St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-02
GAMBLING ON THE RAIL.
Large Sums of Money Lost and
Won i'm Pullman Coaches.

Large Sums of Money Lost and
Won i'm Pullman Coaches.
Omaha Republican.
Passengers on the Pullman cars re-.
port that unusually big gambling games
have been going on recently in the west
bound trains. 1t appears that as the
moral New Workers and BOstonans APP
proach the wild West their ideas of
what is right and proper take back
seat, and the freedom of the Rockies
and the SierraS gets into their hearts
and relaxeS their hold on their Sunday
school habits. But OH the Southern Pa
cific and the Santa Fe this spread of
gambling on the rail is noticeable, and
has been commented on quite severely
by some of the passengers, those, OF
course, who do not gamble.
Isl was mere than surprised by what
L saw in the way of gambling on these
cars" said gentleman yesterday.
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-
fore e their ruleS?" was asked.
''Oh, yes; the rules are just as strict
as ever and just as rigidly enforced, so
far as the Pullman company has any
official knowledge. l don't blame the
company any. although it might look "a
little closer to its employees. AS l
understand it, the book of instructions
presented to each Pullman conductor
and porter, is very explicit on this sub
ject. When porter eS any gambling
going Oh he is supposed to put stop to
it, referring to the rules of the company,
just the same as lie would If man
were to pull out a pipe in the middle of
a sleeping car and begin blowing big
puffs of tobacco smoke. But he doesn't
always do it, and few dollars in the
way of fee to let the gamblers alone
in the enjoyment of their little fun.
acts with magic effect sometimes, as
YOU may be aware"
''ls there any professional gambling
going on%'
Eyes, 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.. 600
and he was satisfied that he had been
run against a professional poker player.
The fellow. who is big man with q
smooth face, cleaned him out of al the
spare cash he had, and it was lucky for
him that he couldn't get hold of any
more ready money until he reached San
Francisco. He told me of two others
who had lost SIS. 500 between them while
playing with the same man. | am told
that big fellow has been working the
Northern Pacific. He is up to all kinds
of tricks. aud can put up the cards so as
to take all the cash on the train if he
can get it on the table"
''Why. do they play with money on
the table?" was asked.
THAT was only figure of speech. 1
should have told you that most of the
playing was done with chips. Still.
with a good-sized limita good deal of
money can pass from pocket to pocket
during the night"
For heavens sake, don't mention
my name," said railroad agent; 'but
what you have learned about this thing
is all true. | will venture to say there
is more gambling going on in the Pull
man coaches to-day than there ever was
before. Why, some of the passengers
get into the smoking apartments and
gamble all night-gamble until their
feet get cold under the table and their
fingers get blue and they get black in
the face from the smoke they have i'll
hailed. Some of these rich old dodgers
out for good time on long trip al
ways carry poker chips, and they play
big games-nothing small about their
limits. Pullman can't help it; there
can be Ito objection to playing cards
and keeping count with poker chips,
and that is all that it passes for in the
conscience of the well-fed porter"