Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-03-23
BLOTS IN CITY LIFE.
The Many Palaces OF Gamblers
Where Youth is Ruined.
A Graphic Description Of the Most Noted
Gambling Dens in This city-Ihe
. - Position of the Police on
the Subject.
Nc,R York H0r Id

Nev York Fnld
There is in the city of New York q
large and elegant police force. In Broad
way, in Barclay street, in Ann street, IN
very many streets in the Twenty-ninth
precinct and in various other portions
of our city there exist certain establish
ments known to the young bloods Is
Shells" There is, however, a difference
between the Tophet of Scripture ana
hell" OF CIVILIZATION. Asto the former,
il Is easy to get in and impossible to get
out, but difficult TO get in. In Tophet
you are boiled, but in Ann and other
streets you are skinned" The one Is
the end of crime, the other the begin
ming.
Reginauld Mortimer, who has just ar
rived in town after having inherited
His Fatber's Moderate Fortu"e,
is going TO pay one OF tle ao1ve e'tao-
lishments visit. The outer door OF
the Temple of Chance is on the latch
and opens to any conner. Within, now
ever, ls glass door with transparent
sides, which is locked. a ring at the
bell soon brings a man to this inner
door, who, after scruLinizing the visitor
little through the side, admits you
and with q bow passes you upstairs.
The shrine of the temple is on the first
floor. You enter the front room. A
long table spread diagonally across the
apartment and radiant with snowy
dam ask and glttering plate greets your
eyes. You behold game OF all kinds,
fruits, flowers, sturdy cold joints, deli.
cate pates, delicious confectionery
spread over the hospitable board.
SPARKLING wines flow into silver goblets.
The Champagne Creams Whitley,
and the Rudesheiner gurgles as it pours.
There is brandy for those who find no
consolation in the grape, and cigars TO
soothe the perturbed spirits OF losers.
Around this delightful banquet, free to
all, few gentleman SIT languidly eat.
ing, and scarce glance at our friend
Reginaud as he enters, consumed with
the fears that all eyes will te upon him.
In this pleasant chamber Reginald
seeks in vain for those fatal but attract.
i've instruments of play, that invented
originally to amuse Il child, have ended
by being the destruction of men. There
If, however, b bony click sounding
from the back chamber, and q monOt-
onous voice that sometimes may be
heard crying, "king wins, ten loses"
with Low and then horrible curse
from some one who was going 10 bet on
the hing, but, Obeying a fatal instinct,
trsn~ft fred his pile 10 the ten. All these
little Indications betray to our friend
Rteinauld the locality OF the faro
lstle.
The Brilliant supper
hiss no charms for Reginaud. He
huDGers only for play, aud half eagerly,
bali timidly, enters the gaming room.
A table somewhat longer than broad
and covered with green cloth occupies
one corner of the room. Before this
sits q calm, keen-eyed man, whose
hands move like those ofan attenuation,
and whose glance comprehends every
thing around him. At his right hand
sits another person with drawer full
of money, open, and square Of ivory
counters OF various colors ranged before
him. The first person has in front OF
lin board, on which whole suit OF
cards is pasted, and little plated spring
box containing pack of cards. He is
the dealer, and those are the imple-
mcmts for playing faro.
What eager faces cluster and crowd
around that green board! How all the
eyes strain towards that little box aud
tighten or lower az the coming card
loses or wins, There is little said, but
the silence Is OminiOus and depressing.
one feels that it is au atmosphere Of
intense excitement, when, perhaps,
some heart is silently breaking not y
foot distant. Most Of che faces are lined
the cold sweat bursts out in large
taded drops. Regnauld's smooth,
young country face has n strange look
III tie midst OF those scared and
Blasted Gamsiers.
Rcciuauld invests his funds, bets fool
IshIN, OF course, and loses. Meantime
The high priest of the temple has dis.
covered who Reginaud is--these men
have a mysterious knowledge Of every
body's private listeners and approach
ing makes has acquaintance. He Is
borne Off to SUPPER and treated with
great consideration. The High Priest
excellent mau-recOmmends Regi-
nauld not to play any more. 1t requires
u cool head and quick intellect to win,
and the chances are always in favor of
the bank. Astute high priest! What
Young fellow OF twenty ever faucied
that he lacked either GOODNESS or shrewd-
ness? ReglnauId has already lest 300,
and in spite OF kind warnings he goes
after it. Early the next morning, when
the East is gray and the milk carts
run, tie through the streets, bringing the
smell of the country with them. Rogi.
Hsu.d walks sadly home. lie endeavOrs
in vain TO calculate
The Amount Of the Cheeks
lie has given to the High Priest; bit at
each calculation the sum seems To alter
and grow larger and he finds himself
wondering whether the old farm will
have TO go, and how he shall ever face
lis simple hearted mother. If the farm
does not 90 then, it will some other time,
for Reginald is invited To dine with
the High Priest next day to meet
pleasant set OF fellows, and OF Course
there is a little play in the evening, and
six months later Keginauld il there with
a WO!fish glance and bIOated face, play
ing his dollar chips eagerly, for the farm
is gone and he can no longer lay down
his hundreds.
Every night some one OF these places
IS To he found full Of gamblers. Occa-
fiODally the police make a magnificent
descent upon the gaming houses. hut
they mauage it go magniiicently that
each time the rooms, full every other
night, are then deserted, and although
the High Priest is arrested, nothing
more comes Of it. Gamblers by profes-
sion frequent the fashionable hotels and
dazzle the behOlder with the slender OF
their equipages. What man can wit
ness these orgies Of modern life without
thinking, with shudder, that every
dollar they spend is We: with the blood
Of some life crushed out and cursed with
a. h. o.