Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-05-04
POKER-SHARPS AT SEA.
freeing UnSOphisticated Travellers
ON Hoard the Ocean steam-
ships.

n recent London cablegram said there
was revival of the outcry against gam
ping on the Atlantic steamships. and
many letters had been published giving
instances OF passengers being fleeced bV
card-sharps. Two of these sharpers are
slender, bright-eyed girls, who are tamil
lar to ocean travellers in the summer sea-
son. Not long ago the writer saw them
aboard fast steamer for one of their peri
odlcal round trips, and they appeared
very pleasant to the eye. They were
simply yet richly dressed in becoming
travelling suits. One of them had an alG7
gator tourists bag slung over her sbouI-
der, and the other, with equal grace and
archness, carried pair of marine glasses
The small, snug, gray hats that sur
mounted their pretty heads of neatly
done-up hair, their close-ftting Jackets.
and strong yet shapely shoes, all bespoke
experienced travellers. As they stood at
the steamers rail, watching the busy.
Jostllng crowd, they were the cynosure OF
all eyes. They were not unattended
Looming up in the background with a
bland face was the male guardian of the
pretty pair AS the younger men who
were going to he their fellow-passenge
eyed them with ill-concealed admiration.
the gray-mustached chaperon frowned in
manner that was discouraging to the
audaciouS.
As the reporter gazed at the picture he
was startled by feeling a huge red hand
upon his shoulder, and hearing a voice
in his ear that sounded as if it came from
the depths of the sea- 1t said:
'Well, old mani
Turning around, the reporter saw the
rotund form of the jolly chief officer of the
steamer, the flagship OF the line.
What, are you looking at those girls,
eyes, l wonder who they are-English
girls going home with papa after doing
the States, | suppose; or, may be they're
Boston bellies abandoning their crude and
barbarous native land? They're pretty
girls, anyhow, and feel jealous already
of that gaunt round-shoulderei dude who
is making up to the fair-haired one in
spite of her fathers scowl.'
The jolly officer burst into a peal of
laughter, which reached the ears of the
beauties ut the rail. They turned, looked
at him, crimsOned with resentment, and
haughtily left the rail TO go below or get
out OF the way of the officers eyes.
English sweIls or Boston bellies, Ell?
That's your reckoning OF it, is it?'
laughed the jolly tar. ''Why, my dear
fellow, you're all off Those are the
three cleverest swindlers that work the
herring pond. | presume you've heard
of the card-sharps and confidence opera
tors who spend their time during the |
summer months between New York and |
Liverpool fleeing their fellow passengers. |
Well, that's the slickest trio in the bust |
ness. I've had 'em twice on this ship, |
and on the second voyage they got |
so deep into the pockets of two
young Englishmen westward bound |
that the skipper got 'thwart of their |
hawse and confined them to their state |
room for the rest of the passage. You |
see, they book as a father and two |
daughters and as soon as the ships in |
blue water they begin to throw out sig
mails. First one and then another green
horn runs alongside and makes fast
Then they sound him. If he is clever or
on short allowance they sheer Off and let /
him alone. But if he's what you Yankees
call well fixed, they make fast to him,
flirt with him, drink fizz and soda and
brandy with him, smoke cigarettes with
him, and in due time play poker, or nap,
or baccarat with him. The poor dupe
thinks that they are too awfully nice for
All the other lady passengers
are below, or off the wind, and he thinks
it a charming American characteristic,
this freedom, and audacity, and good
fellowship. The cover-that's the old
sharp-he makes pretense of shorten
ing sail once in while, but it's only a
blind, my boy. Then the first thing you
know, just as you make the lightship,
Mr. Greenhorn is cleaned out of every
shilling, and may have chucked in half
dozen checks or promissory notes be-
sides.
They're the hardest class of frauds to
tackle, because no skipper likes to run
afoul of lady passengers. Suppose he
should make mistake and order a young
lady whose worst fault is that she is
little gay to keep to her stateroom, as he
can under British law? Why, she might
make it as hot as old Harry for the com
pany; for such an action would be false
of the worst kind.