The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1886-10-28
LIFE ON fS
PHASES OF HUMAN N
BIG OCEAN STEAMN
Extravaganza in Dress-Cliques OF
Shipboard-The Smoking Room
Various Ways Of Gambling.

Various ways or GamDllng.
A returning tourist said to Chicago
/ Herald reporter: ''As you know, cross
the Atlantic once or twice every year,
and I seem to notice change every time.
The gambling has always been carried
| on to greater or less extent, but 1t IS
only lately that they have begun to dress,
both men and women, in the way they
have. Formerly people used to cross in
the Oldest decent clothes they had, but
now nothing is too good for them. Would
you believe it, one day certain Chicago
lady and her sou appeared, the one in
colored silk dress and the other in a
Prince Albert coat, plug hat and patent
/ leather shoes Trat was the worst break
, l ever saw. Then another thing, cliques
! and sets are worse than they used to be.
The set at the captains table will hardly
acknowledge those who sit at the doctors
or chief officers table as belonging to the
same order of beings, and look on them
much as the guests at first class hotel ut
| fashionable summer resort do upon
those residing at a second class hostelry.
1 put this all down to the women. 1t
! seems impossible that they can even cross
| the ocean without what they consider
fashionable dress, but which, to a1y
sensible man or woman, is in execrable
taste. But, thank goodness, the smoking
room always remains as harbor of ref
! uge. And what on earth or sea can com
pare with the comfort Of the smok ng-
room on frst-class liner. Nothing to
do-you couldn't do it if you would-ex-
cept to loll and lounge and drink, smoke,
| chat and listen to others talking to you.
Then in the evenings, if it is blowing
! hard outside and the rain, perhaps, beat
ing again,t the windows, how cozy does
the smoking room lock in contrast. And
what good stories you sometimes hear
| and what pleasant men you often meet.
1 have made some of the pleasantest
friendships I ever made in my life in the
smoking-room going over. And then il
you want gambling n cards or dice or
pools you can have In this, now
ever, you have to keep your weather eye
open more and more every day. The
companies say they prevent known and
regular sharps from crossing, but this is
nonsense and they couldn't do it even if
they wanted to. The day after we sailed
this time the word was pissed by the
| purscr that there was card sharper on
board, but no attempt was made to point
him out; the consequence was that for a
few days every one looked upon his
neighbor rs the possible Jonah, and to
the erd of the voyage no one really
knew. l had very strong su picions
about one man, and if he wasn't the ST.
mon Pure he was mighty good imita-
ton of one watched him playing one
night with well-known Chicagoan in
the clothing trade, and if he wasn't
cheating would be surprised. At any
rate, he won great part OF the old mans
money.
"Another form of gambling that is
coming in is tossing or matching coins
Ia John T. Raymond. This is carried
to ridiculous extent. I saw q young
New Yorker. crossing for the first time,
and with more money than brains. lose
ST., 800 at sitting match. Another sharp
trick is betting on the height or distance
of things. You know people who would
never make bet on shore from one
years end to another will do anything
On board to kill time Sharpers know
this and are we'll prepared for it. A
man will casually lead the conversat on
to the dclusion of distances at sea. The
process is easy to the distance OF the
smoke-stack, the mainmast. or the length
of particular piece of planking, all OF
which has been carefully measured by
the sharper beforehand, maybe on the
previous voyage. In fact there is hardly
a movable or likely article on board ship
that he has not got the exact length,
breadth, and depth of. In connection
with this heard rather good tale. A
shurpcr was bothering another man to bet
with him in this way. and he, knowing
very we'll all the tricks of the trade, re-
fused to be roped in. At last the sharper
took up the sash of one of the smoking
room windows. and pointing to the
leather tags hanging at the end, said:
We'll, now, yon can't guess the number
Of tags there are here. Still he would not
bite and finally strolled away. His would
be victim the first quiet opportunity he
oad counted the number of tags, and,
finding there were exactly thirty-two,
cut two of them off and put them in his
pocket. Shortly after the sharper re-
turned and resumed the conversation.
All right, said the fly to the spider, I'll
60 you once only 'Well, what will it
be? Suppose We take those tags there
we were talking Off All right so be
it, They matched for first choice andit
fell to the sharper to make first guess.
sWell,' said he, toying with the strap, 4
always used to be good guesser. Lem
me see, I should say there would be
thirty-six, thirty-seven-no, thirty. four
thirty-.hree-no, guess there are just
thirty-two.' He gave an exnlting grin,
which quickly changed when the would
be victim said quietly: 'iou are good
guesser. There were exactly thirty-two
when you last counted them, but there
are onl y thirty now. Here arc the other
two in my pocket It stopped that man
for the rest of the voyage. Perhaps the
most popular form of betting is on pools
on the daily run of the ship, and they
have got that down to fine point. On