The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-21
WOMEN GAMBLERS.
A Policy joint DIS ovcred on Fast Douglas
Where Women Invest Their Pin Money.

There is little frame shanty on East
Douglas avenue not far from the Rock
Island depot, that is not much bigger than
those occupied by the city weIghmasters
and like them in many respects. 1t is an
innocent looking building, but for all that
the interior sometimes presents peculiar
scene and one that would make the hu-
manitarian weep could he see II. This
house is no more nor less than resort for
women who are afflicted with the game OF
chance or gambling fever. For long
time those who live in the neighborhood
were astonishei at the number OF women
who entered this little shanty during the
day, and their curiosity was az last
aroused to such an extent that some OF
them investigated the matter and found
that il Was no more nor less than
policy joint which caters almost
exclusively to female spectators. Last
night one of those living in the neighbor-
hood called the EAGLE mans attention to
it, but it happened TO be closed at that
hour and therefore its workings could not
he personally investigated by the reporter.
He was enabled, however, to have al in
terview with one of its patrons, woman
who won Sl3 IN il few days ago and one
who is, in consequence OF her fortunate
experience, able to say something about
it. She is a young woman who was mar
ried short time ago but who is now
grass widow, her husband having deserted
her. q have 'bucked' policy for month
tomorrow" said she, with the sang frold
of professional gambler, land am now
Sill 20 ahead of the game. This was my
first winning. They say that thirteen Is
an unlucky number, but | will take 1t
every time when it represents dollars"
do many of your sex 90 against the
game?" asked the reporter.
well l should say so. Why, the patrons
of the house are nearly all women
and occasionally you can find some pretty
heightened women among them, too.
There is another policy house in town that
won't allow women to go against their
wheel, and they miss it, for when woman
is seized with the specializing fever. she
goes it strong. The woman that started
me to buck the policy wheel has been
playing it for a year, ana she has won
nearly $50. Yesterday she made winning
of 50, and the day after Christmas she
pulled out SIC. When one gets in the
habit of playing the game once 1t Is
almost impossible to quit 1t, for theirs
is certain fascination about 1t that can't
be resisted. A person can speculate in it
for cents, or any sum from that up and
when you make winning it is in proper
ton to the amount of investment. Women
hardly ever 90 stronger than 70 cents at a
time, while great majority OF them only
20 in nickle. AS the wheel turns every
half hour one is enabled to ''get action"
on her money rapidly and this makes IL
more interesting. In the morning they
pay on ratio of SIS to 10 cents and after
that the ratio is SIC to 10 cents. Why this
is so l do not know. The numbers run
from 10 IS and you guess on three num-
bers If you get all three you are paid SlS
if you have 10 cents in and 80 If you have
only cents in. If you Saddle" you get
40 cent. for your nickle. Saddle" means
if you get two numbers out of the three.
1t is easy enough to saddle" but it is
mighty hard to pull out three numbers.
The game is fair in every respect but the
percentage is big against those who 90
against it."
Those who live in the neighborhood say
that fully seYenty-five women patronlze
the little shanty every day and that some
of them go there as often as five times in
one day. Like any other game one Guilt
Yates passion for it that holds on with
the tenacity Of other gambling habits.
This makes it very demoralzing, and no
matter how respectable a woman may be
when she tackles it first it is not very long
till she gets bad name, whether she de-
serves it or not. OF course great major
ity of the women who buck the game be-
long to very low social strata.
1t is said that the presiding genius of
the establishment is negro, and he must
be "A shrewd fellow, for he has managed to
keep the concern very quiet until his Gus
toners became so numerous that the
neighbors could not avoid noticing them
any longer. 1t is doubtful whether the
police even know that there is such coa-
Germ in town