Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-25
GAMBLING NEVER STOPS.
SINE Interesting Saratoga Notes

/ Sme Interesting Saratoga Notes.
From the Neto York San.
Open and above board, UNIVERSAL and
frankly recognized gambling is conspicu-
Gus among the most prominent features
OF Saratoga life. The betting mania has
full sway and carries all before it. Every
flutter of the Wall street pulse comes to
the nervous fingers OF eager stock gam
blers in all of the big hotels; faro, bac-
carat, and all other great games Of chance
are flung wide open to the public In begilt
and gorgeously carpeted apartments;
shop girls and errand boys have their
money staked ON this or tnat horse in the
races.
Stout old John Morrissey, the patriarch
lof 1t all, is dead and gone this many
ryear, but his spirit still lives. The gor-
rgeous palace which he erected to the
Sacred art of making people give other
people money for nothing, is still flourish
ling as though the master hand was at the
helm. Every visitor to Saratoga who
comes for the first time goes to see it. 1t
is tall brick building back OF Congress
Hall and opposite the Congress Park.
Splendid elms shade its front, and neatly
clipped lawns and flower beds are all
about it. Cool awnings hang tluttering
in the breeze over the wide open windows,
ness and peace, yet hell itself has ragged
in mems minds within those quiet walls.
1t 10 most orderly and well-conducted
place. You enter into long, wide, richly
carpeted office and reception room. where
silence and decorum reign supreme.
Through the wide, open door of this room
you can see the big, dazzling public gam
bling room beyond, a great, glittering
apartment with enormous pyramidal gilt
q
mess. There are no seats or furniture in
the middle Of the room, but ranged all
around it's sides are the gambling tables,
where from 10 o'clock in the evening
until 2 or later in the morning the
nightly racket goes on. 1t is the
professional gamblers just now who are
the greatest patrons, though scores of
guests from the, hotels ana boarding
houses are nightly visitors there, and give
fortunes wheel a whirl. The fluffy and
fresh youth from the city, with his bad
cigarette is, of course, on hand in all his
hsiEine glory, blowing in the money his
worthy father, or perhaps mother, has
gwen him to spend in righteous living.
tPhe cleanly shaven, tidily dressed,
mooth-spoken Mr.. Deuceace saunters
enevolently about, ready to obllge any
ody with a gentlemanly game of poker
I any of the cosy little rooms up stairs
specially set apart for that purpose.
here is no loud talk; no noise save the
clicking of the ivory chips and the buzz
aout the tables. Large sums are not
Oten lost in this room, nowadays at least,
tDugh the time was, in the Tweed DAYS,
wen the boys flung down their thous-
aLis on the green cloth and saw the tiger
dGour them with the calmness of men
wo knew the vast depth OF New York's
tpasury.
/ POKER DUELS.
1t is very largely Cubans and South
americans who do the amateur gambling
NV. They are thrifty race, who look
UPON gambling as a fine art, and do it
scientifically and conscientiously. Their
wagers are generally small, and they are
cntented with small winnings. 1t is in
tie secluded little rooms up stairs that
He deadly duels go on, and not a night
passes but thousands of dollars change
hands in these pleasant resorts. Poker
10 the little weakness most IN vogue
lit always seems to hold it's own,
and does not grow old and
pail upon the ja3ed appetite
as do some Of the other popular games.
! Neat.handed, swAllow-tailed French wait
ers, with faces carved into an immovable
| expression ofsdisereet and respectful in
| quiry as to s'what m'sieu' will haveW
/ trip noiselesslytO and fro. and up and
!
! glittering glasses and great silver cool
| ers, in which comfortable champagne bot
ties are heaped to the neck with ice
though, as a general rule, the boys
who go to these upper rooms, the
I serious boys who mean business,
drink whisky straight, when they are
uuwise enough to drink at ALL
| But the consumption of cigars is
something amazing, and they sell no
4 al ~ at I.a,n ~...so ~.
25c. each. There is adjacent to the public
| gambling room rich buffet, at which q
refined pink-of-propriety mental presides,
who serves the gentlemen who tackle for
tune, not in the secluded and deadly cor
ner, but In the open arena, with costly
beverages, either plain or into the brew
ing of which the soul of an artist has
| passed.
At the rear of the big public gambling
room is wide door through which one
| has view OF snowy table linen and gilt
| tering goblets and silver table furniture
Here are still more grave-faced, refined
looking persons in long white aprons and
napkins thrown over their arms, floating
noiselessly about. There are more mas
siye gilt chandeliers to be seen, and the
same thick, velyety carpet IS
under foot. This is where the
boys go and eat and drink and make
merry when fortune has smiled on
them, and where they drop liberal share
of the money which they have succeeded
in snatching from under the tigers claw.
1t is only the natural transition, the
money generally returning to the house
! i'll one way or another. The prices are OF
the majestic DelmonIco proportions and
the cooking excellent, as are the service
and all the appointments. III there is one
thing the gambler knows better than
another ii is when his stomach is well
cared for, and there is nothing too ex-
pensive for him TO devote to that noble
organs comfort.