The San Francisco call., 1895-12-13

Jackman g. Co., and number of others of
the same ilk transact business, is crowded
to the doors. The crush of boys, girls,
young and old men is such that there is
dang er of overwhelming the first floor. 1t
is certain that the Fire Marshal, should he
devote an hour to inspect the building
any afternoon excepting Sunday, when
the dens are not running, would station
deputies at the various entrances to pre-
ven t the masses from not only endanger-
ing their own lives but the lives of the peo-
pie in the stores below.
These poolrooms are openly violating
the Ellert ordinance, which prohibits
gam bling on races outside the inclosure
where the races actually occur. They
claim that they are merely commi ssion
brokers and that they place the money
laid with them with the bookmakers at
bility. They set the odds long before they
are penciled at the track and wagers are
accepted up to the time each race is
started.
They have absolutely no telegraphic or
other communication with Ingleside and
they depend solely upon the regular pool
houses for their post odds and the result
of the races.
In connection with this it may be stated
that there is no time during the afternoon
when it is safe for child, woman or in
valid to walk Ellis street from Market to
Powell The touts and messengers who
do duty for the deadfalls station them
selves in the rooms of the regular houses
and await returns. The moment it Is
flashed over the wires that such and such
horses have come in first and second,
these messengers start on the dead run to
their respective joints to announce the
fact. They pile through the crowd, blind to
the of rights everybody else, knocking and
humping into those people in their road,
each fellow doing his utmost to get there
first
At night the majority of the games close
their doors. The s'Crescendo Club" how
ever, at IL Ellis street, never closes. In
this establi shment conducted by one Jack
Bauman, a wager on coming race may
be made at any time. What is called lover
night" books are made. In other words,
wagers may be made tonight for the races
tomorrow. Bauman, therefore, must make
the odds himself, as there Is no possible
way for him to know in advance what the
odds will be on the morrow. There is no
commission business in that, it is purely
and simply gambling outright. This is
what the ElIert ordinance was intended
for-to stop downtown gambling on races
still the Crescendo Club exists and
thrives.
But 1t is worse than that, even. 1eSter-
day CALL artist and reporter visited the
place and saw boys of 10 years up to 70
mixing in with the throng. They were
cursing and fighting TO wedge their way
into the room where they wagered their
coin on the races. To be sure, they did
not have much money to gamble with;
but in the Crescendo Club 25 cents is the
minimum wager accepted. There were
messenger-boys in uniform, errand: boys
for various stores, who had stopped for
while with packages while on their way
to make a delivery. Women, young and
old, pushed their way to the front, caring
little for the foul language heard on all
sides. Some of these females, less brazen
than the others, remained on the sidewalk
and gave their money to boys who, 1or
slight percentage. placed it for them with
the booksellers.
The spirit of gambling engendered by
this open violation of the law is spreading.
There is a little newspaper vender named
Willie who plies his trade at Lotta's foun-
tain. He sells the morning papers until
the time the poolrooms open; then he
visits the gambling dens, gets the entries
and the odds and makes a little book OF
his own. The other lads around the foun-
tain vie with each other in plunglng,. and
Willie, like his elders. takes the bets,
issuing tickets and redeeming them when
they call for winners. OF course, as may
be expected, Willie only takes small bets,
10 or 15 cents being his limit, but, just the
same, he is doing commission brokers"
business as legitimate as that conducted at
9O6 Market and II Ellis streets.
Willie has not yet 'Welched" like
Fleming & Co. and Bauman OF the Cres-