Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-07
OCEAN GAMBLING.
Stakes Risked on Board English
Steamships--The Fascina.
ton of the Thing.
New York World.

New York World.
''No official" said the clerk at the White
Star Line Office, from the captain down to
the pettiest sailor, is permitted to participate
either directly or indirectly in any pools go
ing on board Of any vessel of our line, and
any statements to the contrary are utterly
devoid of truth That passengers will bet
on the run Of the ship, on the number Of the
pilot boat, on the probability of meeting
another vessel during the day-in fact, on al
most every imaginable event in which there
is an clement Of uncertainty-is something
which We can neither stop or in anywise in
terfere with. Neither can we prevent poker
playing or any other game OF cards, no mat
ter how high the stakes are. Our passengers
would tell US to mind our own business. How
large the sums won or lost are l have no per-
sonal knowledge of. The men who play are,
I believe, rich enough to stand any loss. Life
on board ship is different than on land.
There are no newspapers to read, and one
cannot always be porting over a book. It IS
natural that men should seek relief from
ennui in card-playing and pools. But it is
regarded merely as pastime and not In any
professional sense"
care there not men, skillfui players, who
make 1t habit Of crossing the ocean many
times year, readily paying their passage
and making good profit out Of their win
nings at play!"
There may be such men, and if they get
Oh board Of our ships it is the duty Of the
stewards to look out for them. A face will
become familiar after while and II the per-
son is biackleg or sharper the steward will
know how to deal with him. We cannot
refuse passage even to such persons where
they pay their fare In advance, for we are
common carriers under the law, but the
steward can control the gentleman's opera
tions. In one case which I remember, the
steward at the very outset privately told one
Of these gentry that if he caught him playing
he would hoist his name, as a warning, III the
smoking room. That was an effectual dam
per. The sharper did not touch a card dur
ing the whole of the voyage"
cit is not our regular voyagers who partici-
pate in the pools" said manager at the
Cunard Office. 'TThey are for then. st part
elderly nen who travel q certain number of
times every year for commercial purposes
and whose sailing we can predict like clock
work To them the novelty of ell this has
worn Off a long time since. It is the young
bloo{lS and theatrical people, making their
first trips. who are the most eager to put up
their money. There is fascination about it
which attracts people who would not go near
gambling-house on shore. 1t gives them
something to speculate upon and talk about,
and serves to while awaNthe time which
would otherwise hang heavy on their hands.
Besides, the whole thing is looked upon as
great fun, and the winner of the pool is in
vaTiably expected to open basket of cham
paign for the crowd"
Mr.. Louis de Bebian, the agent Of the
French steamers, could not say how high the
play ranged on board the vessels of his line
Pools were INDUCED in as web as card play
ing.
What right would have" he said, 'tto
interfere in any bet which you might make
with any third gentleman? It is your Owl
money which you lose and you have the right
to do with it what you please. You might
rs well have the captains forbid the drinking
OF wine. It is a question of personal liberty
which IS dear to every one and any infringe
ment on which would be quickly resented as
an insultn
The passenger agent CT the National line
said there was less pool playing going on on
board the steamers of that line than on any
other. Their patrons were steady going
class who did not indulge in such anusements,
and men who wanted to win large sums of
money on the trip over generally preferred
to go with faster vessels, which attracted
larger and richer number of passengers.