioularly those who knew
Green as a professional gambler-were
surprised to find him going over the
boat drumming up an audience. But
Green succeeded, and he says: 1--WE
had pretty good sermon, guess
though | don't know, for was stand.
ing guard over the Social Room to
keep the gamblers from disturbing the
meeting" No attempts at disturbance
were made, however, and after the
meeting was over Green retired to his
state room. Here, he says, he began
to think over his past career, the
shame he had brought on the name of
his mother, and the degradation he had
reduced himself TO in the estimation Of
the honest and moral portion OF tho
community, though he had an abun.
dance Of wealth. In that state room,
sitting there alone, he said aloud an
never touch another card TO gamble" +"
Thirty-nine years have passed away
since that time, and the notorious gam.
bier, though now in an actual state of
starvation, with feeble wife, halfclad |
and half famished children, himself
broken down, has never even used the
expression an bet on YOU in all those
years. Though he has no money, his
knowledge of cards would easily place
him beyond want if he would lend
himself to less dexterous manipulators
OF the pack. At the time he made this
resolve he made full restitution to the
extent OF his means of all he had
wronged his victims out of. He decid.
ed to write a book exposing gambling
and to lecture while he sold his books.
Since that time he has written four
books, which are published by Peter.
son, ot this city, entitled "Gambling
"rhe Gamblers Life, ,""The
Secret Band of Brothers and "The
Reformed Gambler" Mr.. Green has
loctured in every town of consequence
in the United States, exposing the
tricks OF the profession His penitence
was so sincere and his zeal so great in
this crusade that he met with great
opposition at the National and State
capitols and in the west, where he was
too well known. He however, perse.
veredin his work sometimes not making
enough to pay expenses, and at no
time making more than living. lie
was mainly instrumental in procuring
laws against gambling in this State,
New York, Maryland, Kentucky and
Ohio, and it is greatly to his exertions
that the vice has been compelled to
seek dark places in most of our cities.
But for the kind charities of hrs neigh
bors he would be absolutely destitute
Of food, clothing and shelter. "For
The last three weeks" said the reform.
I'd gambler, in concluding his inter.
view, "my family of nine have subsisted
On less than 80 cents day"