Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-05

the fraternity. About two months ago I made tour on the Northern Pacific road. From St. Paul to Helena I did not find sin gle place where the gambler could make any money. At Helena and Butte there is con- siderable sport, but controlled by few men. Then I went into the Occur d'Alene mining region in company with several other sports, and found that country dead fraud; there were actually more gamblers there than there were dollars, and our party had @ tough time to get out of the internal country. I visited all the leading points in Oregon and Wash ington territory, only to find business was dull everywhere. At Portland there are sev- eral lively faro games, played wide open, but the limit is so small that an outsider can't make a winning of any size. Then I took 8 steamer for Frisco, expecting to make some money on the passage. Again I was disap- pointed The only gambling on board was at whist-a quarter corner for the rubber The degeneracy of the times actually made me sick, and took my berth and remained there until the boat reached the dock"
 ''How fare the sports east of the Rocky Mountains?"
 'At Denver the game is lively and the doors are wide open, but the bets are small and the same is true to Salt Lake. The glory of the gambling camps in New Mexico and Arizona has departed, and even a slick gambler couldn't make enough down there now to feed a crow. At St. Louis and Kan sas City, for years the leading sporting cen ters of the West, not single gambling house is open: in fact, the laws of Missouri make it felony for anyone 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 law will be en- acted in most of the States inside of the next few years. And when this change comes about there will be an end to professional gambling, 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 it's heavy games, there is very little play, and on most of the boats gambling is positively prohibit ted. In Chicago, where the heaviest games at faro have 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 if he means bus1- ness. In New York city gambling is under the ban, although faro games are constant ly run on the sly. In Philadelphia there has been very little gambling for years, and at Washington only a few faro games, and skin ones at that, are under headway. Boston and Providence are the only two points in New England patronized by pro- fessiona1 gamesters and at both the bet ting is very tame. Throughout the south ern States there is very little betting at faro, and at the favorite game poker) the stakes are light. In New Orleans gambling is licensed, and in the winter months the betting is very lively, but not ten-dollar piece is wagered on the green cloth now where a thousand was ten years ago. The fact is that gambling in public houses is rapidly on the decline throughout the whole country, and the signs of the times ind1- cate death to the green cloth at no far dis tant day"