Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-05-13

every waking moment from the COM
mencement to the termination of the
journey" The southwest of this coun-
tryreeks with this sin. In some Of those
cities every third or fourth house in
many of the streets is a 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 at the table back of the curtain cov-
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 winks on the unsuspect-
ing providing free drinks all
around-butin gilded parlors and amid
gorgeous surroundings. This sin
works ruin, first, by providing an
unhealthful stimulant. Excitement is
pleasurablc, Under every sky and in
every age men have bought it. We
must at times have excitement. A
thousand voices in our nature demand
it. 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 a
rough musician, in bringing out the
tune plays SO hard he breaks down the
instrument. God never made 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 q fathers life
time sweat, and shakes it and tosses it
away. lntemperance soon stigmatizes
its victim, kicking him out, slavering
fool into the ditch, or sending him,
with the drunkards hiccough, stagger-
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 S
entreaty, can make him stay for mo-
ment his headlong career.
The Internal spell is on him; giant
is aroused within; and though you bind
him with cables, they would part like
thread, and though you fasten him
seven times around with chains, they
would snap like rusted wire; and
though you piled up in his path
Heaven-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 roe over
the rocks, on his way to perdition.
"Aceldama, the field of blood!'
Again, this sin works ruin by killing
industry. A man used to reaping scores
or hundreds of dollars from the gam
ing table will not be 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 an hour by the dice?" You never
knew confirmed gambler who was in
dustrious. The men given to this vice
spend their time not actively employed
in the game in idleness or intoxcation,
or in sleep, or in corrupting new vic
tins. This sin has dulled the car.
perters saw and cut the band of the
factory wheel, sunk the cargo, broken
the teeth of the farmers harrow, and
sent a strange lightning to shatter the
battery of the philosopher. The very
first idea of gaming is at war with all
the industries of society.
Any trade or occupation that is oil
use is ennobling. 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 vermin, Tho fly that takes
the sweetness from the dregs of the
cup compensates by purifying the all
and keeping back the pestilence. But
the gambler gives not anything fol
that which he takes. recall that sen
tence. He does make return, but il
is a disgrace to the man he ileeces, de
spair to his heart, ruin to his business
anguish to his wife, shame to his chill
dren and eternal wasting away to hi:
soul. He pays in tears. and blood ant
agony and darkness and woe.
What dull work is blowing to tn,
farmer when in the village saloon il
one night he makes and loses the valu,
of a summer harvest! Who will wan
to sell tapes and measure nankeen anC
cut garments and weigh sugar, wher
in a nights game makes and loses anC
loses and makes again and loses agaiI
the profits of a season?
y John Borack was sent as a mercan
tile agent from Bremen to England ant
this country. After two years his EN-
ployers mistrusted that all was no
right. He was defaultel for $S7, 900
1t was found that he had lost in Lom
, bard street, London, $4,000; in Fultol
: street, New York, $4,000, and in New
Orleans, $1,000 He was imprisoned
but afterwards escaped and went int,
the gambling profession. lie died in
lunatic asylum. This crime is gettin,
its lever under many a mercantile
house in our cities, and before lon.
down will come the great establish
! ment crushing reputation, home com
, fort and immortal souls. How it di
( verts and sinks capital may be inferre,
| from some authentic statement befor
us. The ten gaming houses that one
were authorized in Paris passe,
through the banks yearly 325,o00,o 90
francs.
Furthermore, this sin is the sourc
of dishonesty. The game of hazar
! itself is often cheat. How man,
tricks and deceptions in the dealing o
5 the cards! The opponents hand i
7 often found out by fraud. Cards ar
marked so that they may be designate
: from the back, Expert gamblers hav