The Indianapolis journal., 1884-07-26
pEcAY 81 rHE aREEN cLoTH.
An Old Professional Laments the Decline q
Gambling.

Gambling.
San Francisco Chronicle
professional gamblers of high and low degrees
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 yocations to secure even the neeessa-
ries of lifen
The speaker was veteran gambler, an intelH-
gent Englishman known as ''Reddy,n with
probably as many aliases as a cat is expected to
have lives For the past twenty years he has
lived by his wits, making and squandering
thousands annually. He can play honest
game if circumstances compel him but his aim
ever is to have the odds immeasurably in his
favor. He is an adept in dealing brace game
Of faro, or in swindling at short cards. but tho
height Of his ambition is to transfer an innocen8
mans money into his own pocket by means ct
some confidence game. In the last-named rol8
he may be classed as an expert
Il have just returned to the Bay continued
the disconsolate sport after two years pro
fessional tour, playing brief engagements at al
| the leading sporting centers in the country
had hoped to 6nd things booming in San Fran
cisco; but the hope was sadly blasted, for / find
more broken gamblers here than found in any
other city High rollers who only few years
ago squandered their hundreds weekly now
| glad to capture enough money to lodge in .
| twenty -fve-cent room and subsist beer
| lunch. Where one gambler is in funds, fully
| ninety-nine are in Distress
How did you find the situation at other
| pointsl" asked the reporter
with very few exceptions, Just as bad for the
| fraternity. About two months ago made
| tour on the Northern Pacific road. From st.
| Paul to Helena / did not find a single place
| where the gambler could make any money. At
Helena and Butte there is considerable sport
but controlled by a few men. Then Iwent into
the Cour d'Alene mining region in company
with several other sports, and found that eoun-
try dead fraud: there were actually more
gamblers there than there were dollars, and
our party had tough time to get out of the in
fernal country. visited all the leading points
in Oregon and Washington Territory only to
find business duh everywhere. At Portland
there are several lively faro games, played wide
open, but the limit is SO small that an outsider
can't make winning of any size Then took
a steamer for Frisco, expecting to make some
money on the passage. Again was disappointed
The only gambling on board was at whist--a
quarter corner for the rubber. The degeH-
eracy 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
MountainsF
"At 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 slick gambler couldn't mako
enough down there now to feed crow. AtSt
Louis and Kansas City, for years the leading
sporting centers of the West not single gamb-
ling house is open; in fact, the laws of Missouri
make it a felony for any one to run gambling
game within the limits of the State The same
/ severe law is in force in Tennessee, and the
| chances are that just such a law
/ will be enacted in most Of the
States inside of the next few years. And
i when this change comes about there will be an
| end to professional gambling for the
1 bravest gamester will throw up his hands if he
j sees that the doors of the penltentiary yawn-
4 ing 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 pos
i itively prohibited. In Chicago, where the heav-
! lest games of faro have been played Of late,
i the mayor has announced his firm determination
to shut up every gambling house, and of course
he can accomplish the task if he means business.
i In New York city gambling is under the ban,
4 although faro games are constantly run on the
i sly In Philadelphia there has been very little
/ gaming for years, and at Washington only few
faro games, and skin ones at that are under
Roadway Boston and Providence are the only
4 two points in New England patronized by pro-
4 fessional gamesters, and at both the betting is
j very tame Throughout the Southern States
| there is very little betting at faro, and at the
i favorite game (poker) the stakes are light In
New Orleans gambling is licensed, and in the
4 winter months the betting is very lively, but
i not ten dollar piece is wagered on the green
cloth now where thousand we're ten years ago.
The fact is that gambling in public houses is
i 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.