Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-05

paper friend saw the sign "Chautauaua"
above door across the street, and I said
pay my respects to the members of the
circle. A queer smile came over the news
paper mans features as he said:
"All right. I am member Of that Chau-
tauqua, and will introduce you" We en-
tered narrow hall. through one door of
which could see into saloon where at
least 800 men were gambling. We passed
this and went upstairs and stopped before
door which was closed. II have a key"
said my newspaper friend, as he opened
the door with night key and let me into
large parlor on the tables of which were
papers from all parts of the world. I saw
copy of the Cosmopolitan Magazine, a
iarper's Weekly and the Chautauqua
Magazine. and next to them lay a copy of
the Police Gazette. Before I could realize
how the latter came to be taken by
t'emanly young man, with brown
mustache and cold blue eyes, came in.
was introduced to him as the manager of
the Chautauqua. He gave me words of
10 step into the next room. 1 did so, and
l there saw the biggest and most popular
social circle in Cripple Creek. 1t was
literary circle to some extent, and its
members were hard at work. They sat
about little tables, each with several leaf
let's in his hand. AS 1 looked 1 saw that
the leaflets were Illustrated. They were
covered with red and black spots and with
pictures of kings, queens and knaves. 1t
was poker chautauqua, and the chips
On the table represented many dollars. In
another part of the room was what
thought at my first entrance an object
lesson class standing around what seemed
to me to be model of Jerusalem or some
ancient city. The professor sat down as
ne lectured l drew nearer. The profess
sor was a crOupier and the wheel he was
turning was not model of Jerusalem. but
that which has lost so many greenhorns
SO much money in the game Of roulette
The scholars were the players. and the
money on the table showed me that the
game was high one young fellow
from Philadelphia came into this Chau-
tauqua one night. He had but a few dol
lars, but he began to bet on the red and
black. Luck was in his favor and he
doubled his stakes. He left the money on
the table. changing 1t from one color to
the other now and then. 1t was doubled
again and again until he had at last won
$4,000 This was ali the cash The bank
had on hand. The crouper stopped the
game and went out and got $4,000 He
brought this in and dared the young gam
bier to put up his $4,000 on a single turn
OF the wheel and to double it or lose. The
fhlladelphian, however. replied that he
mad got enough and that he did not care
to play any longer. He took his money
off with him to lose it, in all probability
in some future game. The majority of the
gamblers lose in the end. The percentage
In every game played here is in favor Of
the bank. and the most of the games are
SWindles out and out.
In the Cripple Creek Jail.
And still Cripple Creek is In some re-
spects an orderly town. You can keep out
OF all this vice if you will, or If you cult
vate it too much 1t may possibly land you
In jail. There are better jails than that Of
Cripple Creek. The visit 1 paid to the
prison was just before the fire. The mar
shall took me to the police station a build
ing which looked for all the world like the
tower of a windmill boarded up. We
passed through this and at it's back, in a
little shed, | found the jail. There We're at
least dozen prisoners, who We're Gagged
up like so many wild animals. The whole
twelve were kept inside of an iron frame
work made of two-nch bars crossed like
lattice work and bound together so as
to form two tiers CT cages. and so that
you could look through all of the cages at
once. Each cage just about high
enough for man to stand upright within
it, and each contained from two to three
men. There was no chance for seclusion
or privacy for any All We're housed
in together. an a burglar and a murderer
slept side by side with two foolish drunken
boys who had raised row at a dance hall
the other night.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.