Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1884-08-02
DECAY OF THE GREEN CLOTH.
An Old Professional Laments the
Decline of Gambling.

Decline of Gambling.
professional gamblers of high and low
degree never were in as tight lines as they
are now, and unless the tide soon turns in
their favor they will be forced to abandon
the green cloth and seek other vocations
to secure even the necessaries of life."
The speaker was q veteran gambler Of
San Francisco, an intelligent Englishman,
known as Freddy" with probably as
many aliases as q cat Is expected to have
lives. For the past 20 years he has lived
by his wits, making and squandering
thousands annually. He can play an
honest game if circumstances compel him,
but his aim ever is to have the odds i'm
~measurably in his favor. He is an adept
in dealing q brace game OF faro, or in
swindling at short cards, but the hight Of
his ambition is to transfer an innocent
mans money into his own pocket by
means of some confidence game. In the
last-named role he may be classed as an
expert.
Il have just returned to the bay" con-
sAAaNo Az utb~OioOlatO bDOAb III hfp Shab
with the reporter, latter a Two years pro-
fessional tour. playing brief engagements
at all the leading sporting centers in the
country. l had hoped to find things boom
ing in San Francisco; but the hope was
sadly blasted, for l find more broken
gamblers here than 1 found in any other
city. High rollers who, only a few years
ago, s~quandered their hundreds weekly,
are now glad to capture enough money to
lodge in o 25-oent room and subsist on a
beer lunch. Where one gambler is in
funds, fully SO are in Distress"
"How did you find the situation at other
points 2" asked the reporter.
with very few exceptions, just as bad
for the fraternity. About two months ago
1 made a tour on the Northern Pacific
road. From st. Paul to Helena l did not
find q single place where the gambler
could make any money. At Helena and
Butte there is considerable sport, but con-
trolled by a few men. Then l vent into
the Caur d'Alene mining region in COM
panv with several other sports, and found
that country q dead fraud; there were act
ually more gamblers there than there were
dollars. and our party had q tough time to
get out Of the Internal country. l visited
all leading points in Oregon and Washing
VII 4CllAbOAy OuiJ v Anu puoALO5b uull
everywhere. At Portland there are several
lively faro games, played wide open, but
the limit is so small that an outsider can't
make q winning of any size. Then l took
q steamer for Frisco, expecting to make
some money on that passage. Again l was
disappointed. The only gambling on
board was at whist-a quarter q corner for
the rubber. The degeneraey Of the times
actually made me sick, and / took to my
berth and remained there until the boat
reached the dock"
How fare the sports east of the Rocky
Mountains ?"
cat Denver the game is lively and the
doors are wide open, but the bets are
small, and the same is true as to Salt Lake.
The glory Of the gambling camps in New
Mexico and Arizona has departed, and
even q slick gambler couldn't make enough
down there now to feed q crow. At st.
Louis and Kansas City. for years the lead
ing sporting centers Of the West, not q
single gambling house is open; in fact, the
laws of Missouri make it a felony for any
one to run a gambling game within the
limits Of the State. The same severe law
is in force in Tennessee, and the chance
are that just such a law will be enacted in
most of the States inside OF the next few
years. And when this change comes about
there will be an end TO professional gam
bling, for even the bravest gamester will
throw up his hands if he sees that the
doors Of the penitentiary are yawning for
him. On the Mississippi river, once noted
for its heavy games, there is very little
play, and on most Of the boats gambling is
positively prohibited. In Chicago. where
the heaviest games Of faro has been played
of late, the Mayor has announced his firm
determination to shut up every gambling
house, and Of course he can accomplish the
task il he means business. In New York
City gambling is under the ban, although
faro games are constantly run on the sly.
In Philadelphia there has been very little
gambling for years, and at Washington
only a few games, and skin ones at that,
are under Roadway. Boston and Provi-
dence are the only two points in New En-
gland patronized by professional game
sters, and at both the betting very tame.
Throughout the Southern States there is
very little betting at faro, and at the favor
lite game (poker) the stakes are light. In
New Orleans gambling is licensed, and in
the winter months the betting is very
lively, but not a ten-dallar piece is wagered
on the green cloth now where a thousand
was ten years ago. The fact is that gam
bling in public houses is rapidly on the
decline throughout the whole country,
and the signs of the times indicate death
to the green cloth at no far distant day.
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