Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-23
LIFE ON THE ATLANTIC
PHASES OF HUMAN NATURE ON d
BIG OCEAN STEAMER.
Extravaganza in Dress-Cliques on
Shipboard-The Smoking Room
Various Ways of Gambling.

shipboard-The Smoking Room
Various Ways of Gambling.
A returning tourist said to Chicago
Herald reporter: "As you know, l cross
the Atlantic once or twice every year,
and seem to notice change every time
The gambling has always been carried
on to greater or less extent, but IL 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 son appeared, the one IN
colored silk dress and the other In
Prince Albert coat, plug hat and patent
leather shoes. That 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 al
fashionable summer resort do upon
those residing at a second class hosiery.
l 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 any
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 smoking
room on a first-class liner Nothing to
l. aA,,l1rf4 ID &c xryOr1ld
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 against the windows, how cozy does
the smoking room look in contrast. And
what good stories you sometimes hear
and what pleasant men you often meet.
have made some of the pleasantest
friendships ever made in my life in the
smoking room going over. And then if
you want gambling at cards or dice or
pools you can have it. In this, how
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 passed by the
purser 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 as the possible Jonah, and to
the end of the voyage no one really
knew. had very strong su'picions
about one man, and if he WASH the ST.
mon Pure he was mighty good imita-
ton of one. watched him playing one
night with a well-known Chcagoan in
the clothing trade, and ii he wasn't
cheating would be surprised. At any
rate, he won a great part OF the old mans
money.
"Another form of gambling that is
coming in is tossing or matching coins
la John T. Raymond. This is carried
to ridiculous extent. l saw young
New Yorker, crossing for the first time,
and with more money than brains. lose
1900 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 well prepared for it. A
man will casually lead the conversation
to the delusion 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 TIE
previous voyage. In fact there is hardly
movable or likely article on board snzA
that he has not got the exact length
breadth, and depth of. In connectyas
with this l heard rather good tale, !
sharper was bothering another man to bqE
with him in this way, and he, knowihiA
very well all the tricks of the trade, Fsis
fused to be roped in. At last the sharpst
took up the sash of one of the smokiISQ
room windows, and pointing to tKh
leather tags hanging at the end saihl
We'll, now, yon can't guess the numifk
of tags there are here. Still he would nof
bite and finally strolled away. His woul$d
be victim the first quiet opportunity VA
had counted the number of tags, ant,
finding there were exactly thirty-twN
cut two of them off and put them in Iii
pocket Shortly after the sharper U.
turned ana resumed the conversation.
'All right, said the fly to the spider, I'll
T &c you once only We'll, what will it
be! Suppose we take those tags there
we were talking Off All right. so be
it. They matched for first choice and it
fell to the sharper to make first guess.
well, said he, toying with the strap, 4
always used to be good guesser. Lem
me see, l should say there would be
thirty-six, thirty-seven-no, thirty -four,
thirty-three-no, l guess there are Just
thirty-two.' lie gave an exulting grin.
which quickly changed when the would
be victim said quietly: you are good
guesser There were exactly thirty-two
when you last counted them, but there
! are only thirty now Here are the other
two in my pocket 1t 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
some ships the 'gams' will make regular
pools on it, the same as at horse race.
For instance. the run of the shin ought
to be $50 miles. Well, any number be-
tween 800 and $40, ten above and ten be-
low, will be the favorite. They will Law