St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-31
PRETTY POKER PLAYERS.
Gay Girl Gamblers in Good Old New
Haven.
So 2 : 2,
A III Handsomely Furnished Club-Room
for Young Ladies.

New Haven (Conn.) Journal. 4
The subject of girls playing cards for
money was mentioned by reporter the
other day while eonversing with young
lady who is employed in one of the man.
moth dry goods stores on Chapel street.
The scribe expressed the belief that the
stories about town to the effect that there
were young ladies in the city who made
practice of playing cards for money were
false. The young lady took exception.
$50 you don't believe that any of the
girls play poker, eh?" she remarked. why,
right on this very street there is one of the
prettest little club rooms you ever saw, and
it is run entirely by forty or fifty young
ladies, who for the most part earn their
own livings There are half dozen tables
in the room and the members are perfectly
at liberty to play poker or any other game
they Like. aud it is nobody's business if they
want to make or lose little mOney, either"
9-,s 1t must be a pretty thorough arrange
ment." CALCULATED the somewhat aStoniShed
reporter. -,
We'll. if you don't believe what say is
so You can easily satisfy yourself. On
Wednesday nights it is allowable for mem
beers to bring visitors if they want, and I'll
q
Wednesday evening the fair saleslady
was as good as her word. Meeting the re-
porter, the two repaired down Chapel
street to Church. Not far down that street
the young lady entered very ordinary
looking doorway. A journey up three
flights of stairs and through couple of
Railways brought the pair to a heavily
curtained door with glass front. Here
the charming conductress gave three sharp,
peculiar knocks, and in moment fat,
\ jolly-looking colored ''aunty" cautiously
opened the, door. She smiled as she recog-
nlZed the SalesladY, but looked rather
sharply at the reporter.
The sight that met the reporters aston
ished gaze were startling, to say the least.
In the center of the room were several
quartets of young women, all nice looking
girls. too who were engaged in handling
the pasteboard i'll very professional fash
ion. Judging from the remarks that were
heard.
The room in itself was marvel in it's
way. 1t was an oblong apartment about
25X40, and was possessed of only two win
dows, which was covered with heavy cur
tains. Light was furnished by two chan
deliers that hung at either end of the room.
The floor was carpeted with heavy body
walls were handsomely covered with gilt
paper. A wide dado and fringe added con-
siderably to the decidedly rakish appear
ance of the room.
The furniture was of plush and consisted
of large number of eaSy-chairs and several
sofas and lounges. The round tables, six
in number, were of the regulation sort and
had chairs to match. In one corner of the
room little space was rendered private by
curtains that hung from the ceiling, and
here the charming patrons OF the club could
exchange great secrets with their particular
chumS. AT the other end of the room there
was a closet in which the members could
hang their wraps.
At one of the tables several good looking
girls were so intent upon the game that they
took no notice of the approach of the visi-
tor and his companion. -,
''Do you see that grip" asked the latter,
pointing to blonde young lady who was
just about betting couple of chips on her
hand. ''She always has elegant luck, and
l have known her to win as many as $40 in
a night"
The young lady referred to must have
been playing in rather hard luck that night,
though, as the pile of chips in front of her
was mighty small compared with the tall
PilSo VI ifOllCo III LULU VI ZIG JULIET SlIlS.
The girl with the tallest pile at this table
wore the most pleasant expression of any
one in the game and vice versa.
What ante do you generally play with?"
was asked.
Nickel ante, usually" was the reply,
although frequently some of the girls are
so flush that they get the ante up to dime
or quarter. One of the rules of the club
is, that no matter what the ante may be
there can be no limit"
''How is this club supported?" was
asked.
''All the girls, about fifty, pay so cents
week as dues, you see. That makes enough
to pay the running expenses of the room
and for the janitress. Whenever the girls
want spread or something of that kind
they chip in. Won't you have little wine
or something before you go? Here auntie,
get us little claret, will you?" :q 1-
The old colored lady ambled toward a
closet at the end of the room, plunged in
and shortly reappeared with bowl of
cracked ice, bottle of st. Julian, a sugar
bowl and IA couple of dainty glasses.
on see, we mean to enjoy ourselvesin
quiet way, if it is warm weather." said
the young lady, pouring out the red bever-
age. "ThiS place does not cost us nearly
so much as you might imagine. Ali the
girls play fair enough when they play at all
and so everybody stands an even chance. l
am ahead about SIS this month"; although |
have lost about SO. l find in the long run
that don't win much or lose much, but
then the excitement of the thing is what
makes the fun, you know"
The reporter was ushered out into the
hall. On the way to the street he met half
dozen well-dlessed young women on their
way to the club-room, all talking over
their luck Of the previous evening. and
expressing their opinion of the best manner
in which to scoop the pot' when one only
one holds pair of deuces.