Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-04-03
GAMBLING RAGE In EUROPE,
There Is More of it Now Than There
Has Been in the
Past.
Not SO Many Large Individual Bets
but the Total Number is
Increasing.
Many Men of High Aristocratic Pre-
tensions Acting as CapperS for
the Experts.

Tue Experts.
Notwithstanding an occasional plunge
by some eccentric sport like BenzOn or
Lord Lonsdale. the DAYS of great individu-
al betting in England are over, and yet
more money Is risked upon hCrseracIng
now than IN am former period. Tee ex-
PLANTATION is that betting has changed in
form and methods The large majority of
betters in this year of grace is not dressed
in broadcloth, ana makes no pretensions to
blue-blood lineage. OF course, wealthy
people and titled people, squires and
squireens, gamble as of old on the chances
of the turf; but most of the gambling is
done by the man IN smock-trock and
corduroys, the man who works SO much 2
week for the shillings that he losses to the
bookmaker. IN London this gambling is
carried on extensively under the gulse of
workingmen's clubs, the main object of
many of these being TO afford a shield for
betting, and sometimes even the worst
forms OF gambling. At one club in
east London, recently suppressed by the
police, over $500 were taken in on tie
last Derby by the managers. who managed
to retain the greater share of 1t, and in
another club an even greater amount was
received on the same occasion, the winner,
however, being honestly paid. The clubs
are found in the east-Suspected quarters.
Even the low Whitechapel region is
known to have two. As rule they meet
in public houses, although the law strictly
forbids betting in such places, End the re-
newal of license is refused when there
is evidence of proprietor who has violat-
al @lN l., .lx-
the poorer, class of gamblers lose the
money they risk; but THIS does not deter
them from risking more when they have
it. Occasionally there is an exception
worth mentioning. Mary Summerfeld.
low resorts in london. gambled steadi-
ly on horses for two whole seasons and
with surprising success.
She left for New I aland few weeks
ago with C., COG in er pocket to begin
new life, so 1t was stated. Every penny of
this money was won. it is said, at betting
But for one Mary SImmerfeld who is
lifted from the gutter through the
gambling mania. which is getting such
strong mold, hundreds of industrious men
and women are brought to the depths of
misery.
Gambling. in otbe1 forms than betting
on the racetrack, Is greatly on the increase
in London. In all clubs frequented by the
golden youth cards are played for money,
and some men of high arlstocractlc preten
siOns are known to act as cappers or ropers
in for gentlemanly experts at the card
table. This may not be worse than tgur
ing "a stool pigeons IN the pros
pectus of fraudulent stock companies, which
has been Il profitable source of income for
several noble lords, keeping them in pocket
money at the expense of the thirty british
investors But it is certain in one case
as in the other that high-t0ned bunco
steering is an Institution of London. The
favorIte victim of the titled capper is the
rich American anglomaniac, one who is
simply overwhelmed with awe and cerebral
elephantasis upon being honOred with an
Introductory to the action Of English no.
biIity. The action is graciously conde-
scending, gradually thawing out ill his
intercourse with the dew acquaintance
from America. At length he deigns to
honor him with an invitation to meet
select party at his house. His Royal
Highness. the prince may be there, you
know and it will be jolly company at
any rate, YOU know" The anglomaniac
Is now III GIle sSNeutH ltdN6H iS litd
of promotion from pork packing or bone
boiling to princely society is simply thrill
ing. and he Jumps at the bait like a sucker
on a cloudy afternoon. He goes on the
evening specified and is introduced to
three or four specimens of aristocracy n
more or less damaged condition, but all
with handles to their names A little
game follows the wine; Mr.. Blank is
bound to lose in the end and his draft is
perfectly acceptable when the cash runs
out. Everything is conducted in the most
elegant manner and the Englishmen actu-
alIy seem to be doing favor in winning
the money of their guest. He goes away
swearing, but satisfied, and accepts cor
dial invitation to call some other evening
He is very likely to be set a-thinking, and
perhaps hears something that lea Is him
to avoid his noble friends during the re-
mainder of his stay in London. At the
same time, American-like, he keeps his
loss to himself, and the next victim steps
into the web without the warning that
might have saved him.
A leading New York property owner,
whose grandfather sold oysters by the
plate, quart or bushel, could tell an inter
esting story about his experience of high
life IN England. According to whispered
rumor his introduction to an illegitimate
descendant of Charles II. cost him a cool
ELS, 000-not lollars-and all of it was
lost in two evenings before the grandson
of the oyster opener opened his eyes to the
situation. The revelation came upon him
like fash with his |. 0. Q. for e5, 900 on
the table. He waited until this was swept
in, and then, without word of regret or
apology, he arose and walked out. This
gentleman has two daughters, both hand
some and well lowered, and both have
since the above incident been married to
Americans. 1t would be entirel y unfair to
Judge of the British nobility by its MEM.
bers who engage in entrapping strangers,
but there is no doubt that its ranks include
men whose acquaintance is as perllous and
often as expensive as that of the noted
gamblers in our great American cities.
1t may be the fatal privilege of idleness
that makes SO many of the British
aristocracy slaves Of the gambling habit
The opportunities for the heirs of property,
entailed or otherwise, to borrow money in
London are abundant. Money lenders fish
for them by advertising in the daily
papers. and often through pers NAL solicit
tation. Even when such obligations
might be repudiated they are seldom dis
honored, for the man of title refusing to
paw the debts incurred in expectation
would be Stunned as unfit for the associa-
ton of gentlemen. OF the money thus
raised a very large percentage finds its
wav across the card table into the pockets of
well-born card sharpers, and the victim be-
comes-involved In a net from which escape
SENS impossible at least until the ancestral
estate passes into his hands, and even then
years have to be spent in economical living
to atone for the extravaganza OF youth. If
the young man makes a lucky marriage,
that may help him out ot his financial diff
fculties A magnificent allowance made by
a rich New Yorker to his daughter, the
wife of an Irish nobleman, was found to
have been wasted by that nobleman in de-
fving fortune at cards. This species Of
gambling is on the increase with the in
crease of aristocracy incomes, consequent
upon the growth of population and indus.
try. and the corresponding advance of
profits from urban and village estates.
The workinguien's letting clu BIS of Eng
land have thei- counterpart IN France
during the racing season in the so-called
Paris mutuaIs By the present French Law
betting is permitted only at the track. but
attempts have been make to eyade this by