The herald., 1897-08-15
THE Development OF CATALINA |SLAND|
Fair Avalon Is Taking on Some Metro
politan Vices

cares to speculate on the eventual har-
west?
1t is not in the least my purpose to
moralize on the evils of gambling, but
1 do wish to point out to the Avalon au-
thorities that the game is not worth the
candle; that these practices will result
in destroying the wholesomeness OF the
resort will spoil their season; will put
parents on their guard against Catalina,
and will finally be an instrument for the
cutting of the throats of those most
concerned.
1t may be we'll to give some definite
instances, some of which are really COM
ical, of the sort Of thing that is going on
every day in this respect. l know of one
boy who lost $50 shooting craps, who
borrowed $40 more from a friend and lost
all that with the exception of 81 so, which
he prudently intrusted to another friend
to enable him to get home IL, he still lost,
solemnly enjoining this second friend
not to let him have this last sum however
much he begged for it. His vacation was
cut short by ten days and he is now
sweating back in his office to enable him
| to repay his loan.
Five boys, all in the same boat, having
| lost every cent they had, liked upon
novel and amusing scheme to raise the
wind The genius of the quintet con-
cocted a tale of woe about his having
been out sailing and unfortunately run
ming down a rowboat cutting 1t In two,
and having to pay the damages The let
ter was carefully copied by each OF the
other four and sent to the parents OF
| each.
| Such instances, thoroughly authenti-
Gated. might be multiplied but there is
positively no doubt that the Catalina
gambling rooms haye been poorly pat
ronized, by men, but we'll and constantly
supplied with young suckers ,---'-
| One would have supposed that the
Banning Bros, the proprietors OF the
island, would have been able to control
| this vice; indeed, would never have al
| lowed it to start Whether they ina gne
that it is impossible to have a popular
summer resort without such attractions
it is impossible to say, but their very
distinct policy of non-interference and
indeed of countenancing the innovation
does indicate that they are not partic-
ularly desirous to do anything but wink
at it.
The two principal gambling centers
are the Sugar Loaf saloon and the Island
Buffet, and the presiding genius of them
! both is belevedt to be Fred Kellogg. The
former saloon Is owned by John Bloesser
and is run by William Bloesser, who is
also the tax collector of Avalon. The
gambling rooms are shut off from the
saloon by a partition with couple of
entrances thereip. Here Is complete
roulette outfit, wheel and table, and two
tables for that insidious pastime known
as shooting craps With. Kellogg is
associated Jack Wooley, man named
| Glowney and well organized band OF
cappers and Steerers. Among the cap
pers are several prominent citizens OF
I Ene Island Buffet which peIongsr ro7 e
p. Whitley, is leased to Ben Rosin who
in turn sublets portion of the saloon for
| CLUB rooms" to the aforesaid partners,
| Kellogg presiding at the Sugar Loaf and
Jack Wooley at the Island Buffet Here,
again, are the roulette table and the
crap games, both we'll patronized, but
not, perhaps, byssuch a tony set as the
Sugar Loaf. ~ ~
| At the Seal Rock, the third saloon on
Crescent avenue, there is only a little
percentage game of poker, which is ta-
ken care of by couple of shrewd lite
Portuguese. The Seal Rock was built
by the Bannings a couple of years ago
and is run by Tom Matthew'S wfth'whom
is associated Bill Muggrage, both of
whom by the way ARE deputy consta-
bles and sworn to maintain law and or
der.
Besides these dens, for they are really
nothing more, run wide open all day
and all night at whatever hour an oppor-
tunity of catching a sucker arises, nickel
in the slot machines are as thick in Ava
Ion as they are on Spring street, Los An
geles, and the majority of them are run
openly in direct defiance of the law
which forbids payment in cash.
Such is an honest and unprecedented
statement of the gambling conditions as
they exist today a Avalon, such as any
one can see and learn for himself 1t is
for the Bannings to decide whether they
think such an outfit of organized gam
blers is credit to their island. In JUS
tice to them, however, it should be
pointed out that both the Sugar Loaf
and the Island Buffet are private prop
erty. d.
All these games are absolutely illegal,
including the percentage poker run a
the Bannings' own saloon, the Seal Rock
Any citizen can if he choose shut up the
whole outfit in twenty-four hours 1t
is the Bannings' duty to so choose. Will
they do it? r. H. c.