The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-11-13
POOLrROOM GAMBLING.
A Vice That IL UNDERMINING the
Youth OF This Country.
It saps the Morals Of Young and Old and
Il Filling Our Jails with Those Cor
rupted by It's Indu-

II is said that poolroom gambling
does more injury than all the fare
banks and other institutions fol
gambling pa. together. When a
man has once been smltten with
the fever for betting on races
he is Of no use for anything else any
more. It destroys his morals. The
vice is fairly undermining the youth OF
this country. No wonder that de-
tectives arc commonly engaged by large
employers to 60 around among the pool
rooms and find out If their clerks fro
quent them. The most trusted employe.
once attacked by the frenzy, is no
longer to be counted upon. His inter
est in his work relaxes, and there Is no
telling when he win begin to steal in
order to provide himself with money
for the qualification of the passion.
For the benefit" of clerks and others
who are engaged during tho day there
has recently been arranged in ST. Louis
a scheme for racing from eight p. m.
to twelve p. m. The races in the day.
time are supplemented by races at night
under the glare of the electric lights.
These nocturnal contests are watched
and gambled on in cities all over tho
union, says the Washington Star.
Before long it may be expected that
other tracks will adopt . similar plan.
In former times people were obliged to
go somewhat out of their way in order
to obtain an opportunity to play away
their money. but the races bring the
luxury of gambling within easy reach
Of all, and even the women have adopt
ed the vice to an alarming extent
Many business men, who most anxious
~ discourage such indulgence by their
employees, are themselves plungers, and
there are not few such in New York
who often carry from twenty to forty
thousand dollars in their pockets for in
vestment in horses. thinking nothing OK
ventIring ten thousand dollars on .
single race. Compared with this form
of gambling the Louisiana lottery was
a harmless institution. It is claimed
that il is demoralizing the people from
the highest to the lowest. and the time
may yet arrive when national as well
as state legislation win OF necessity be
resorted to for the suppression OF the
evil
Say that one finds one hundred book
makers on course on race day. Each
of them paws one hundred dollars day
for his privilege. In addition TO this
the racing association which owns the
track gets Eve per cent commission On
every ticket sold 1t also gets the profit
on the sale OF programmes at ten csnts
each, which is big item when fifteen
to twenty Thousand people are present
The bar and eating privileges are sold
a high figures. and from twenty-five
TO City thousand dollars season il
paid in by the telegraph company for
its privilege. Racing Is to the telegraph
company a great source of income
This can readily be comprehended when
il is considered what an enormous
quantity o. Geographic matter is sent
out from the tracks TO the pool rooms
and elsewhere all over the country
DiSpa .ches are flowing over the wires
in continuous stream reporting each
race at gil stages of its progress, from
start to finish. and this is only part Of
the electric correspondence that Is
transmitted.
The expenses of bookusaker IN active
practice are great To begin with. "a
has been said. be must PAY one hHa-