The Dillon tribune., 1884-01-26
The Gamblers Paradise.

Here the gambling houses are licensed.
On ROYAL street, within stretch OF two
blocks eighteen keno, faro, and other games
Of chance flourish The police protect
them. The proprietors pay $500 month
! for official federation. The gamblers are
Tot only recognized, but then they are pa
tronized by the police, who do not hesitate
to play keno, faro, Spanish monte and 9TH
er games while they are supposedly ON d.
ty Sunday afternoon, on the corner OF
Custom-house and Franklin streets 1t is
common thing to see policemen playing
Spanish monte with negroes and the low
est class of whites. On Canal street, few
blocks from the Louisville and Nashville
depot, monte houses run day and night.
At two O'Clock in the morning the writer
has seen member of the New Orleans po-
lice dealing the game to crowded room
with colored roustabouts. The officer vas
on duty at the time. He has proprietary
! interest in the game and his profits from
this disgraceful connection are large.
The money paid by licensed gamblers in
this city goes into municipal charity fund
This fund has been increased to such an
extent that hospital has been erected and
its current expenses are supplied by the
gamblers blood money. The gamblers of
the city speak of the institution as tour
hospital" and when prominent sports from
the North visit their Louisiana brethren
they are taken to tour hospital" and gen.
erously entertained. The strong clutch
which gambling has en- this community is
remarkable feature of life here. The
largest keno establishment in the world is
on Royal street. 1t will accommodate in
both departments nearly 1000 players. On
Sunday mornings at nine O'Clock the play
begins and the house runs throug h the en-
tire week. Frequently the key is not turn
ed in the front door for month. The
profits are enormous. The proprietors of
the game run no risk. They take fifteen
per cen: of the money invested in keno.
Their poker winnings are ten per cent. In
short-card and dice games they supply spec
ulators with every facility for losing lucre.
The game is about $2oo,ooo "strong," and
the chief manager has not only great
wealth, hut he has great political influence.
His name is Currie. He employs over
forty men, paying them an average of five
dollars a day. He possesses much execu-
tive ability, is good talker, and rules the
roughs who patrouize him with rod of
iron. Men who will fight and shoot on
slight provocation have learned from expe-
r;ence that Currie cannot be trited with.
He is Of slight build and swarthy complex
ion. He sleeps in luxuriously furnished
apartments adjoining the keno rooms and
is waited upon by corps of black servants
with honors which would become royalty
itself Shortly after daylight his carriage
is summoned, and he is driven to the re-
tirement of one Of the most elegant houses
i'll New Orleans. A keno card in Currie's
place costs ten cents. With 500 cards out
the holder Of the lacky one realizes $50,
less $3.50, which goes to the house as com
mission. Royal street is honey-combed
with gambling helis. The entrances are
made attractive, electric lights blaze above
and below, whisky and cigars are furnish
cd patrons without cost, and some estab-
lishments pay SIS for refreshments, which
are gratuitously distributed every twenty
four hours. The weather is so extremely
hot here that the doors and windows are
rarely closed on Royal street, and parties
walking through that thoroughtare at
night may distinctly hear the keno num-
bers called from a dozen establishments,
the rafting of the balls, followed, after in
tervals, BY vocal salvo which proclaims
"keno correct."-Nesv Orleans Corr. Of the
Chicago Herald.