St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-28

nations is generally accompanied by a
loud snap of the fingers or deeply ut
tered grunt. The excitement, interest
and infatuatiOn of this form of gambling
have become so intense as to make it
serious question among sporting men
whether it will not before long succeed
what is generally considered the ma
tional gambling game-poker. The
game Of craps is an American institu-
ton, pure and simple. In the present
generation everything is supposed to
go with rush-shOrt. quick and deci-
sive. And in this respect the game of
craps is the acme of all gambling games.
In playing poker time is consumed in
putting up the ante, shutting and deal
ing the cards, discarding and drawing,
and then the study Of the hands. DELHI
Grating whether to call or pass out. In
this new and fascinating game of chance
things are different: one shoot, and, in
most cases, all is over. The best COM
parlSon that can probably be made of
the firm and permanent hold this vice is
taking on the American people is to be
found on the race course. Not many
years ago trOttIng meeting would call
forth all immense crowd. and when it
was announced that mile running dash
would take place at the end OF the days
sport people would leave the grand
stand and make rush for the
trains. How different things are
to-day. That style of racing
became too slow for this fast
age and running meetings exclusively
we're inaugurated. Half-mile, three
quarter mile and mile dashes became
the rage. The pool rooms and book
makers did rushing business-lOng
and short horses were eagerly bought
by the crowd, and people were making
and breaking the bOokieS every day;
and why? Simply because it was quick
action for your money. That this is
fact was very thoroughly demonstrated
at Hamline the past season, for during
the trotting meeting but a meager
crowd was in attendance, while dur
ing the running meeting the
grounds were crowded from the
grand stand to the paddock.
During this meeting a splendid oppor-
tunity was afforded to observe how
strong hold games of chance and bet
ting have upon the human race from the
highest to the lowest. While the stalls
of the booksellers were surrounded by
men of all positions in life, all cOlOrS
and creeds, striving and struggling to
place their money upon some favOrlte
horse, you could enter the passagewayS
under the grand stand and behind the
stables and find the stable boy and host
Ter down on their knees, their faces and
hands covered with dirt and dust,
shooting craps" wrangling aud quar-
reling over the game, as it was at times
almost impossible to distinguish the
spots on the dice owing to insufficient
light, which was INSTRUCTED by the
crowd surrounding it.
Its Origin and History.
With regard to the origin and history
of this insinuating game, there can be
but very little said. 1t is without doubt
what might be termed a Mississippi
river steamboat game. While the fiery
Southern gentleman and the wild West
erner were amusing themselves In the
| cabin parlOrs of an elegant slde-WheeleT
| PLAYING poker, betting large sums OF
money, and sometimes even their body
| servants were put up as stakes, the ne.
| gro deck hands were busily engaged
| between landings in shooting craps on
| top of bale of cotton by the titful
! glare of a pine torch. From this hum
BILE beginning it gradually worked its
way among the boOtbiacks, newsboys
| and what are called tin-horn gamblers
| any one of whom were always ready tC
"Shoot you for 10 CENTS" or ''Shoot you
| for quarter" Finally it worked itself
! into the gilded gambling halls of oul
large cities, and after the regular games
have been closed you can see small
knots of men gathered here and there
throwing the magic cubes, until at the
present time the original deck hanC
game has been dignified with greer
cloth table and full layout, the same
as faro. and every first-class gam
bling house in the country is now run
ming one in full blast. The strong fasci
nation which this vice exerts over
person who is at ali afflicted with thu
gambling fever lies in the fact that eacl
one of the players, no matter how man,
surround the table. has his turn a
shaking de bones," the dice being