The Washington critic., 1890-03-05
VIII roKrn MrN coNrnInurr ?
\ Novel way to Ameliorate the Cor
ditiOu of the poor


ditiou OF the Poor.
a prominent avenue merchant sends
us the following.
Ediior critic. ltwas recently reported,
and generally believed, that there is a
vast amount of poker playing" going
on in this city. Every poker player
knows, when he plays In II club, hotel,
or public house, that there is always
taken out from the pot or widow" a
certain number of chips on every hand
played 10y the banker, to pay for cards,
refreshments, use Of room, etc. Any
excess over and above the amount neces-
saIy for the expenses referred TO is
equally divided among the players.
In addition to the games played in the
places mentioned, there are at least
.fCC-hUb8re9 games going on cct1y RLght
in private houses and private rooms.
OF course no gentleman would think oi
assessing his guests for expenses he
incurs for refreshments, cigars, etc,
furnished them.
Therefore. would II not be good
plan for every host in whose house or
room where the game is played to take
say ton cents, from the pot for e0erY
hdHd pldyed retain the same as treasurer
and place the amount retained every
week in the hands of grand treasurer,
and be in turn to pay the money so re
ceivtd over to the treasurers equally
divided) of the different charitable as
sociatiOns Of the city for the alienation
of the many poor and distressed appli-
cants for charity in our midst.
Now, Mr. Editor, some will say the
money that would be raised from such
q source would be too insignificant to
| amount to anything.
But such is not The fact, as ] will con
| clusively demonstrate.
Suppose there are 0Hly 0Re huRdrsd
| games of poker played in all The private
houses or rooms where, as above stated
there are no expenses for the player,
and the host, acting as banker, should
| take out of every pot the sum of ter
cents on each hand played, and there
were onIy .ffty hands played at eacl
sitting OF game, the host, acting a'
banker, would receive five dollars from
such games. OF course there would b,
more than fifty hands at a sitting, anC
if the same amount, ten cents, was con
tinuously taken ont every hand unit
the game was finished, much larger
sum would be received than five dol
lars for each game. If that sum only
IL would amount, from private parte
alone, to five hundred dollars an even
ing; that is, if 0niy one hundred game
were played, and an increased amour
if larger number were played.
In addition to the private games, /
the hotels, clubs, etc, would, after al
expenses were paid, take out the same
amount, viz, ten cents on each hand
there would be fully as much received
as in private games, viz, $500.
Thus you see if only two hundred
games were played twhereas there ar
five hundred) and the amount namet
was taken out of each hand played
there would be realized at least on
H0USaad d0iidrS from the combines
games.
| am not an advocate Of card playin
and know no one who plays poker tha
would not be liberal enough to contrib
ute in this manner to so worthy cause
Hosts or parties acting as bankers at til
different games, If they did not wish tt
be known as card players, could sem
the money so received 10 the gran
treasurer without giving any names.
If OILY the amount named was re
ceived for the two hundred games, Wis.
one thousand dollars, it would go far t
swell the amount already collected b
the worthy solicitors appointed by th
citizens committee to make collection
in aid of the poor.
/ think, Mr.. Editor, if you will urg
this matter through your popular papt
TO the poker PLAYERS, you will be ado
ing another to your maRy noble acts i
the cause of charity, which will hav
its influence. A WAMPANoAG.