The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-28


was gambling ever carried on more gener-
ally. openly, reckleSsly In every city and
village of Importance in the State were
heard. in the latter part of every day and
far into the night, the rafting of coin, the
clinking of glasses and the voice of the
dealer inviting trials Of luck and proclaim
Ing the winning or losing card or number.
This weird and suggestive tumult, I'M
like anything be ever heard before, unlike
anything he has heard since. lives in the
memory of the early pioneer like sharply
defined dream, connected more or less
vaguely with other exciting scenes and in
ctdents Of professional gam biug almost
everywhere encountered from 1919 until
the vice was partially restricted by legisla-
ton some years later, or until certain
games of surest robbery were iDterdicted
by statute or excluded from the public eye.
Gambling reached its highest tide in
California in 1851, at which time rooms
devoted to the business. with bars for the
sale II liquor and cigars as inevitable ad.
juncts, were to be found, in numbers pro-
portionate to the population, on the prin-
cipal streets and thoroughfares of every
city, village and mining camp of hundred
people or more in the State.
In the growth OF a mining town, to the
first dozen cabins was added a small
general supply store, where liquor and
cigars were usually retailed, and where
seven-up and bean poker were played by
miners i'll the evening for small stakes.
Ii the outlook of the place was encouraging
further Increase In the population was
followed by the opening OF a regular
saloon devoted exclusively 10 the sale
OF liquors and cigars. and provided with
one or more blanket-covered tables for
card playing in the back part of the room,
or in a smaller apartment connected with
II. In the latter Stltf poker games were
INDUCED in as gold became more plentiful,
with occasional spreads of monte and
twenty-one.
Then, as the rising town began 10 take
shane IN streets, party of two or three
professional gamblers appeared, with rou-
lette wheel ana faro cloth. dice boxes and
other gaming araphernaia, and the bust
ness ~ gambling was formally inaugur-
2IsG~IA the back roam of the saloon. As
f-t place continued to advance in impor-
incf other and more pretentious gambling
EAIls were opened, with paintings and mir
rofS behind the bars. and frequently small
bands OF music TO lure the pasSer from
the s,Ieet ana entertain him while he
dropped his ounces on the losing card or
color. These musical attractions. however,
were only found in the larger halls, where
various banking games we're in operation
at the same time-faro, monte, roulette,
lansqueuet, twenty-one, and sometimes
other games less favorable to the PLAYER.
The gambling houses were the leading
aces of resort in the idle hours of four
hiths Of the m liners of every locality where
they could be conveniently reached. But
itwould be unchaFitable to remember this
to their reprOach. They were not all NJ
bers nor did the majority of them prefer
dssolute companions nip; but when the
storms of winter drove them from their
mining claims and their hastily construct
ed cabins afforded them but cold comfort
during the long evenings of the rainy sea-
son. they could not in reason have been in
different to the cheer of the public gam
+ bllng-rooms warmed by great stoves, pro-
vlded with seats, and noisy with the life
and mining gossip of the neighbOrnood.
Unless they were disposed to drink or
gamble it was not expected that they would
do either. They were politely treated, and
every enjoyment Of the place was free to
them, with the privilege of coming and 60
lpg at their pleasure.
To the recreation Of fairly good music
diScoursed from raised platform, and the
fascination Of watching the players at the
various gaming tables was frequently
added the supreme attraction OF pretty
female lace behind lansQuenet or ren-dice
table. Concerning the character of the
fair gambler, there could not. of course,
be any reasonable question; but she usually
passed for the wife or sister of the dealers,
and her aDtecedents were seldom made The
subject Of inquiry. The miners saw only
that she was woman. with white han ds
and throat and bewitching smile-a being
that was rare in the noun taiGs in pioneer
days-and they sat aud peered at her from
under the brims of their SLOUGH hats, or
dropped their dollars in exchange for the
smile with which she added them to
her winnings. Banking games dealt by
females were always alta inted by we'll
grounded suspicion of fraud; yet they
seldom lacked customers, for men then
were willing to pay something for a square
look at the face OF a handsome woman.
AS rule, the bars of The gambling
houses were we'll patronzed, and thirsty
players did not hesitate 10 call for liquors
at the expense of the tables at which they
were sitting. When the bank was winning
the dealer usually Invited the players TO
take something" as often as every
twenty minutes when il was losing he was
none the less liberal, and when the betting
Jagged and the players grew tinid he was
pretty sure TO invoke the stimulating as
slstance OF the bar, and oulookers as " eli
as patrons were requested to ''haye some
Ting with the game" 1t will therefore be
understood that gambling and drinking
were Kept In close cumpanionship through
the seeming liberaliiy of the sapacious
dealer, who had learned from experience
that money expended for stiinulants
around his table was generally well in
vested.
but WHHo uquOT was an lncltement to
gaming, IL was also the cause Of nine
tenths of the misunderstanding which so
frequently led to blows and bloodshed
around the gaming table. Half dazed
with drink, men were apt to mistake the
stakes of other players for their own, or TO
so place their wagers as to render it ex-
tremely difficult either for the dealer ri his
''ooko ut"-an indispensable auxiliary
when the betting was liveiy-tO determine
the original intention of the player after
The card had been drawn. Add to these
fruitful causes for dissension the natural
i'll humor of the average loser and the
turbu lent effects of intoxication, and the
pretense for war of words or weapons, il
will be seen, was seldom absent.
Nearly every miner went constantly
armed, and the gambler was always pre-
pared to protect himself at IA moments
warning. As might have been expected
under the circumstances, hostile encounters
were by no means rare around tile gaming
tables, and the frequent wild ruShes away
from them, especially when pistols or
knives were drawn, excited but mnmpn tary
comment unless followed by loss of life.
The better class of professional gaui-