Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-05

ling better, but the educated and refined
and polished until host of people are in
imminent peril of having thrown upon
their hands a splendid opera house. Phila-
delphia buys $4,000 worth Of tickets,
The pOrtentiOus day approaches. The rail-
trains from many Of the prominent cities
bring in dignified committees who come to
see that the great abomination is conducted
in decent and christian manner. The
throng presses in. Hold fast your tickets
all you respectable New Workers, Philadel-
phianS and BoStonians, for the wheel be-
gins to move. The long agony is over.
Hundreds OF thousands Of people have
made a narrow escape from being ruined
by sudden affluence. Swift horses are de-
spatChed that, foam-lathered dash up to
the house of him who owns the successful
ticket. The lightnings tell it to the four
winds Of heaven, and our weekly pictorialS
hasten forward the photographers to take
the picture of the famous man who owned
the ticket numbered $500. Multitudes
think that there has been foul play and
that after all they themselves, ii the truth
were known, did draw the Opera House.
Ten Years
from now there will stand on the Scaffold
or behind the prison door, or in the lonely
room in which the suicide writes his fare
we'll to wife or parents, men who will say
that the first misstep of their life that put
them on the wrong road was the ticket
they bought in the Crosby Opera House
dead OF his designations, and, strange to
say, the beautiful building thus raiiied
away was found to be owned by its original
poSScSSor when all the excitement in regard
to the matter had died away.
care not on what street the office was
nor who were the abettors of the undertak
ing, nor who bought the tickets, | pro-
nOunce the whole scheme To have been n
swiudie and an insult to God and the ma
ton In this class Of gambler makers also
put the gift stores, which are becoming
abundant throughout the country, With q
book or knife or sewing machine Or coat Or
carriage there goes a prize. Vt those stores
people get something thrown III with their
purchase 1t may be gold watch or set
of silver, q ring or a farm. Sharp way TO
get of unSaleable goods. 1t has filled the
land with ficticiouS articles and covered up
our population with brass tinger-rings and
dcSpuilcd the moral sense Of the community
and is fast making MS nation OF gamblers.
But these are only two Or three form Of
gambling. This
Plague Of The Nation
takes multilOrm shape and fling my soul
into all impaSSiOncd warning to all classes.
Som years ago when an association for the
Of gambling was organized an
agent of the association came to a promi-
nent citizen. and asked him To patrOniZe the
society. He said: "No, can have no in
tereSt in such an organization. am in no
wise affected by that evil" At that very
time his son, who was his partner i'll bust
ness, was one Of the heaviest players i'll
Herne's famous gambling establishment.
Another refused his patronage on the same
ground, not knowing that his first book
keeper, though receiving a salary of.onlya
dollars, was losing from $50 TO
800 per night Directly or indirectly this
evil Strikes at the whole world. Gambling
is the risking Of something more or less
valuable in the hope of winning more than
YOU hazard The Shuilling and dealing OF
cards, however full OF temptation, is not
gambling, unless stakes are put up; while
on the other hand gambling may be carried
on without cards or dice or billiards ur Il
ten pin alley. The man who
Bets On Horses.
on elections. on battles-the man who
deals in fancy stocks or conducts busi-
into transactions without foundation, but
dependent upon what men call luck, is a
gambler 1t is estimated that Onc-fOurth
of the business in London is done diShOn
eStlV. Whatever you expect to get from
your ncighbOr without offering all cquiva-
lent in money or time or skill, is either the
product Of theft or gaming. Lottery tick
cts and lottery policies come into the same
Fairs for the founding of hoSpi-
tails, schools and churches, conducted nm
der the raifiing system. come under the
same denomination. Do not, therefore,
associate gambling necessarily with any
inS' S'rumcnt or game. OF time or place, or
think the principle depends upon whether
YOU play for glass OF wine or one hun
dred shares in railroad company. Wheth-
er You employ faro or billiards. rondo or
keno, cards or bagatellc, the very idc& of
the thing is dishonest; for il processes To
bcStow upon Won good for which you give
no equivalent. This crime IS no newborn
Sprite. but haggard tranSgreSSion that
romcs staggering down under
n Mantle OfJurspS
through many centuries. All nations bar
barouS and civilized, have been addicted to
IT, Before 1855 the French government re-
rrived revenue from the gaming houses.
In 1867 England for the improvement OF
her harbors, instituted lottery to be held
At the front door of ST. PaulS Cathedral
Four hundred thousand tickets were sold
1t 10 slillings each. The British Museum
and Westminster bridge were partially
by similar procedures. The an
,icnt Germans would sometimes put up
themselves and families as prizes and suffer
themselves To be bound, even though
stronger than the persons who won them:
But now the laws OF the whole civilized
world denounce the system. EnactmentS
have been passed, but only partially en-
forced. The men interested in such gam
ng houses WELD such influence by their
numbers and atiluence, that the Judge. the
ury and the police officer must be bold in-
Iced who would array themselves asainSt
.heSe infamous establishments The House
If Commons in England actually adournS
III Derby Day to 90 out and bet on the
aces, and in the best circles oi society III
his country to-day are many hun
ircd prufeSscdly respectable men
who are acknowledged gamblers.
The Gambling Spirit
raS not stopped Tor any lndccehcy' lncEe
ranspircd in Marylan Il lottery in which
,copIr drew ior lots in burying ground.
rhc modern habit OF betting about every
hing is productive Of immense mischief.
rhe most hcalthiul and innocent anuISc-
ncntS l,avc been the OCCASION ol putting
lp excited and cXtrayagant "agcrS. Inc
listOm :, pcrniCinuS in the extreme where
cores of men in respectable life give them
,elvcS no to betting nov On Ihlo BOAT no"
m that-nUw on the AtlanticS and no# on
he Athletics. Betting is fast becoming
lational habit There are i'll the corntry
ems OF thousands Of quick, nervous: san
ruine tpmpcramcntS ready to be acted upon
md their feet will soon take hold on Ceath.
For some months. perhaps for years, they
will lirger in the more polite and elegant
circle OF EamesterS, hut after awhila-their
DathwlY will come tn the fatal IMnge.
Shall ! sketch the history of
The Gambler:
LursA by bad company he finds - way
nto fsplaCr where honest men oug.d never
20. 5e sits down Ia his first game 1nly Tor
,a.t;1lc The playe-, deal out tie cards
Thcr uHcu%sciuu>ly play int" HMa'--handS
who rakes all the tricks and both it;e play
,rs' souls iyr trum pS-hc being ,Garpcr at
nv rame. 4 slight stake i put up Just to
add In tcrc>t 10 the play. Game Atsr game
is played LARGE stakes and still larger.
Tk9y begin t. move nervouES on the'T
.hai;, Their hrows lower AMI eyes flash.
sntil now they who win aGi they whs
lp,e, r:rcd alike with passion. sit with act
laws and compressed lips and lienchcd fists
lnl eyes Ike irchalls that Seem starting
frrm their sockets, 20 see tho Enal turn he
fore it comes; ii losing. F:a'e
with envy and tN.mulouS with
anut;srcd aaths cast back r"i-hot