Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-08-27

Long ljfdHcnt ~. D., AhS. Go.- ne
roulette wheels are whirling, the faro
boxes are emitting fortune and misfor-
tune, the cards are shulIiing, the foun
tains are playing, electric lights are
gIittcrng, fine suppers are eaten and
the sleek coated tiger is crunching
away at his victims,
A short time ago many people consid-
cred this place to be as dead as Julius
Caesar. They reached this conclusion
because 1t was authoritatively, judi
cially, officially firmly and vigorously
stated by the officers of Monmouth
county, state of New Jersey, that gamb-
ling would not be permitted this sum
mer The sheriff made public what ne
would do If any one attempted to run
u gambling house, the district attor-
ney pictured the dismal fate Of the
owners Of the gambling house, and Che
sentencing Judge dlatcd upon the mag
ntude Of the punishment which would
descend upon the heads Of the people
brought before him charged with run
ming a gambling house. This was a
month and half ago.
Today four of the finest gambling
palaces in the country are wide open
and the tiger Is growing fatter every
hour. Times may be hard throughout
the length and breadth Of the land, but
the habtations of the striped beast
seem secure against the encroachmenls
of tight money. Enough coin is wag-
cred in these four places each night to
start national bank. But the mum
Der of visitors to the lairs Is not as
large as in former years and the pro-
priclors can tell glib stories Of the hard
times, just like any one else. They are
not losing money by any means, but
where they made $1,000 five years ago
they make 500 now, and they are
glad to get it.
Until within the past few weeks
none of them imagined that they could
safely open their doors to players. Just
what produced the Kaleidoscope
change in the official mind of Mon
mouth county is a matter of conjecture,
but it was probably the immense inllu
ence welded in local affairs by the
owners Of the gambling houses. These
latter are the Pennsylvania club,
owned by Phil DAILY; the Long Branch
club, owned by John DAILY; the New
York club, owned by William l.. FitH-
gerald, and the Ocean club, owned by
the genial and cultured doc" Slater,
the friend of many an old-time Wash
inpton statesman, and Il man who re-
CARDS the conduct Of IA gambling house
as responsibility as sacred as that
solid, substantial men, who would no
DAILY, Phil naly and Doc Slater, are
Of managing savings bank.
In fact, three of the four mon, John
more risk the danger of arrest than
the head of n great mercantile institu-
ton would w. l. Fitzgerald, the
owner of the fourth house, is practically
II newcomer in the field compared with
the others, but he was brought up In
a gambling school where the lin IS
were drawn fair and square. For
many years he was the manager of Phil
Days Pennsylvania club, and he fol
lows faithfully in the footsteps of til 1t
NtlNlIll. Nll lblll IolllN' lNSh' dH'l
came to some arrangement with the
local authorities. One of the details Of
this is that no native of The Branch
can play in the palaces. This same
rule prevails at Monte Carlo. and If any
of the subjects Of that tiny principally
attempt to break II they are placed in
ian for a suitable term
In former years the native could en-
ter and play any of the games of
chance with the same freedom afforded
the visitor, but now he can only stand
In the rravelcd walks outside and kick
his heels against the fence, while
huunrrng for a taste of the pleasures
Within
II these four houses had been kept
closed this summer $500, 00N worth OF
property would have been idle That
IN Il conservative estimate of the com
hncd Value of the real cstutc, buildings
and furnishings, and the latter repre-.
scuts more than half OF he total,
Phil Daly's house is the best known
Of the four. aud it also has the best
location for Turing the uuwary. 1t i
located ON the line between Elheror
and Long Branch, the most rashionabl,
spot OH tile Jersey coast The grca
white structure. with its green blinds
yinc-coycred vorandas and glide,
domrs, Is in the center Of a garden
GORGEOUS with splashing ountai Is
symmetrical hedges, vCNrty grass
Hover covered bushes and rare plants
There are two main entrances On'
lead, into the restaurant hall and TIL,
other. after a short turn to the right
loads into tho great dimly lighted sa
loon where groups of men arc scat
tered about, each group representing
eithrr a faro or roulette layout II
man las anything 70 say here he say
il iii 4 whisper The carpets are s.
thick and soft that football cannot b
heart Tho only sound IS the dealer.
Voice au occasional rattle ~ chips Thu
whirl ef the roul lite wheel ana tn
rIater 81 the marble % Il sNJttlN w
ylrs the little grooves
rhcre has heen no heavy hetung Il