Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-02-02
GAMBLING ON THE RAIL.


Western Bound Palace Cars.
Passengers on the Pullman cars
from the east to this city report that
unusually big gambling games have
been going on recently in west bound
cars. II appears that as the moral
New Workers. and Bostonians approach
the Wild west their ideas Of what is
right and proper take a back seat and
the freedom Of the Rockies and the
Sieras gets into their hearts and re-
lakes their hold on their Sunday school
habits. Both on the Southern Pacific
and the Santa Fe this spread of gam
bling on the rail is noticeable and has
been commented on quite severely by
some Of the passengers-those, Of
course, who do not gamble.
II was more than surprised by what
saw in the way of gambling on these
cars" said one of these gentlemen re-
Gently. You may say that gambling
goes on without stint in the Pullman
coaches, and large sums of money are
lost and won daily"
But don't the Pullman people en-
force their rulesi' was asked.
''0h, yes; the rules are just as strict
a W and just as rigidly enforced, so
far as the Pullman company has any
official knowledge. / don't blame the
company any, although il might look
q little closer TO its employees. AS i
understand it, the book of instructions
presented TO each Pullman conductor
and porter is very explicit on this sub
lect. When a porter sees any gam
bling going on he is supposed to put a
stop TO il, referring TO the rules Of the
company, just the same as he would if
q mar were to pull out a pipe in the
middle Of a sleeping car and begin
blowing big clouds of tobacco smoke.
But he don't always do il, and a few
dollars in the way Of a fee 10 let the
gamblers alone in the enjoyment Of
their little fun acts with a magic effect
sometimes, as you may be aware"
rs there any professional gambling
going ong'
Yes, | am satisfied there is. A
young blood from New York of the
Berry Wall stripe told me last Sunday
that on the trip out from the east he
had lost s.. 900, and he was satisfied
that he had been run against a profes.
sional poker player. The fellow, who
is a big man, with a smooth face,
cleaned him out of all the spare cash
he had, and il was lucky for him that
he couldn't get hold of any more ready
money until he reached San Fran
cisco. He told me of two Others who
had lost sl3, 500 between them while
playing with the same man. | am told
that the big fellow has been working
the Northern Pacific. He is up TO all
kinds of tricks, and can put up the
cards SO as 10 take all the cash on the
train if he can get il on the table"
why, do they play with money on
the tableln was asked.
That was only a figure of speech.
/ should have told you that most of
the playing was done with chips.
Still, with a good sized limit, a good
deal OF money a pass from pocket to
pocket during the night"
This gentleman is only one Of sew.
eral who have related what they saw
on the palatial west bound trains re-
garding the practice Of gambling.
Many "A Tourist who contemplated a
long winter sojourn in California,
with a little run down into Mexico, had
to cut short his stay on account Of a
scarcity of funds from this cause, and
has got no nearer Mexico than Stock
ton.
ITO what extent is gambling prac-
ticed in the west bound Pullman carsl"
was the question put by this reporter
TO many different railroad men OF this
city.
Some would not admit that such 0
thing as gamblingin Uncle Georges"
coaches, as George M. Pullman's
palaces ON wheels are known among
the railroad fraternity, was possible.
Others thought there might be some
thing OF the kind going on and o few
others were sure that there was. Pull
man Agent Meehan was sought, but
he was not in the city.
For heavens sake, don't mention
NV name" said one railroad agent
but what you have learned about this
thing is all true. Twill venture 10 say
there is moro gambling going on in
the Pullman coaches today than there
ever was before. Why, some Of the
passengers get into the smoking apart,
ments and gamble all night-gambls
until their feet get cold under The
table and their fingers get blue ant
they get black in the face from tn,
smoke they have inhaled. Some o.
these rich old dodgers out for q goot
time on a long trip always carry pokeI