The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-09-12
Asaessp,4 gHteltigeafer.
OH. BUT IT'S WICKED.
saratoga has Become tho Nauehtiest Placo
In this Country.


saratora has Become the Naushtiest Place
in this Country.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y, Aug
ust 26.-Have you ever visited Sara
toga2 don't mean years ago, but
recently.
There was time when Saratoga
was the resot of the culture and wealth
Of the country. There was time
when there was no resort like it on
the American continent. The cul-
tured, the refined, the wealthy people
of the country congregated here to en-
joy a season of gayety and to reap the
benefits of the health-giving proper
ties Of the waters. Men and women
were given new lease of life by the
free use Of the waters. So it is now
as fur as the waters are concerned.
There are perhaps none on the face Of
the earth like the Hathorn, the Con-
gress and the vichy. They have the
properties which almost bring youth to
the aged.
But Saratoga has degenerated. Cul-
ture and refinement have retired be-
fore the advancing army Of wealth,
which has not the foundations of any
thing except the yellow and the white
metals. Homely women besprinkled
with diamonds and fashily dressed
me~ rule now. The king bees of the
hive are the bookmakers, the gamblers
and the racehorse men. Saratoga is
given over to gambling. Everybody
CANDLES. Men, women and children
bet their money against the bookmak-
ers and drop it upon the red or black
Of roulette. She town is given over
to it, and no one dares make an OBJ
lection. The mayor Of the town is
the proprietor Of the toughest gambling
dive in the world. In it every gam
bling device has place-there is ev-
erything from craps to the roulette
wheels. But the faro bank has no
place in it. On that the player has
too good chance. The percentage
for the proprietor is too small /; there
fore the other devices rule. Howev-
er, this place is only the resort Of that
element which has not the wealth to
play the games which which the more
sporty element indulge in: They fre-
quent the Saratoga Club" and by
the way, with the exception Of Monte
Carlo, there is perhaps no place on earth
like it.
The "club' is magnificent build
ing just across from the Congress
park. There are reading rooms and
an elegant restaurant in it. It is the
only good restaurant in Saratego--the
prices are very high, but everybody
goes once, not so much for q good
meal but to see the place. It is a la
dies restaurant and many ladies' 60 to
it, accompanied, however, by their
husbands.
Adjoining the restaurant is the
gambling room. 1t is in full view of
a portion Of the restaurant. In the
gambling room are seven or eight rcu-
lette tables and several faro tables.
From 10 o'clock at night until 2
O. clock morning this room is crowded.
Men bethundred- dollar bills as though
they were worthless paper. Some win
thousands Of dollars others lose
what they have. The majority lose,
though the games are absolutely fair.
There is a percentage, however, in ia
yor Of the Keepers Of the games.
! All this gambling is in full view Of
the ladies restaurant. Of course the
frequenters Of this restaurant are wo-
men Of all grades. Many of them
have their escorts play few turns of
roulette for them, and I have seen a
few win quite large amounts.
Different from Monte Carlo, women
are not permitted about the tables.
There is line between the two
rooms which the women are not al
lowed to cross in the evening, though
in the mornings, when with gentlemen
who are known, they are permitted to
inspect the gaming room though not to
play.
d As strange as it may seem, one
never hears sound in the gaming
room other than the whir of the mar
BILE of the roulette wheel. Converse:
tions are carried on in a low tone.
Nothing boisterous is permitted.
Unless a man has the appearance of a
gentleman he is not admitted. Then
again the games are high. No bet of
less than 81 is allowed, and those who
bet less than So on the color of
the roulette wheel are mildly frown-
ed at. The usual betting at the faro
tables is from $50 to 500 on the turn
of card.
But tits not every man whotvisits
this club house who BETS Thelgreat
majority Of visitors never bet cent,
they simply visit it as spectators, and
to all appearances they are welcome
visitors. These people watch the
gaming for awhile then sit about in
the cafe, where they can get what
they want to eat and drink. There
are also reading rooms, with all the
daily papers and magazines on file.
About. the, entire place there is an air
of dignity. Everybody who visits
Saratoga naturally visits the club.
And many who visit it with the firm
resolve not to game, fall from grace and
try q few dollars ''just for the fun of
it, If they are lucky. they usually
try it again.
1 walked down there last evening
with a very distinguished statesman
from one Of the Southern States. We
had dinner in the cafe, during which
he remarked that he had never bet
dollar at a gaming table in his life,.
though he was fond Of risking few
dollars occasionally on the races. At
the conclusion Of the dinner he looked
once at the marble spin around on a
roulette table. 1t was too much for
him. He tossed S. on the black and
lost. In disgust he left the building,
but he could not ALLEVIATE his thoughts
from the fact that the marble had
dropped on a red number. Two hours
later, in the Grand Union hotel, he
came to me and said he would 60 back
to recover that S.. In attempting to
recover it he had the usual luck-he
lost 5000. Then he had enough and