The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-02-15
THREE 70 A G!!uNN.
Everyday Tales Of the
Town Tersely Told.
THE PASSION FOR GAMBLING.
How Theatrical Performance
Brought Up "reminiscences TO an
Ex-Sutler's Mind - A Woman's
VIII.

He came in with his hands In his pockets
and sat down ncnchalantly next TO The
News representative. lie sized up the
surroundings, stroked his beard and spat
upon the floor.
The curtain had fallen on the second act
and the orchestra was struggling with
"Au Revoir, But Not Good-b bye" The
next act of the border drama, popular in
Westminster street theater, was full OF the
wall of young man who had lost fortune,
self-respect and am mbition through his i'm
satis BILE appetite for gambling. He was
in the atmosphere OF inveterate gamblers
in Western mining life, and the dialogue
seemed TO exaggerate the strait into
which the young man had fallen.
He said, 'I've spent all my own money
and robbed those that trusted me. Moth
ing remains for me now but su-i-eide or
d-e-a-t-hl" And the young man did his
best to look Just like what he said.
The big man stroked his beard and spat
upon the floor again. There were indica-
tions that he wanted to be neighborly.
Suddenly turning, he said:
"You newspaper critics may think that
sort of thing Is exaggerated. Nothing of
the sort. / can come up to that in my
own experience. No man ever accused
Sanford OF being a squealcr, but I've
seen the time, long ago, when I'D like TO
Jump into the river on account OF gam
bling.
"I tell you rum thirst amt in it with
the fever to gamble when the
disease gets a good grip on you.
OF course there's a great difference be-
tween the amateur and the professional.
The latter is always willing to leave some
thing for the next day, but the anna eur
feverishly tries TO get about all there is IN
| one heat, and nine times out of ten goes
broke. At least that was my own expe-
rience years ago.
"As matter OF fact the business Is
rocky at its best for both the victim in
| front and the dealer behind the layout.
| Somehow the money don't stick. Per-
| haps the same sort of thing happens in
| legitimate business life. The merchant
takes risks just the same as the gambler.
| Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses.
| A few seem to have the kind OF luck tha.
| is more profitable than license to steal.
But that hasn't much to do with the
| young fellow that wants to kill himself on
the stage. Gambling is disease that
taints nearly everyone. Generally its de-
| velopment is slow, but place the victim in
the right surroundings and he's gone.
When the war was under way was a
sutler in the army. Myself and partner
were stationed at Portsmouth Grove camp
| down the bay. A fellow could make q
barrel of money i'm the business. i made
so much that i gambled TO reduce the
surplus. 1t went, and it went fast. Very
soon money got scarce, but had acquired
| one thing and that was an unconquerable
desire to gamble. They say what a nan
does constantly for ten years, he will do
all his life. guess that's SO.
"One day / came up from the camp with
$1,000 to pay bills and buy supplies. got
into the city about o'clock In the morn
| ing. Having a little time TO spare /
thought would see what could do with
$50 and went into the big game that
made lots of money in Postotfice Court in
| those days. When ! came out of the
| place didn't have a dollar had done
almost the same thing before. The bills
and supplies were not attended TO that
| day. managed TO get trusted again and
shipped the stuff TO the Island. We had
a red figure mark-up sale for a few weeks,
and then came to town to pay bills and
get supplies again.
$50 help me Moses, I was broke before
| noon time. You can believe felt rocky.
Understand me; half the money belonged
to my partner. Twas nothing less than a
thief.
| "How much money do you suppose |
blowed in before those bills were settled?
Seven thousand dollars. Why, that fellow
on the stage amt a marker to how felt.
Suicide be blowed. They feel like it, but
they seldom do it. After few days
| of worry they're around hustling for more
stuff to get even with. Give that chap ten
thousand more dollars and in little
while he will be saying d-e-a-t-h again or
else he will be running brace game
somewhere, consolng himself with the
idea that he had been sitting on the
wrong side of the layout before.
/ ~ suppose the play will end with the
! gambler reformed. Look out for reformed
| gamblers; they'll do you"
.sWhat do you say to having drink?"
! And few moments thereafter the war
sutler, who is an admirer of the drama,
addressed Brucker's bartender:
"What, no, there two foaming beakers
for me and me friend! A flourish of
trumpets.l The king drinks 10 Hamlet" +"
The Success of woman's Will.
With what calm assurance and malice
aforcthought will a woman, who in soci-
ETY. and at home is the personification OF
unselfishness. crowd and push her way
| into the line of impatient business men
drawn up in front OF the stamp window
at the postoffice. The defiant attitude as
sumed by her in wedging her
self into the line near the
head, treading on the toes
of the unfortunate man who presumes to
question her right there, is sufficient to
accomplish her purpose. She has made
up her mind to brook no delay I'm getting
her stamps, and as one business
man said this morning, as he carefully
nursed two aching toes, "when woman
starts out to do anything she does IL.
Why IL the women of Providence made
up their minds that si0,OOO,0OO passenger
station was necessary here, they would
have IL in short order"
He Saved His Pipe.
A man stood in front OF the Doyle monu-
| mcnt this mornfnp nj an early hour gaz-