The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-06-23
OUR ST. LOUIS LETTER.
NOTES FROM THE MOUND CITY,
~. Louisltcs ~ Gamblers - Gratifying
Their rropcnsiiirs for Play by Horse
iincing The Approaching
state Convention,

row our NMttAtNl NbllHN hl' nltll'i war
the rhythmic observation of n poet, who
could not have been In II place more sug-
gcstiVc of such n thought than n certain
spot that already H. becoming hallowcd
tn those who attend the Armory on Pine
street. Directly across from that noisy
building, which every evening re-
sounds with the tramp of the ambitious
young soldiers and the rattle
of inoilcnsivo muskctry In the drill, h
the home, or refuge, for fallen women.
Behind the high stone wall and the
many windows that break the surface OF
the rambling structure, II moro than
one creature of passiOn-ayc, too, of I'M
fortunate circumrtanccs-w ma thcir
| only consolation In pathetic tale or song
Some time sincc-many years ago
when the.homo was filled with obstrcpcr-
Gus members, who looked over the wall
continually To the imaginary ilosh-pots
of Egypt beyond, about dozen OF
the most daring scaled the wall ana
were safely hid before the guardians
discovered that the ranks of sin had been
augmented. Diligent search succeeded
in restoring all hut two, and since that
evening they have all submitted to their
peaceful lot of enforced virtue with I'M
complaining patience, or at least no
complaints have reached the outer world.
During the past month spirit of sad
dcncd melancholy has settled upon its
passionless precincts, and those who
know of its recent origin and who for
mcrly iccrcd as they passed the wall,
now look up with deepening interest
nj the unrcsponsiyc windows. One calm
SUNDAY evening. when the cavalry mon
were smoking their cigars uotside their
quarters. there iloatcd from across the
way, from the guarded building whose
gloOmincss was unrclicVcd by II single
light, the notes of II delicious duet that
silencod the tests of the careless crowd
and arrested the sauntcring feet of the
passcr by. The voices of the soprano
and alto blended like the music of mated
birds, and in steady succession carried
tho burden of songs in English, French
and Italian. Each tune was tinged with
sadness that made more incongruous
the evident culture of the unfortunate
singers, and they had not long enriched
the air before more than one of the mill
tarv listeners had sworn to learn some
thing abont the Gagged nightingales the
next day. Nothing as yet can be dis
covered concerning them, and still their
pitiiul voices all joined with ravishlng
harmony every sunday night NJ the
same hour The lt,wS has found its way
over the city, and it is curious to notice
what an interest is taken in the mystic
rOus musicians by the many who
throng the sidewalk enjoying the sounds
for few minutes and then quietly pass
along, or who pay reverend heed till the
last tone has died away toward the great
river.
st. Louis ill-luck has passed into II
provcrb, and IL is peculiar dispensa-
lion of fortune when she doesn't find
good cause to grumhlc nj what she went
to great trouble to procure. Disguised
with the horrible condition of every
street, which makes the finest dust and
the Stickicst mud of any city in
America, they, last fall, ut great expense,
had Pine and Locust streets, through
the resident portion, paved with as
platinum which made the streets surface
as smooth ms Il floor. There was II great
rush To get residences along the newly
paved thoroughfares, and dealers real
lied some fabulous prices. Now the tide
has turned, and the papers tenn with
complaints from disappointed jewellers,
who affirm that life is unbcarahle in
| their now location. Every vehicle. other
/ than traffic, makes ii particular point
! to go up and down those strects.and rs q
consequence there is dcaicning din all
| day long from tho Clattcr of
horses hoofs and the rattle
of carriages. ON Sunday there is an
endless procession of all kinds of turn
outs, and rs racing Is frequent along the
avenues that day, the residents find lit
| fallcn'in that neghborhood as result,
and there will undoubtedly be an oXo-
dus for dirticr but quicter quarters.
The races have been the attraction the
past week. both ball clubs being absent,
and rs the average St. Louis man can
not live without betting so much
ANYWAY, they have been well patron
| Tom htr tnt ~
principally, but by the members of the
''uppcr ten" who claim to be us blooded
| rs the horses they stake their money on.
The rich society lady, reclining in her
cushioned carriage, bets with the same
easy grace rs the smooth-tongued gam
| bier who is trying To rope in two unsus-
pccting strangers. 1t is not so much the
| is the few scruples these
people have against letting
| 1t be known. The big dailics of
! the CITY have an entire column devoted
/ to track chat, and it Is nothing to see the
names of prominent, respectable citizens
spoken of in connection with "dropping
a bundle" "making "A stake" or "going
home richer after the last race" with as
much freedom rs are described in the
scenes ut an opera on the first night. II
would he hard to find II dozen men out
of hundred of those that
attend who 90 for anything but the
avowcd purpose of making something;
and yet how surprised some portions of
the social world would appear TO he il
they learned those fellows had made an
equal sum OFF of ''iack-pot." Every
body admits that the races are sold and
| is perfectly satisfied il he is beaten. No
body thinks of examining the points of
any horse, but all are anxious 10 get II
tip from some jockey, and IL is wonder
full how the little fellows can
keep their seats after such repeated
friendly meetings with black bottles
from beneath the coats of those who
know the least about horses, and yet do
the most betting. An old cart horse,
| IL he was logged out, would have as
much money placed on him as the
thoroughbrcds, provided his owner
could once get inside the charmed circle
and pool with the rest of the boys.
Just what good such exhibitions do is
hard to tell, since everybody knows they
are conducted simply in the interest Of
book-makers and those whose influence
has steadily been against all legitimate
contests of speed. 4 few stay away and
pine for the good old days when ambi-
iious steeds tore the turf on Sundays
and won an honest victory, but the ma
oritv join the innumerablc crowd and
gcsliculate as wildly as the rest.
There is a little buzz over the Demo-
cratic State convention, which meets
here next Tuesday. There will be a
rcd-hot fight, not only over the dele
gates TO Chicago, but over the
governorship question. Marmaduke
is claimed to have the lead in
the race so far, but II Is hard matter to
! tell anything about the status of the
ease. as the local wigwams have great
dividing rents through them, and har-
mony Is painfully lacking. A great
effort was made To have something ex-
traordinary in the way of Entertainment,