Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-27


on the -"Exchange;" most appro-
pirate title for the door. for ts.cse. "a that
room. a man exchanges health, peace and
heaven. for loss of health. loss OF home,
loss OF family. loss OF immortal soul Tx
change sure enough and infinite enough.
This crime is getting its lever under
many. q mercantile house in our great
cities. and before long down will come the
great establishment. crushing reputation,
home, comfort and immortal souls. How IL
diverts and sinks capital may be Inferred
| from some authentic statements before US.
The ten gaming houses that once We're
authorized in Paris passed through the
/ banks, yearly, three hundred aud twenty
/ five millions CT francs. Where does all the
money come from? The whole world is
| robbed. What is most sad, there are no
| consultations for the loss and suffering en-
tailed by gaming If men fail in lawful
business. God pities and society commiser-
ates: but where in the Bible or in society
is there any consolation for the gambler?
From what tree of the forest oozes there a
balm that can soothc the gamcsters heart?
In that bottle where God keeps the tears
Of his children. are there any tears or the
gambler? Do the winds that como 10 kiss
the faded check OF sickness, and to cool
! the heated brow of the laOOrer, whisper
hope and cheer TO the emaciated victim OF
the game, of hazard? When an honest
man is in trouble he has sympathy. Poor
fellow!o they say. Bat do gamblers come
10 weep at the agonies of the gambler? In
northumberland was one of the finest
estates in England. Mr.. Porter owned Il
and in year gambled il all away. Having
lost the last acre of the estate, he came
down from the saloon and got into his car
riage; went back; put up his horses ana
carriage and town house. and played He
threw and lost He started home and in
a side alley met friend from whom he
borrowed ten guineas; wen. back To the
saloon and before great while had won
twenty thousand pounds. He died at last,
beggar in ST. Giles. How many gam
blers felt sorry for Mr. Porter? Who con-
soled him on the loss of his estate? What
gambler subscribed to put stone over the
poor mans grave? Not one.
Furthermore. this sin is the source OF
uncouIted dishonestes. The game OF
hazard itself is often a cheat. How mary
tricks and receptions in the dealing OF th'
cards. The opponents hand IS olume'
found out by fraud. Cards are marked 81
that they may be designated from the back
/ Expert gamesters have their accomplices
: and one wink may decide the game. Th'
: dice have been found loaded with platina
so that ''doublets' come up every time
r These dice are introduced by the gambler
unobserved by honest men who have cont
into the play; and this accounts Tor Tn
5 fact that ninety-nine out OF hundred wh
r gamble, however wealthy they began, a
the end are found 10 be poor, miserable
+ ragged wretches, that would not now b
! allowed to sit on the doorstep of the hous
| In, affntr
a in San Francisco young man having jus
o come from the mines deposited large sun
t upon the ace, and won twenty-five
o thousand. But the tide turns. lntens
: anxiety comes upon the countenances Q
= all. Slowly the cards went forth. Ever
eve is fixed. Not sound is heard unit
@ the ace is revealed favorable TO the bank
e There are shouts OF Foul " Foul ~ bu
{ the keepers Of the table produce thei
: pistols and the uproar is silcnced and Tn
g bank has won ninty-ive Thousand dollars
a Do you call this a game of chance? Their
q is no chance about IL.
But these dishonesties in the carryin
= on of the game are nothing when compare
l. with the frauds which are committed
l. order to get money TO go on with the NJ
i farious work. Gambling with its greed
z hand has snatched away the widow 5 mi
IT and the portion of the orphan; has sold II
., daughters virtue 10 get the means to COZ
d tinue the game; has written the counte
a felt signature. empted the bankers mono
5. vault and welded the assassn's dagge
Is There is no depth of mcanDess TO which
IS will not stoop. There Is no cruelty
to which il is appalled,. There is no warniI
e. of God that it will not dare. Merciles
a uuappeasable. fcrcer and wilder, it blind
q. l. :. lie prffgh hos
IN damns. IL has pcoped our prisons al
is lunatic asylums. How many railro
z. agents and cashiers and trustees of fun
nc it has driven TO disgrace, incarceration al
nc suicide! Witness years ago cashier oil
IS. railroad who stole one hundred and thr
ne thousand dollars TO carry On his gami
IT, practices. Witness forty thousand d
ly lars stolen from a Brooklyn bank with
or the memory of many of you, and the o
On hundred and eighty thousand dollars TAX
or from a Wall street insurance company
k the same purpose! These are only ILL
~ trations on a large scale Of the roober
~ every day committed for the purpose
Is. carrying out the designs OF gamble
nv Hundreds of thousands OF dollars eve
ro- year leak out without observat. on from
ch merchants till into the gambling hell.
man in London keeping one Of these ga
m bling houses boosted that he had rulne
nd nobleman a day; but if all the saloons
nd this land were to speak out, they MI
ed utter a more infamous boast, for they hi
,il- destroyed a thousand noble men year
~. Shall sketch the history of the "a
out bier? Lured by bad company he finds
lb- way into place where honest men on
nd never to go. He sits down 10 his n
Tut game but only for pastime and the des
sh- of being thought sociable. The play
{ IS deal out the cards. They unconsciou
ing play into Satan's hands who takes all
the tricks and both tn G players souls
aud trumps-he being sharper at any ga
mt. slight stake is put up just to add inter
sh- TO the play. Game after game Is play
You Larger stakes aud still larger. They be
Lro- 10 move nervously on their chairs. IT
ed brows lower and eyes flash, until now
The who win AMI they who lose, fired a
and with passion, all with set jaws and c
lion pressed lips and clenched fists. and {
ft,... F,.g.s.