The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-21
ORR WICKED SARATOGA.
iva skin Race Track and the Nam
moth Gambling Dens-
from he Cincianati Enquirer.

c.pATOGA SPRINGS, Sept. 0--Thls cele-
- sna has degenerated. Time was when
=. ,-,.srs had fame aud effect. Now they
80 -eut I'D with liberal rock sailing. Not
= in twenty of the many waters have
e-,5ical properties. They act upon man
- as they would upon a craven image.
The modern Saratoga is given up to the
-.nblers. All the responsibility and gilt
Zoe which congregate in season cannot
,oayan the other lump. The hotels are just as
- NAV be as well kept, but the glory of
SaEsrors to-day Is its skin race track and
rs mammoth gambling dens.
Every day at II o'clock the racing be
ms and by o'clock it is over. No con-
Ss;5arafions which attach to other frst-class
Tscfnr tracks apply here. Form In horse
~ criterion Of proves 1t is a mere
80 IF chuck-a-luck, in which a blind
ts,an has probably the best chancs. Old
.,Tasrs keep their money and look upon the
suckers as they they throw It away. And
.,-hsn the surprises over the days event Gull
ninate one can hear the remarks:
"A little raw, partnerF
,.Xos indeed. sir. A few grains raw"
The Saratoga Of to-day divides itself
lo,icslly. In one of the great hotels and in
tbe cottages lodges the reSpectability-of
tbe others further deponent sayeth not.
Won must Judge of the passing throng as
1-o,, see it. The sport and the overdressed
~ the weaker sex predominant. The scar
lot woman is likewise here-and then, also,
there is eminent respecta hlhty- The con-
siderations which attract the better classes
ora the gifts Of nature. No place is more
beautiful Its towering trees, grassy lawns,
+emnered climate, all conspire to attract the
eve. Only man IS Vlle
The gambling begins here when the races
are over. Three o'clock in the afternoon
the tiger is in his jungle in the fullest blast.
From then on until the morning light the
game is unceasing. More than a dozen
places are given over to games Oh chance,
mt the one place pre-eminent IS known as
Snencer's, years ago established by the
eminent statesman and pugilist, John Nor
The gambling palace, for it is worthy OF
the name. is a square, red brick building on
street only one remove from the principal
thoroughfare. One wing of it abuts on the
fashionable Circular street, and overlooks
the handsome Congress Hall park of goodly
acres and we'll kept lawn. The main en-
trance is unpretenUious, and the more select
one with the appearance of approach to a
literary retreat. Inside there is a sumptu-
ous view. The approach to the gambling
room is through a well lighted hall, from
which YOU enter a general cafe, to the rear
of which is a restaurant famed for its tooth
come gustatory spreads. From the cafe a
dozen open entrances lead to the large room
where the gambling goes on. Ore has no
trouble to reach it. There are no peep holes
or wicket doors. Simply walk in unmo-
Tested, without Introduction, and play or be
wallfower. as you please.
The large room in which the gam bling
paraphernalia is displayed is furnished with
much elaboration. 1t is not so dazzling as
Phil Days Long Branch place, but it is
rich in its velvet carpets ard heavy Turkish
portieres 1t is at night a food of light,
reflected from four magnificent crystal
chandeliers. Between Q o'clock and mid
night hundreds crowd the rooms. All,
though, are not engaged in play. The club
has become a place where men engage to
meet, with no thought of being more than
lookers-on.
In this symposium of chance the roulette
wheel is the favorite. There are three
such wheels, while one faro table does the
work. The limit of the faro table is 800.
It is largely patrOnized by horsemen, poll
tiolans and youthful sports. A well-k known
New York lawyer is steady devotee and
quite ahead of the game. The Labold
brothers, owners of Montrose and other
cracks, are steady patrons with varied
fortunes. Here, also, the Cincinnati high
flyer of Phil Days place is now encamped,
and thus far a gocdly loser. Roulette is
the attraction for such as are mere tyros
in the gambling art. Here. too, the limit
Of 500 is fixed. The house gives every
liberal chance. There is but one zero upon
the roulette wheel.
The place, though, does not have about it
that ease which marks its Long Branch
rival. The dealers have more avarice
clearly shown. Not few of the attaches
are old men, who have weathered years of
counting the lucky goddess.
The dealer of The faro bank wonld hardly
tip the scales at a hundred weight. A
youthful face hardened with his life. the
blood gone even from the lips. But to see
him handle the checks and deal the box,
with precision and mathematical nicely.
is the evidence of his perfect calling
AT the hazard table there were fewer
patrons Such as here do WOO tickle fortune
bet upon the colors, black and white, and
upon tie numbers, odd and even, rather
Enan upon the serial numbering. Occasion
ally one can see fool blow in 800 stack
upon the rattle. | happened in on a night
i when Cincinnati youth. we'll known TO the
queen City Club, came over to the hazard
taole from the faro bank, a fairly heavy
81 loser
g must have carriage to go home"
ne SAID to his companion, and he added,
redn WIZ
And the red won.
fut the ten on the black"
ana the black again won.
Le1 The twenty stay on the black
ana a, the black again won.
men gathering up his checks. he placed
soe piIe upon the odd. 1t won. With the
Soo mus won he went back to the faro table.
recovered MS LOSSES, and got up a moderate
% %illner' But the whisky the young man
ufank meanwhile would have staggered a
s'S M engaged in any other game.
MI oPencer's house is away ahead of the
eaHe The faro bank is a heavy winner.
TTu all the roulette wheels hold their own
rrele are no big winnings to record. Inc
nias osv uauI was made in a succession of
My nays al at the roulette wheel by a Hebrew
" his credit. VIM quA' VAIN sAi'ooo 10
iDd Inc professional gamblers are not given
rt easements to play here, but they have
3 ~ oi tNarVests suppose all told in Sara
Is fa1 q" tIere are dozen houses given over to
tra1!, ing. Pat Sheedy, the bookmaker. is
a t'eu with large winnings. This, though.
a;s a4 annual report and may be ONLY a
aso '1 ne A Californian owner Of a stable
I bSo oy common gossip, ascribed to be
bs 10y Ivy loser. About every other year
r+, Ucs4 authorities assume a spasm of
nou, ana descents are made on the
wb;o, uehs. This year has been the one
hal ". W. arrests have been made. But the
@Ai LnagnateS really stand Il, ,v;kh tho