St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-11-20

A young man, having suddenly inherited
n large property, sits at the hazard tables
and takes UP in dice-box the estate wo1
by fathers life-time's sweat, and shakes
it, and losses it away Intemperance soo1
stigmatizes it's victim-kic1ing him out, {
slavering fool, into the ditch, or sending
him, with the drunkard's hiccough, stag
gering up the street where his family lives
But gambling does not in that way expose
its victims.
The gambler may be eaten up by the gam
bler's passion, yet you only discover it by
the greed in his eyes, the hardness of his
features, the nervous restlessness, the
threadbare coat and his embarrassed bust
ness. Yet he is on the road to hell, and nc
preachers voice, or startling warning, OF
Wife's entreaty, can make him stay for q
moment his headlong career. The Internal
spell is on him; giant is aroused within
and though you bind him with cables, they
would part like thread; and though you
fasten him seven times around with chains,
they would snap like rusted wire, and
though you piled up in his path, heaven
high, Bibles, tracts and sermons, and on the
top should set the cross of the Son Of God,
over them all the gambler would leap like
roe over the rocks on his way to perdition.
"Aceldama, the field of blood"
You never knew a confirmed gambler
who was industrious. The men given to
this vice spend their time, when not actively
employed in the game, in idleness or intoxi-
cation or sleep, or in corrupting new vic
Tins. This sin has dulled the carpenters
saw and cut the band of the factory wheel,
sunk the cargo, broken the teeth of the
farmers harrow and sent a strange light
ening to shatter the battery of the philoso-
pher. The very first idea in gaming is at
war with all the industries of society. Any
trade or occupation that is of use is en-
nobllng. The street sweeper advances the
interests of society by the cleanliness eff
fected. The cat pays for the fragments it
eats by clearing the house of vermin The
fly that takes the sweetness from the dregs
Of the cup compensates by purifying the
air and keeping back the pestiience. But
the gambler gives not any thing for that
which he takes. | recall that sentence. He
does make return; but it is disgrace to
the man that he teeces, despair to his
heart, ruin to his business, anguish to his
wife, shame to his children and eternal
wasting away to his soul. He pays in
tears, and blood, and agony, and darkness,
and woe.
John Boracl1 was sent as mercantile agent
from Bremen to England and this country.
After two years his employers mistrusted
that all was not right. He was defaulter
for 5000. 1t was found that he had lost
in Lombard street, London, 900; in Full
ton street, New York, $4,000, and in New
5000. He was imprisoned, but
escaped, and went into the
gambling profession. He died in a lunatic
asylum. This crime is getting it's lever I'M
der many mercantile house in our cities
and before long down will come the great
crushing reputation, home
comfort and immortal souls. How it divertS
and sinks capital may be inferred from
some authentic statement before US. The
ten gaming houses that once We're author
zed in Paris passed through the banks
yearly 325,0O0,000 francs. Where does all
The money come from! The whole world is
robbed. What is most sad, there are no con-
solutions for the loss and suffering entailed
BY gambling. Ii men fail in lawful business,
sod pities and society comiserates; but,
where in the Bible or in society is there any
consolation for the gambler! From what
Zee in the forest oozeS there balm that
IAN soothe the gamester's heart? In that
bottle where God keeps the tears of His
'hildren are there any tears of the gamblera
DO the winds that come to kiss the faded
heck of sickness and to cool the heated
ROW of the laborer whisper hope and cheer
o the emaciated victim of the game Of haZ-
I'd? When an honest man is in trouble he
las sympathy. "Poor fellow" they say.
5ut do gamblers come to weep at the ago.
lies of the gamblera In Northumberland
vas one of the finest estates in England. |
If. Porter owned it, and in year gambled |
all away. Having lost the last acre of
he estate, he came down from the saloon |
nd got into his carriage, went back, put !
p his horses and carriage and town house, |
nd played. He threw and lost. He started |
ONE, and on a side alley met friend, |
rom whom he borrowed ten guineas, went |
ack to the saloon, and before great while
ad won 10000. He died at last beggar
, st. Giles. How many gamblers felt sor-
Y for Mr.. Porter? Who consoled him on
ne loss of his estate? What gambler sub
cribed to put stone over the poor mans
rave2 Not one.
Furthermore, this sin is the source OF un-
ounted dishonesty. The game of hazard
self is often cheat. How many tricks
nd receptions in the dealing of the cards
he opponents hand is often found out by
raud. Cards are marked so that they may
e designated from the back. Expert
amesters have their accomplices, and one
ink may decide the game. The dice have
cen found loaded with platina, SO that
Oublets come up every time. These dice
re introduced by the gamblers unobserved
Y the honest men who have come into the
lay, and this accounts for the fact that
lnety-nine out of one hundred who
amble, however wealthy when they be-
an, at the end are found to be poor, mis-
rable, haggard wretches who would not
3 allowed to sit on the doorstep of the
ouse that they once owned. Do you call
lis game Of chance. There is no chance
bout it.
But these dishonesties in the carrying on
the game are nothing when compared