Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-20
STEAMSHIP GAMBLERS.
How Time Is Killed In Crossing the
Raging Ocean.
Men York Times.

Petty gambling on shipboard has al
ways been in vogue as relief from the
tedium and monotony suffered by pas
sengers, and men who would as soon cut
off their right hands as play cards for
money on shore, on board ship would
not hesitate to take hand in the seduc.
tive game of poker or ''vingt-un," while
betting on the run" of the ship has al
ways been freely INDUCED in. All this
was very harmless when one knew ones
fellow passengers and risked sums alto
gether insignificant, but now that ships
passenger list often foots up couple of
hundred, and not more than half dozen
of whom know anything of each others
antecedents, what was formerly an inno-
cent pastime is fraught with danger.
The smoking room has now become a
gambling hell, and not in miniature
either, with all the accessories of choicest
wines and spirits, which flow like water,
while from Immediately after breakfast
the vely demon Of play seems to take
possession of its occupants. Pools,
sometimes, to the number of four or five,
are gotten up each morning, and an auc-
tioneer obtained, ribald1y and bias
phemy which would do justice to Wall
street den, and often aggregate 20 to 30
guineas each, and, of course, the winner
would be looked upon as very ''small'' if
he did not stand half a dozen of cham
payne; so that gambling and drunken
ness go hand in hand. Into this
atmosphere the young men who
are sent abroad by commercial houses
naturally gravitate Tin fact it is the only
place of refuge In a storm, and very
soon become initiated and active partici-
pants, and their employers would be as
tonished, not only at the value of the
stake, but at their dexterity and famil-
iarty with all gambling devices. In fact,
a beardless youth informed the writer
that he had realized enough to pay all
his personal expenses for the four weeks
during which he had been abroad. And
a gentleman informed us that, having
watched young man whom he knew
playing ''poker' losing heavily, called
him out, and after demonstrating with
him for his folly, threatened, unless he
at once put a stop to it, that he would,
Immediately on his arrival, scable"
his employers, and subsequently
had to lend him e100; but the
worst feature of all is that the 'card
sharp" the professional gambler, ''smell-
ing game from affair."" now frequents the
ocean steamer as he formerly did the
Mississippi boat, and Systematically
plucks the unwary. and it is only within
8 few days that af1davits have set forth
that the fraternity, having been made
aware that Mr.. James Gordon Bennett
was going over in "Whlte Star boat"
thereupon took passage in her with the
avowed purpose of despoiling him. We
leave your readers to imagine, then, the
moral atmosphere of frst-class ocean
steamship in the height of the season
after the passengers have recovered from
sea sickness, and the effect of it upon
young men whose business requires them
to make constant voyages.
Naturally of buoyant spirits, attracted
by the 6o1ltonanaie which the roue and
gambler so well affects, with plenty of
money IN his pocket and generous let
ter of credit, is it any wonder that he
falls ready victim The large sale of
liquors is, of course, a great item in the
Of a steamer. and one almost
shoulders at the amount consumed (the
supply Of brandy alone of the City of