The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-08-14
Open Gambling in Louisville

Gambling is plainly the most im~
portant business in Louisville. It
gives character to Eve or six OF the
choicest squares in the commercial
part OF the town, and exceeds any
other branch Of trade in volume OF
transactions. The pooling rooms
which are all on the square on Third
street between Main and Market,
handle not less than Sc 600 900 q
year. The faro banks which occupy
large proportion of the houses on
Two squares OF Fifth street, two
squares of Jefferson street and one
square of Green street, do a business
of about So 600. 900. The winnings
and loosings of the numerous poker
rooms amount to S2,00O,0O0, at q
moderate estimate; the keno banks
absorb about 81, 600. 900 in the course
of each year, mainly the wages Of
laboring men; and the lottery Offices,
OF which there are over a hundred,
scattered like drug stores all over
town, receive and keep $500 O09, at
lest halt OF which comes from the
negroes. These estimates make a
total OF SO, SOC. 600.
Along the east side Of Third street
about half OF the pedestrians turn
aside into the pool rooms, and the
business within can be seen and
heard by every pa8ser by. The door
ways are kept wide open. fresh air
being regarded as more important to
the sWeltering crowds than seclusion,
80 indifferent to the opinions OF others
have pool room betters grown. The
publicity OF the other kinds OF gamb-
llng-faro, keno and poker-is even
more astonishing than that of the
pool rooms. Here those of the plays
ers who preserve any respect for the
opinions Of others ara osretat lot to
be seen entering or leaving the rooms,
but the Observation-Disclosures ere
made as conspicuous as pGs5ible. in
order to attract customers. There is
no fear Of the law and the propri9t0rs
are in some Instances az enterprising
80 ready-made clothing dealers
Gbe "Grockford' y faro bank Is the
most gorgeous place in the city. Il
is on Jefferson street, a few doors
away from Fourth street, which is
the principal thoroughfare, and all
who pass are attracted to look oy a
fine view OF the approaches and part
of the interior. The broad stairway
Uses flush from the sidewalk, and the
double plate glass doors. embeIlished
with the name OF the place in q rich
stained-glass design, are kept open
during the hot weather. At the ton
OF the easy fight Of stairs site a polite
looking mulatlo man, dressed in
spotiess white linen His duty is not
to give warning Of the approach oil
the pclice-!hey never come in an
unfriRnd!y Ray-but 10 receive and
direct all desirable visitors and turn
back all bankrupts and hoodlums.
The rooms are highly irescoed and
lighted by electricity. The "Crock .
f0rd,', which was so named to keep
green the memory of popular gam
bier who died hers several years ago.
stands without rival in the glory oil
its appointments, but there are sever
al other houses that are not afraid to
display their ffnery before the public,
and even the nesnest of the faro
banks have conspicuous signs to tell
what they are. Generally they are
called by their street numbers, which
are always painted in large and
handsome letters and Illuminated al
night.-LouiSyille letter to PAHQdeL-
Mia Times.