The San Francisco call., 1896-02-02

dehbly impressed in the players mind,
and the hope OF a recurrence has been as
disastrous alike TO the youths and grown
men of this State as the worst implements
for gam bling that have been prohibited by
police regulations.
1t is almost an axiom that a man play
ing faro-bank for the first time, without
even the knowledge of how to- place his
checks on the layout, will win his wager.
Whether it is that Providence looks out
for the innocents, or some other inexpli-
cable reason, the virgin player luck when
he takes the initiatory degree, is always
a source of anxiety to faro-bank dealers.
1t is only after he has had the first taste
of blood that he is expected to rush in and
lose, yes. keep on losing until some fine
day he has landed himself behind prison
bars.
1t is the same thing with the nickeI-in-
the-slot machines. They are located in
nearly an the saloons and cigar-stores in
the City, eating up nickels as fast as the
'hger" CAN eat up dollars.
1t is a common thing now for clerks in
downtown houses, boys in retail stores
and promenaders along the thoroughfares
TO form pools. They each put in few
nickels and play the machine, expecting
to win at least an equivalent in drinks
and cigars to the investment.
1ue pidyeTS always pear IN nina some
previous winning, and forget entirely the
subsequent lusings, and they go ahead.
The machine whirls around thousands of
times daily, and the saloon man or cigar
dealer sits back in happy contentment
from the knowledge that he has all the ad-
vantages and cannot but quit winner.
The desire for playing these machines
has become so great that in most of the
ale houses of this City the players have
found it necessary to place their winnings
to their credit, or else take tickets or metal
checks emitting them to drinks at some
future time. 1t is not that the winnings
/ are so great as compared to the number of
nickels dropped in the slot, but that the
gambling interest being once aroused the
player keeps on feeding the machine hop
ing for some good stroke of luck which
will bring to him tickets enough to off,
stand the money expended. Seldom, if
! ever, this occurs and the player finds
/ himself overwhelmingly out of pocket, but
with tickets galore which he must pack
around or fill himself and friends up with
/ beverages undesired at the time.
In every way these nickel-in-the-slot
machines are against the public good,
and, strange to say, while they were
gathered in, confiscated and broken up by
the police year ago, they are now per-
mltted TO run everywhere with open doors
and unmolested.
The craze for this kind of gambling has
sbecome so great that the handlers of the
machines are braZen in their methods of
dealing with their customers. They put
Np head cards with alluring prizes.
Free Drinks" or "Free Cigars in big
tblack letters top the quantities that may
be won.
In some saloons four quarts of cham
pagne are given If the player secures a
royal flush. That appears to be very
tempting. A straight flush wins one quart
| of champagne, and four aces one pint of
champagne. For these same hands in the
isro otation mentioned 100, so and Is cigars
tare given to the successful player From
these top hands down to a pair of aces
drinks or cigars are dispensed in accord
/ ance with the proprietor's Judgment of
/ the value of the hand.
If these little machines only were
straight and honest, and the player had a
fair chance of winning an equivalent of
the money ne invests, one element of
wrong would be removed. But such is
not the case. When the machines were
introduced here short time prior to the
Mjdwinter Fair, they were comparatively
new and as fair as such game could pos
sibly be. Since then, however. like in
many other things success brought about
greed for more.
Like the man of the golden egg
story, the machine handlers were not
satisfied with their rich harvest, and they
/ have doctored their games so that at this
! time the goose is being killed.
1t seems superfiuous to describe the ma
chine. In its ordinary appearance it is
already well known, but few people ex-
cepting the owners know of its inside
workings. In fact. the proprietors of the
establishments where they are in operation
find it judicious to make some excuse in
not acquies cling to the request of Gus
! toner to see the inside works.
The reason is obvious to anyone who has
! investigated the affair. 1t is composed OF
five little cylinders or drums, on each of
which are ten cards. This makes fifty
cards in all, or two less than complete
deck. Hence, these two missing cards are
! an element against four of kind coming
! out at all times. and lessening the players
chances in making even pair or three of
! kind in the two missing suits. But this
! is only a small matter.
1t is in the distribution of the cards on