The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-05

ar uoueer, and somebody else as recorder. |
T.s bidding begins with the lowest num-
.,r- which sell for from 70 TO 20 shiliings.
IH interest increases and the prices adj
vance as they go up in the list until
u4nd 40, which is the mean, the choice
sells Tor a pound or more. Then when peo-
I. nave reached what they think is the
.W. OF the ships speed and won't go
HHY higher the aucCioneer usually pro-
poses 10 sell the choice-that is, a double
.3I upon the winning number-which in
.r.ses the interest and adds two or three
r1Inds more 10 the pool The man who is
FL.Gg to pay the most selects one num-
,r the whole list and his choice is
3gded. Then everybody cashes up and
.ns recorder who holds the stakes an
u1luces that there Is 500 or $3.50 in the
pool. The money IS locked away by the
-uooking-room steward until noon the
r,Nt day, when the run is announced and
,Ue man who has nearest number gets the
pile. If the man who bought the choice
.ap9ened to hit it, the owner of the crigi-
lal number is compelled to divide with
him, and the smoking-room steward al
aays gets liberal tip. sometimes as much
a- S. or $lc.
But this is innocent diversion compared
win the games that used to go on in
former times. Then professional gamblers
and confidence men used 10 make il their
business TO travel back and forth between
New York and Liverpool. They played ali
sorts Of skin games and fieeced the lambs.
OCCASIONALLY some poor victim would
sluedl to the captain and there would be a
scandal, but usually those who were gulled
were too proud to confess IL, and the
gamblers went off with their plumber.
There were several shooting ARRAYS /
was on steamer once when young ac-
tor who had been stripped OF every dollar
he had in the world drew a revolver and
has hot 4
money II bystandeP had not interfered.
ne matter was referred to arbitration.
ihtee other passengers undertook to set
te the dispute, and after hearing state
ments from the players and those who had
Witnessed the game insisted that the win
her should surrender one-half of his gains
which they returned to the actor with an
Injunction not to enter the smoking room
again.
lnese scandals became so common that
ne management put Stop 70 card play
ING The English lines do not allow any
games for money in the smoking rooms.
III the passengers want 10 gamble they
nave 70 so 10 their state rooms. In addi-
uon TO this, notices are posted advising
people not TO play cards with strangers.
ON the ships of the American lone notices
are posted forbidding all games of chance.
out they go on just the same, and il is
long time since a captain has been COM
PEELED 10 interfere. The lights are shut off
at 1850 every night, when the games must
stop, and If there is high p.ayings or hard
words the steward usually reports the fact
TO the captain, who whispers TO the men
engaged, and they don't play any more.
Greater Liberties are allowed on the French
ana German steamers. They never made
any attempt TO stop gambling, and their
passengers are usually able to take care
of themselves.
Several wears ago Vouno man with
more money than sense became involved
IN a game Of poker on one of the English
ships. The first night he won freely and
had big stacks of red and b.ue chips to
cash in when the game closed The sec
ond night he had to play in order to give
his opponents a chance to recover, and
toward the end of the evening lost heavi-
ly. He held good hands, but somebody
else always held better, and he was com
PEELED to go 10 the bank several times AS
fast as he bought chips they were trans
ferred to two pleasant looking gentlemen
who played reck.essly and sympathized
with his losses. When he did win ii was
only a small pot, and nobody else had
anything.
An old gentleman with a long, white
beard, who was down on the passenger list
as Judge Something-or-other from Cali
fornia, had been overlooking the game for
an hour or more when he touched the
Il say, young fellow, let me spell you
for a couple of hands around, just to
change the luck"
The young man was inclined to refuse,
but he noticed curious expression on the
judges face and changed seats with him
to see what would happen. Twice the
judge caught the gentleman on the oppo-
site side on a misdeal. Twice he laid down
his hand on the ground that the wrong card
was given him. Two of the other players
protested, but the judge was very firm
and dignified about it, and wouldn't even
answer their arguments. Three times he
the man opposite him to cut
again, but he always did il in such a quiet
pleasant way that no offsnse could be TAX
en-. Finally he proposed that they play a
round of jack pots and quit. When that
was done, and he showed the chips over,
the young man whose place he had taken
found himself many dollars to the better
He offered to divide the winnings but the
judge only smiled and lighted big cigar
and said.
Put your money in your pocket and
don't ever play with strangers again. Those
chaps are Old acquaintance of mine
met them at Sacramento when / was a
member of the Legislature severay years
ago, and ! know their game.