Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-22
"BAC.n IN NEW YORK.

Baccarat has at last found shrine in
New York. Its votaries are not yet as nu-
merous as they are in London and Paris,
but the game is an insidious one, and we
may yet see in this country a repetition of
the gambling mania which recently reached
a climax in London. In quiet side street,
not far from Broadway, is house which is
distinguished from its neghbors only by
the gas Jet which dimly Eliminates its YES
thule until an early hour in the morning.
The house is conducted as a proprietary
club, and the visitor, before admission, is
obliged to go through the preliminaries of
introduction and being enrolled as resi-
dent or nonresident member. The dues
are not heavy, and the principal requisite
for admission is willingness to tempt the
tickle goddess and the means to make sac
ritices to her, Once admitted the visitor
will find on the first floor nothing to indi-
cate the character of the so-called club, and
he will be sadly disappointed if he expects
to find any OF the gorgeousness 10 furniture
and decoration which characterizes the
traditional gaming. house. On reaching the
second floor, however, the unmistakable
click of ivory chips is heard. About a
table, shaped like a figure eight, are seated
a score or more of players, and mixed
lot they are. A Cuban or two, three or
four Frenchmen and Italians, some genuine
Englishmen and some pseudo Engishmen,
a pair of dudes, and sprinkling of Ameri-
cans of the baser sort compose a crowd
which is denstionalized and unified in the
common desire to capture the dealers
money. The intense stiffness, which is
thought to be necessary where heavy gam
bling is going on, is absent here, and, al.
though the stakes are quite heavy, there is
a continual current OF banter and Just,
English malediction or French exultation-
or vice versa, as the luck may turn-tri.
umph on one side of the table and cursing
on the other, all punctuated with the
dealers monotonous No more, and the
occasional " BAG from dealer or PLAYER.
At intervals the bank Is either broken or
the banker sees fit to retire from his oner-
Gus position. The club attendant puts the
privilege up at auction, and his " Five
hundred, once-fve hundred, twice-fve
hundred three times, and sold to Mr. Blank, "
determines that Mr.. Blank ia to place five
hundred dollars in money on the table to
be played against by the puntsrs until
it is exhausted OF until he has dealt through
LuIcb pdChS Vi GdltAr. IL LIlG lAklGI ENGub
the bank is again auctioned off to the high.
est bidder. Nothing but cash or counters
redeemable by the club is permitted to be
played for, and this has the salutary effect
Of limiting players to the amount they
have with them, making it impossible for
rash players to involve themselves or their
bank accounts in ruin through the mo-
meutary excitement Of the game. This is
the only redeeming feature OF baccarat
Otherwise it Is as pernicious in its effects
as keno or any other disreputable mode Of
gambling. Novel writers have thrown a
halo OF distinction about it which it in no
wise deserves. Certain features OF the game
make it impossible for it to be played under
ordinary surroundings, and It'll has there
fore come to be regarded as almost exclu-
sivsly as a club game, but the recent ex-
posures in Paris show that, even under the
most favorable circumstances, it can be
made the means of fashionable swindliug,
while experienced card players say that
with the most trihino collision, it furnishes
a splendid field for sharp practice. 1t will
be bad day for New York when baccarat
becomes to be more generally played. -
[ Modern Age for April.