The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-03-18
GAMBLINCSCHEME
Will Require a New Law
to Suppress It.
Insidious Matrimonial Sweep
stakes" Case of From Jest to
Earne3t-FeVer of Venture.

| The Advertiser has been requested
to call the attention Of the Legislature
to new form of gambling that it quite
the vogue here, that is insidious and
demoralizing quite beyond the common
games of chance. This pastime, on
which money is now being risked in
amounts that will aggregate large
sum, is species of lottery, but not so
distinctly model of the great Louis
lana as to come within the prohibition
of either the first or second act of the
Provisional Government. To reach this
innovation a new set will be required.
The game was originated about 10 days
ago by a young man who is quite well
known about town. This individual
cannot be convinced that he is encour-
aging gambling, else he would abandon
all connection with his books" and en-
deavor to induce others to follow him
in leaving a field that he would view
with abhorrance if he appreciated its
true nature.
This is how it happened. Things
were rather dragging at a social gath
ering. Topics for conversation were
exhausted. There had been plenty of
music and number of games had been
mi 1a1 h. bo1
enough about baseball and cycle racing
to be able to ask more questions under
these heads than any other young lady
in Honolulu, inquired if there was ever
any betting on these sports here. Then
the young man who has made a gamb-
Ter of himself, after recovering from the
shock of the idea that struck him, pro-
ceeded to make a book" on the spot.
He called the adventure the 'Matri-
monial Sweepstakes" and said it was a
taking name. The plan was for as
many young ladies as wished to enter
and pay 81 a week, the one married
first to take the whole purse. One of
the starters was deemed to be proper
subject for handicap and was ordered
to be taxed $1.25 week. Two Of the
nominees were of rather tender years
and were let in for six bits each per
week. So soon as any young lady de-
INJURED against entering into the
scheme she was nominated by friend
or admirer or a gentlemen who thought
he had valuable information. The book
is now in full swing. Payments are
made promptly and the interest is at
fever temperature. 1t is an exciting
game. Some side bets have been made
and other books have been opened. In
a certain establishment down town no
less than three books have been OPEN
ed. Some of these down town sweeps"
are rather on the outlaw order for the
reason that the nominees have no
knowledge whatever of the use of their
names. In one or two cases a big row
would certainly follow publicity. The
fellows interested in books are watch
ing not only the young ladies, but
some of the men as we'll There are
we'll grounded suspicious that one of
the men, where book now has several
hundred dollars on hand, proposes to
capture an interest in the money. His
conduct is condemned by all honest
sportsmen and lovers of fair play, but
he maintains that he is putting his
money up without any condition as to
what he will do privately. Two of the
men interested in sweeps have partly
promised to permit use of their names
when their book is out. If they do this,
the public shall know. Meantime the
evil is spreading, and when those who
have money in the scheme are lectured
they will only smile and declare that
they cannot be reached by the law.
Marshal Brown has been notified, but
says he must have a quantity of direct
evidence before he can take up the
| matter