The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-10-21
DEVOL'S CONFESSIONS.
He TELLS THE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFE.
TINE OF GAMBLING.
New York Advertiser.

New York Advertiser. .
Carl PLAYING ON the Mississippi
river steamers has been he theme
Of innumerable newspaper articles,
and, in general way. nearly all
The inhabitants OF the United
States, even those who have never
been so far west as across the A
leghanies, know that in the sold
days" The NJ s;issippi river steam.
ers were yerilaLlc floating gam
bling dens. The Western gambler
has figured in fiction AMI the
drama i"r many years, bni lie was
never consistently described nor
his wIIes accurately depicted until
George IL. Devol gave to the world
his remarkable book entitled "For.
ty Years 4 Gambler on the Missis.
sippi."
This book, which il would Le
well for every father 10 place in
he hands Of the rapid son, VIII"
iooli>hIy imaglnes ",p,rIing hfs"
is one OF unadnl'erated joy, or who
egotislically iarcies that lie is as
sharp as the sharpes', has just
been produced in a second edition.
The first edition was limited, but
The second edition will he large
enough TO give The book the wide
circulation il deserves to have.
1t is the plainly told story Of for
t. year, OF IA gambling life. AMI
Though it is thrilling in incidents $
and exciting beyond measure. is
effects upon the men who read it
Git they are not entirely beyond re-
claim cannot fail TO be beneficial,
for nothing that was ever put into
print shows more clearly or con.
cluslvelv that of all the cure,
that beset mankind the gambling
cGrse' Is the worst. The inevlla-
bic fate of the "sucker" (whose
birth is said to occur once every
sixty seconls the year round is
plainly pointed out, and if, after
reading 'hls book, young men are
70 is enough to "sil IN" at games
Of cards with passing strangers
their folly is boyond pity.
Mr.. or "Uncle' George Devol,
us he is generally known, comes
from celebrated American laml-
ly. He was born in Marietta,
Ohio, and his grandfather, Johna.
than Devol, was an officer in the
revolutionary war,and we'll known
10 The pioneer history of Ohio. His
father was Il ship builder, and liv-
ed TO he good old age of eighty
five.
The author OF The book, who
tells,the story III a "plan, unva'n-
ished" way, ran away from home
al The age of ten. This was in The
year 1889. lie shipped AS a cabin
boy OF an Ohio steamer at 81 per
month. AT that tender age he be-
came an apt pupil IN handling the
"ra>leboards," and when, as he
says. he learned to "steal cards" in
Tho game of "seven up" he felt
that he was "fiXed for liIe.' As
soon as he was old enough he be.
came a barkeeper on larger yes.
sci, and between times. devoted
himself TO The study Of manipulal
ing The cards, until finally lie was
an adept ot "stacking Il deck" lie
soon drii,ed to New Orleans
where his skill enabled him 10 wiz
S27 900; and he was not ther
seventeen years old. II was hi:
ambition from that time forward
says the writer, "lo live off fool.
and suckers"
II is impossible in The limited
extent of this article TO follow the
career slep by step Of Ibis borl
gambler, but perlsal of The booE
will show that although at times he
won large sums Of money, his trial.
and hardships more than oyerbal
anced his pleasures in life.
As a sample Of The style il
which this old gambler tells The
story Of his sporting life the fol
lowing description is given:
| l remember being on The steam
er Grand Duke coming out Of New
Orleans, at one time just alter the
| Marii Gras festival. The berlt
was crowded with passengers, ant
we were having 4 lively game O
monte, when fellow from iht
Red river country. named Picket
came up to the table and pegai
pulling coat.tails. He was one o
those slnarties who knew all the
] tricks Tor thought he did), aud ht