Barbour County index., 1884-01-25
HOW GAMBLING BEGINS.
A Plain Talk With Young Men.

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low gambling often ends Is illustrat-
cl by the recent suicide of young man
of high social standing who was well
known in the sporting" circles of New
York. Tampering with cards and the
roulette-table had aroused in him the
same insane furor which tampering with
the bottle arouses in the victims of
strong drink. We are told that this
wretched young man married; but
''eteh marriage did not cure him of
what had become a positive disease.
Little gaming parties In his rooms at
the hotel, and reckless plunging at the
publ'e tables soon ran away with all his
winnings, aid with the greater part of
his fortune besides. At last, few
months ago, he found himself ruined
His former friends fought shy Of him;
and in pitiably depressed frame Of
mind, he said: .fll go to Philadelphia.
and either make or break myself To
Philadelphia he went, with revolver
in his trunk. He played nearly the
whole time that he was there. The
recUrd Was monotOnous. His old luck
had deserted him; and one night he
went to his room at the hotel and put q
bullet through his BRAIN
Such is one of the latest tragedies
perpetratcd under the insane infatua-
ti1n Of the gamiDg-table But their
number Is legion. Many of the myste-
rious suicides which fll the records of
the morgues, or haunt the depths of the
rivers around our cities, would tell the
same story. Gambling is prevalent to
n degree which sober, quiet people
never dream OF. 1t is practiced-often,
indeed, In q small way and for moder-
ate stakes-by thousands of young men
in ali 5hf cities; practiced in the pri-
vacy of their ft5ms at their lodging
houses, rs well as iri houses for ''pro-
fossional' play. Employers little sils-
beet-alas! fathers and mothers little
suspect-~hat devilish mischief il go
ing on under the aover of secrecy.
Many of the larcenies Committed in
stores, cOunting-rooms and banks (some
of which are ..hushed up'' in order to
save reputatiQns) are committed i'm or
der TO cover up the losses at the card
table. On the other hand, the illegiti-
mate winnings at the same tables will
account for the fine eguipage or snowy
tufn-6uts of certain fast men whose
legitimate Income IL too slender to
maintain such extravaganza. Gambling
is a moral pestilence that ''walketh in
Darkness" and therefore its terrible
prevalence escapes public observation.
1t Is not decreasing.
This peri1ous practice, which so often
becomes fatal 10 character and to the
soul, begins, just as drunkenness be-
gins, with playing with fire. AT the
bottom of the first glass of wine which
the tippler tampered with lay an adder
Underneath the first dime that is ever
thrown down In a game Of chance is
concealed d serpent. When young
man makes his first bet, or puts up his
first wager on match 6r race, or
when he risks his first penny 40 u card.
table, he puts coal of fire into his
bosom which is not easily extinguished
it may kindle into conflagration
which, in the tremendous language of
Scripture, twill burn into the lowest
hell" The step that costs is the first
step. Gambling for penny is as es-
sentially sin as gambling for thou
sand pounds. No sin is a trihe. MY
young friend, the moment that your
conscience excuses the slightest de-
parture from absolute right as a 'mere
trifie, that moment YOU have let the
enemy slip in his little finger II will
not be long before you are in his grasp.
When you lay down your first stake,
even if it is only "in fun" YOU are
actually gambling. Remember that
there is always first inch at the top of
every precipice.
am not addressing these "plain
talks " to young men as an extremist or
a fanafIf. / do nj .L.s
one who ever plays a game of cards Is a
gambler, any more than every one who
drinks glass OF wine is tippler. But
it is equally true that he who uerer
touches an intoxicant can never hecome
drunkard, and he who never plays a
game of hazard can never become a
gambler. My own personal practice, at
school, college. etc.. was one of entire
abstinence from cards as well as from
wine-cups; and l have never repented
IT either All games of chance, when
played in earnest, have dangerous
fascination. As Canon Farfar well
says, There is gambling element in
human nature" and we have got to
watch against il just rs we
watch against Unborn sensual ap-
petites. With the excitement OF n
game of hazard comes the strong
temptation to risk stake on the game:
as soon as the first stake is laid down,
conscience goes with it. and literally
the Devil has hand with YOU i'm the
game. so strong is the fascination of this
spell OF sorcery that have seen-in the
public "COnversaZ on-halle' of Baden
Baden-well dressed ladies watch the
roulette-table until they became 80 be-
witched with the play that they would
furtively toss a gold Napoleon over on
the table from behind the crowd; the
gambling element in them had taken
fire. Now just here lies the peril with
you, my young friend; the excitement
of games of hazard sets you in flame;
then comes a small stake; then a larger.
II you win, you play to win more; il
you lose, you play on to make up your
losses. Before you know it, you are a
gambler. The only safe and sure way
is TO stop before you begin.
But it is not only from card-tables
and faro banks that mischief is to be
apprehended. Many young men are
tempted TO '.take small risk" in min
ing-stocks or other volatile stocks that
were playing up and down in the mar
ket. have known q half-dozen mere
lads to pool their earnings or their
pocket-money in a venture on share
ortwo Of stock. This rage for dabbling
in stocks turns hundreds of respectable |
young men into actual gamblers, al |
though they would be shocked If the |
ugly name were applied to them. They !
are not shocked at the thing itself. In |
stead of feeling that only the money !,
honestly earned is honestly got, they |,