Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-04-14

meUlDerS may dJleHu Tie RACES, dIu III
the best circles of society in this coun.
try to-day are many hundreds OF pro.
fessedly respectable men who are &C.
knowledged gamblers.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in
this land are every day won and lost
through sheer gambling. Says u trav-
eler through the west: ~ have trav-
eled 900 miles at time upon the
western waters, and seen gambling at
every waking moment from the COM
mencement to the termination of the
Journey" The southwest of this coun-
try reeks with this sin. In some of those
cities every third or fourth house in
many of the streets is II gaming place,
and it may be truthfully averred that
each OF our cities is cursed with this
evil.
Men wishing TO gamble will find
places just suited to their capacity, not
only in the underground oyster-cellar,
or Mt the table back Of the curtain COW
cred with greasy cards, or in the steam
boat smoking cabin, where the bloated
wretch with rings in his ears deals out
his pack, and winlts on the unsuspect-
ing providing free drinks all
around-butin gilded parlors and amid
gorgeous surroundings This sin
works ruin, first, by providing an
nnhealthful stimulant. Excitement is
pleasurable. Under every sky and in
every age men have bought 1t. We
must at times have excitement. A
thousand voices in our nature demand
1t. 1t is right. 1t Is healthful. 1t Is
inspiriting. 1t is desire God-given.
But anything that first gratifes this
appetite and hurls it back in terrific
reaction is deplorable and wicked.
Look out for the agitation that, like IA
rough musician, in bringing out the
tune plays SO hard he breaks down the
instrument! God never made IL man
strong enough to endure the wear and
tear of gambling excitements.
A young man having suddenly in
herited large property, sits at the
hazard tables, and takes up in dice
box the estate won by fathers life
time sweat, and shakes 1t and losses it
away. lntempcrancc soon stigmntizes
It's victim, Kicking him out, IA slavering
fool, into the ditch, or sending him,
with the drunkard's hiccough, stagg err
ing up the street where his family
lives. But gambling does not in that
way expose its victims. The gambler
may be eaten up by the gamblers pas
sion, yet you only discover it by the
greed In his eyes, the hardness of his
features, the threadbare coat and his
embarrassed business Yet he is on
the road to ruin, and no preachers
voice, or startling warning, or wife 3
entreaty, can make him stay for mo-
ment his headlong career.
The Internal spell is on him; n giant
isaroused within; and though you bind
him with cables, they would part like
thread, and though you fastcn him
seven times around with chains, they
would snap like rustcd wire; and
though you piled up in his path
lIcavcn-high Bibles, tracts and SER
mons, and on the top should set the
cross Of the Son of God, over them all
the gambler would leap like IL roe over
the rocks, on his way to pcrdition.
"Aceldnmn, the field of blood"
Again, this sin works ruin by killing
industry. A man used to rcaping scores
or hundreds of dollars from the gam
ing table will not he content with slow
work He will say: what is the use
OF trying to make these $50 in my store
when | can make five times that in
half nm hour 10y the dicc?" You never
knew II confirmed gambler who was in
dustrlouS The men given to this vice
spend their time not actively employed
in the game in idleneSs or INVESTIGATION,
or in sleep, or in corrupting new VIC
Tins. This sin has dullcd the car
pcrter's saw and cut the band of the
factory wheel, sunk the cargo, broken
the teeth of the farmers harrow, and
sent n strange lightning to shutter the
battery of the philosopher, The very
first idea Of gaming is ut war with all
the industries of SO 'iety
Any trade or occupation that is of
use is rnnobling The street sweeper
advances the interests of society by the
cleanliness effected. The cat pays for
the fragments it eats by clearing the
house of vcrmin The fly that takes
cup comprnsatcs 10y purifying the air
and keeping bnel, the pcstilencc. But
the gambler gives not anything for
that which he takes recall that SEN
tencc. tie does make II return, but it
IL II disgrace tu the IMAM hr tlcrces, de-
spair to his heart, ruin to his business,
anguish to his wife, Shnmr to his chill
drcn and etcraat wasting away To his
soul. lie pays in tears and blood and
| agony and darkness, an woe.
What dull work is blowing to the
farmer when ia the village saloon in
| one night he makes and loses the value
of II summer harvest, Who will want
20 sell tapes and measure nunliccn and
cut garments and weigh sugar, when
in nights game makes and loses and
loses and makes again and loses again
| the profits OF u scnsoa"
John Ruracl< was sant MS Il mrrcau-
tile agrut from BrcmSu to England and
this country, After two Years his en-.
ploycrS miStrustrd that all was not
| N.,,r H., o. .ANA