The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-04-26
GAMBLING M RESTAURANTS.
4 1oreigners View OF . Strange
Feature Of American Life.

u0 1u0uW1u III 010U1S18 CIS~u8So nHc
the fashion In spring clothes or light
was all the rage in New York. and the
metropolis was known to out-0f-t0wn
people - the great city an centre for the
game. Every restaurant was . gam
bling house. OF late, the public taste In
games Of chance have changed. The
fashionable restaurants are still gam
bling houses, but faro has been sup
planted by poker. The former js now
restricted to the gambling hells. The
latter 10 universal in private houses, hO-
tels, restaurants, and clubs.
The reflection that certain property
rights are now more frequently based
On bob.tail flush in poker than on a
miniature pJ ramid OF ivory chips In fa-
10 was brought quite fOrcibly to the
mind Of the pOlyglut scribe Of the Press
this morning upon meeting Monsieur
L., an old acquaintance from Paris,
Monsieur had recently arrived and had
never been in America before. Talking
in the demn0nstrative manner character
istic Of Frenchmen. he remarked:
"What excessive l"ker-pIayers you
Americans are!'
'Indeed, }" said the scribe, land may
ask what leads you to this conclus-
ion?'
"Oh, nothing particular" returned
Monsieur pleasantly, "om!y the very
day landed lost trifle Of 81 ,5@W.
Losses and gains like these seem to be
characteristic Of you Americans:"
money!" asked the reporter, u little sur
prised that Monsieur should think the
losing Of 60 considerable SUM IN
>,r,nss{<~, ~ A ,nnrS1sns, lifs,
"We1l, ifyOu want IL hear about 1t:
Among my letters was one tn the keep
er of . large restaurant up t0wn-a
most gorgeous restaurant indeed. Up
on reading my letter this gentleman ~
ceived me- with great cOrdiality. He
invited me to dinner, and insisted upon
my sharing his box at the theatre, and
asked me, with much interest, where l
was stopping. / informed that i was
staying within . stones throw Of his
place, 1t the It. James Hotel. As we
were about to start to the play two or
three other gentlamen, evidently guests
at the restaurant, came down from up
stairs and unmarked that theyswere go
ing to the same theatre. They were In
troduced to me - prominent st0ckbr0-
kess and Wall street men, which do
not doubt they were. They were very
pleasant indeed. How delightful yon
Americans are! They were 20 entirely
generous, too. After visiting the thea
tire We all came lack to my hosts res.
taurant, In . very merry party, and had
an elegant supper and . convivtal time.
"Well, after . while, it suddenly
struck one Of the gentlemen In our par
ty that there was game Of poker 60
ing on upstairs. Ny new-f0und friends
were surprised to hear It, but one Of
them proposed In . jocular way, that
We should 70 up-etairs and watch the
game. We did 10. It was most in
| terssting phase Of American life. My
friends Joined in the sport in hearty
way. l did 80 toe, presently at the sug-
gestion of the host. Draw-l,Oker seems
to be really characteristic Of you Amerf-
cans. wonder that you find any time
for carrying on your wonderful busi-
ness pursuits since you all play poker:
! In this game l won and lost. 80 did
my friends. Sometimes I was 50 much
ahead that the whole jolly company
laughed ut me. Love Of draw-poker is
evidently great national trait. When
l finally gut up from the table l had
lost. It was . mere trtf1e, . matter Of
81, 500, ~ 1 said before. The next day
JOUOO the party W JOSIy UO cSC1'
then lost $4Hl The restaurant keeper
was most delightful gentleman. He
lent me 80 until I could cash q draft.
poker IL phase Of American life,
which to me has an agreeable interest.
1t is 80 characteristic of you Anleri-
cans"
And with these wor,ls and . merry
laugh, Monsieur drifted int" another
subject of conversation.
Inquiries made in other quarters ~
the reporter disclosed that the account
given above was in no wise exaggerated:
In q large number Of livery respecta''ls'
restaurants the prOprietOrs encourage
this form of gaming. Their sources o'
remuneration are u percentage ON the
money staked by the gamblers, a. well
~ the pay for the extravagaht suppers
which usually precesle u poker party. IN
other words, some Of the fashiOnahle
restaurants are simply thinly veneeretl
and gilsle,i gambling hells, where nct''a'
siOnally no little crooked business il In
tlulgetl in.-N. Y. Pvs*.
HISTORICAL ITEMS.
! Butter was used by the early Romans
as medicine, not as foOtl.
Toward the end of the eighth century
the sale of slaves beyond their native
provinces was in most countries forbid