The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-01

against a sailor or marine for gambling
the man must be discovered red-handed
in the act of either passing or receiving
morey from one or the other of the men
with whom he is playing. Thoroughly
aware of this, the men have devised a
simple plan to meet it. They play on
credit, adjustments of all outstanding OBJ
legations to be made at the wind-up of the
game. 1t is done in this way.
Man-of-Warsmen are permitted to play
cards at any time when the smoking
lamp" is lit. The smoking lamp is an oil
lantern, open to one side, which is hung
generally at the break of the forecastle
for the use of the men in lighting their
pipes. 1t is lighted by the corporal of the
marine guard, at the command of the OIL
ficer of the deck, at all meal hours. and
when the boatswain's mate pipes knock
off work" at the close of the afternoon.
The lamp is for the use of all hands for
ward, for enlisted men are forbidden 10
carry matches in their ditty boxes. At
any time that this smoking lamp is LII,
then, the men may do as they please In
the way of recreation, including the play
ing of cards, so long as they keep within
the regulations. Flush after the serving
out of monthly money, the gold burning
holes in the moneybags suspended BY
cords around their necks, they are con-
susned by the desire to get into a little
for whom the book of regulations and the
journey up ito the stick" to be con-
fronted by the commanding officer, have
not yet acquired any terrors, they are
likely to withdraw to one of the empty
coal bunkers, to one of the fire or engine
rooms, or to some obscure corner of the
berth deck, to hazard their earnings. But
if they are sensible and level-headed they
will do no such thing, for the chief mas
ter-at-arms, whose business it is to fer
ret out the gamblers and hale them to
the mast, very often takes 1t into his
head to make a descent upon these Sc.
cluded hooks, where the players, overcon-
fident of their safety, become careless
about the climbing of the coin on the
board before them.
The long-headed ones, on the contrary.
squat themselves down on the main deck
or on the topgallant forecastle, and start
the game going under the glare Of the
sun and of the officer of the deck. II
they are to play poker, two decks Of
cards with the same kinds of backs are
produced. One of these decks is cut in
two. and the halves of cards thus made
serve as chips. A casual looker-on would
fail to distinguish these chips from the
discard, and by this means the most es-
sential feature Of the game, the catter Of
the vari-colored worries, is gotten rid Of
The bankers dishes out the half card
chips to the players, receiving no pay
ment in return. That is all attended to
after the finish OF the game. The chips
are generally worth % cents. The ac-
counts between the banker and the play
ers are accurately carried on both sides
by the mental process, and there is never
any brawling over them-at least, during
the progress OF the game. When a player
runs out OF chips he buys either from
the banker. or II the bankers chips are
also at low ebb, from the more plethoric
pile of another OF the players. The In
iividual accounts between the players,
are, in turn, kept mentally with the
greatest exactness. When the game is
over, which is generally at the last echo