Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-06-15
WOMEN AS GAMBLERS


ESPECIALLY FOR THEIR USE.
A Reporter Visits the Place and Describes
the Manner In Which It 10 Run-How
They Feverishiy Ego the Ticker.
A full fledged establishment on the fifth
floor Of building on lower Broadway,
fitted out In the regulation manner, the
ticker telling of the market quotations,
group Of excited women gathered In the
room discussing fluctuations like expert
enced speculators, conversation on the
variations of points" and remarkable
familiarity with every phase Of the stock
report-such was the scene witnessed
Saturday afternoon.
Most of the women were Of middle age,
several were young, two were decidedly
old, but all were posted, or thought they
were on the investments they were SO
feverishly watching. That they were reg.
ulars" was evident at a glance, the fas-
cination OF the game holding them month
after month, although IL is seldom they
make as much as $40 per day, oftener
clearing, as one Of them said, anywhere
from 7b cents to % or s8."
The woman reporter who obtained en-
trance was closely questioned by the man
ager before he would admit her.
What can 1 do for your suavely asked
the manager.
II should like to try little Investment
on the exchange" replied the reporter.
"Are you an experienced handf" he
asked, with keen look.
"Not very"
"Have you ever tried anything Of the
kind beforeP''
"No"
81 thought so. would not advise you
TO try 1t. 1t is very risky business without
experience.
81 do not intend to invest today. /
merely came up to look into 1t little.
know some of the leading officials of the
Louisville and Nashville and Of the Chica-
60, Rock Island and Pacific, and shall
get inside pointers for my investment be-
fore try anything"
"In that case," said he, "it Is different.
You may be able to do very well II you
can get such pointers as those, so you
might as well get whatever Information
you want. just 60 in the other room
there, and the ladies will tell you all about
1t. They understand all the transactions.
There was nothing particularly attract
i've either In the women's room or in the
appearance of its occupants. The stock
ticker stood by the one window; which Is in
the court directly opposite the window of
the mems Office. In the opposite side of
the room from the ticker was a black
board, where an elderly woman In black
dress chalked down the quotations as they
were read from the ticker by three women,
who read It's enigmatical signs as readily
as II 1t were a primer exercise. Every
woman in the room carried q small tablet
and a lead pencil and covered page after
page with small tables Of figures which
they seemed to consult with the greatest
satisfaction.
The questions Of the manager were al
most duplicated by the women, who look
ed significantly at each other when the
tips from the prominent railroad officials
were mentioned. A vivacious blond shook
her head gayly and laughed outright.
lyon will be In great luck" she said.
"When you get your pointers, come right
mp here and use them, but be sure you get
them right. 1t Is my opinion that II you
study this thing for about I, 900 years you
may know something about It. don't
and never will. The worst Of 1t all is that
there is no logic or judgment or anything
else possible In this as far as can see
1t is nothing but luck or fate and very
small rewards
"Could buy something with s5r' ask
ed the reporter.
A laugh in unison went up from every
woman who heard the question.
II should say" said a woman on the
reporters right as soon as she recovered
comparative gravity, "that it Is not safe
to advise anybody to go in at all for less
than $780,"
What are the investments of you ladies
today" asked the reporter.
II am In sugar and st. Paul." said the
blond
Mine is sugar and gas, said middle
aged woman on the reporters right.
II have sugar and whisky" quietly said
a good looking and well dressed woman
on the reporters left.
II bought sugar at 1887 this morning."
said the blond, land / want to catch the
bulge at 1893"
How are you on your stock nowP"
asked the reporter Of the quiet woman on
her left presently.
II am ahead on sugar, but not on whis-
KY" replied the woman.
"You may not get your cocktail to-
night" said the blond.
"You don't look as II you knew much
OF this sort Of thing. What sort Of luck
do you have as a ruler
In what wayf''
"Why, In betting or in chance games Of
any kind. Don't you play pool or policy
or poker or bet on the races or anythingP"
The World woman recalled an unfortu-
nate bet on horse race.
II think 1 am unlucky," she said. "At
least / cannot win on horse races, and
know only very little about poker"
Now" said the blond confdentially,
"do you know think that II you are un-
lucky at the races and at cards that your
luck may be just here. You know you
can't have bad luck in everything, and
you're bound to strike 1t just right some
day."
That's true" said the quiet woman.
have better luck here than have at
cards.
Il have better luck at poker than here"
said the woman at the blackboard.