The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-18
GAMBLING IN ENGLAND.
1t Is Indulged in Largely Among
Fashionable Circles.
A Vice into Which tho Gcntler Sex Is .,4,-
coming Initiatel-Tho Card Tubio
Fast becoming n popo-
lar ReSOrt.

Despite all That has been done by the
legislature and the police for putting
down gaming in those forms in which
they ca n take cogni2ance of it, it is now
practiccd, under conditions which pre-
cludc the intcrposition of the law aud
its emissarics, TO an extent and In n
manner which would have astonished
even the veteran freQucnters of Crock
forl's and the Cocoa Troe in their palrny
days 1t is true, says the London
World that cards have supplonted dice
IS the leading Instruments of specula-
ton, and that baccurat instead of haz-
ard is the pastimc principally In vogue.
But for Ill practical purposes the first
arc not less effective than the second in
running fortunes and regulations, and
lend themselves quite Us readily to the
transfercnce of large sums of money.
On many respects, indeed, the gamb-
ling of the present is far more open to
objection than the gambling OF the past.
In the old time, when gaIning-houscs,
whether in the shape of clubs or ordin-
airy houses, were tolerated, high play
was for the most part restricted to men.
No doubt few notorious women of
rank and fashion were in the habit of
playing high at one nnothcr's own
houses But nearly ell the gambling
was pTncticcd ut gaminS>clubs, and to
them women We're not admitted. In al-
dition to this, no man either belonged to
gaming-club OF entered except with
the full intention of joining in the diver
sion there provided for him, and,
whatever his luck might be, he in
Cured the risks to which he was
exposed deliberately and of malice
prepcnSc. At gaming-clubs public
ity generally, If not invariably, in
sured fair play, and, save in the way OF
loans from the proprietary, there was
then no credit between the gamcstera
themselves every transaction was u
ready-Inoncy one, and thus, while win
ncrs received their gains ct once, losers
were checked in any reckless attempt
That they might be disposed to make in
order to recover themselves. In private
gambling all this is changed, md, with
every disadvantage, not single adj
vantage incidental to public gambling
is present In certain well-llnown
London drawing-roo1ns, and at host
of country houses, women are not less
eager than men TO hurry to the card
table, and neither in playing nor in
paying can many of them, it is to DO
apprehcnded be held up rs examples of
rectitude and precision to the other sex.
Whether people will or will not join in
the gane, more especially in the scclu-
sion of rustic retreat, docs not de-
pend upon themselves. They nre eX-
pectcd to do as others do, and In certain
circles an invitation may he equivalent
to command.
Moreover, it does not seem to be by
any means clear that even in the Sc
lectcst assemblies the mistakes and
wrongs of fortune arc always permitted
to pass uncorrcctcd or unrcpaired And,
further, when everything is fair and
above board, it is impossible among
friends and acquaintanccs to refuse
credit, and SO TO prevent plunging and
the importation of what may prove to
be impossible sums for the benefit of
those who may have suffered from
run OF adverse luck. On the whole. in
truth, as the late Lord Lamington the
last survivor Of the gaming committee
of the house Of commons, whose report
suppressed Croclsford's and the London
hclls generally stated in Blaclswood's
Magazine shortly before his death, had
they been aware of the Dimensions
which private gambling was destined
to assume, they would never have re-
commended the abolition of public
gambling, whicj. of the two is by far
the less injurious and liable to abuse.