The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-25
MAIN STREET.

/, y 3-Faro,
4-Stud horse poker.
5-R0ulette.
6-Policy game.
DRAW poker.
S-Entrance.
9-Sate.
1o-Managers office.
11-Craps,
The stairway leading to this room is kept
hot by men and boys rushing up and down
Five hundred persons, by actual count, en-
tered these rooms on Friday night between
the hours OF and Il O'Clock How many
more visited the place between midnight
and o'clock is not known, though the num-
Der can be set down at several hundred
And yet Friday is dull night. 1t is not
even lucky day, and men who are at ali
superSutlouS steer clear OF it.
AT 10 o'clock the number of persons in
the room was $50. The only person denied
admlttance was a newsboy not yet twelve
years OF age. 4 few persons given to pick
ing the money out of man. pocket before
he had a chance to get it into chips were
denied the privileges of the room. All
others were cordially invited, police in
cluded.
There were twenty one men about one of
the faro tables, seventeen at another and
fourteen at the third. Stud poker attracted
few, draw poker had its admirers. while
craps occupied the attention OF some wild
boys, whose ages were anywhere from six
teen to twenty one years. Roulette had not
yet caught on heavily, the westerner and
mine digger preferring faro. Faro is the
fairest game of thelot as it yields less per-
centage TO the dealer than roulette or any
OF the other popular gambling games A
man can play it longer before losing his
money, and to prolonging the pleasure of the
excitement of chance It's popularity is
largely due.
The men who visit free-for- all gambling
house include every class, except the prom
inent professional men, bankers and mer-
chants, who dare not risk their bank credit
by being seen. These spend their earnings
at the private clubs, where their losses are
made dead secret. The major part OF the
crowd, as nearly as they could be classed
by their dress, were laboring men, mostly
under thirty years of age. There was
good share of old miners, with here and
there a gray-haired man whose shabby
gentility told the story of reverses in bust
ness.
There were any number of clerks, but
their small salaries did not admit of their
playing heavily. At all the faro taoles
there were number of represen tatives or
the celestial Kingdom, and their favorite
was ten cent pieces, which they counted ont
sparingly. When the cards went against
them they would go down for more and
grin, sadly.
The craps game, as played, was very
tame affair and didn't begin to compare
with the same game when played by
negroes on Commercial street. Craps is a
COON game and does not At the white
man at all, as he cannot catch the spirit of
dat: Catch little Joe! You'se nv meat
Roll dem dice! See dat niger craps ~
when given with the grooming tone of the
darkey.
Faro is a dead game-there being little
said. 1t is capital play for deaf and dumb
men. Occasionally the game is livened by
man just full enough to be funny anu
desperate enough to stack his chips on the
CARDS that promise the fewest chances.
Most men are solemn as badgers when
they play and never smile unless they have
some chips to cash on quitting the game.
which is seldom.
When man loses his last dollar and has
enough whisky in him to be ugly. he is
liable to Try to get satisfaction. Tnis leads
TO great many tights, but any knifiny or
pistol pulling that does not get out into the
street seldom is heard of, as it is par OF
the business of the keepers of these places
w up ulSGuTDd1C6 UQaU might
reflect against the character of their place
and keep their steerers in the lavender
when the police are after them.
But there are outbreaks every day result
ing from gambling. A young man was
ordered out of barrcom the other dav,
He net the man on the street who had in
suited him and punched him in the Aose
The young man had all the appearance of
responsibility.
Who was ne!
He had held good position in dry goods
store few weeks ago. But he took to
cards and has recently been seen nightly in
the gambling dens. He lost his joo and is
now idle, and it will be a miracle if he
doesn't go to the bad.
A dozen young men could be named who
have lost their situations during the last
sixty days by spending their nights al
gambling. They reported to business toe
late, and the loss of sleep interfered witt
their attention to business. One of then
borrowed few dollars out of the drawe,
to try his luck. He lost In the morning
he was short and could not make it I'D. The
numerous instances of this kind Womb
warrant the assertion that public gam
bling house is nothing less than a scboo
for embeZzlerS.
A young man will play until mis- last cent
is lost Should he happen to make a axe b,
ulnU OIL goOu luck, ne tnlnkS ne always car
do IL. what is the use of working if
can make money so easy!" he says to him
self, and he takes less interest in his bust
ness, and gradually his place slips away
from him and young man of sober, steady
habits supercedes him.
Money easily made is loosely spent ani
the easy spending OF money will ruin The
best man who lives. 1t will take him TO the
brothel to crack wine bottles with harlots
and lead him into thousand snares Wher
his money is gone MS purse is empty ant
his reputation bankrupt. In nine cases Out
OF ten he will fail to re-establish himsel,
and to cret lixircr 1xrill coll HE eo.xz;<e--