The Washington times., 1901-08-04

| pool formed on the number of miles
reeled off by the ship during the day
There are many kinds OF pools ir
vogue, but the coDmonest are the hat
and auction pools. The object in all
of them is. of course, to get by your
luck or by your superior knowledge
the number representing the days run
If a hat pool is for ned there are only
the numbers from to 40. The num-
bers are sold, and the lucky man is
ne who gets the number with which
| the figure of the days run terminates
For example, if the days run has been
4ss, the lucky man is the one who
draws the s.
| The auction pool is slightly different
| The possible run of The vessel can be
| guessed within certain limits, say With
| in fifty miles. These fifty numbers are
| sold Just as the numbers of the hat
| pool are sold, for, say, 81 each In the
middle of the forenoon those who have
taken chantes in the pool and others
who are interested, assemble in the
smoklne-room, and an auction is held.
The numbers are put up and auctioned
OFT, the original holder of the numLer
| having the option of buying it in at
half the amount of his bid The entire
proceeds of the auction go into the pool
and the lucky man has, as a rule, some
what over 800 TO put in his pocket.
The crowning occasion of the Whole
trip is the taking on of the pilot, and
any number of wagers centre around
him. There is usually formed a pcol
on the probable hour, and one upon the
minute of his arrival. His boat is usu-
ally one of a certain registered number.
and that number is, OF course, made
the subject of a pool. Side bets as to
rail and the foot he will put IN the |
bottom of the ladder, the c.',or .. Lis |
eyes and hair, and even his age an
the number of children he has ar. pen
tiful among he pas;ensa-s
AT the bottom If al tie p1Gls and
other organized kinds Il gambling is
the smoking room steward, who is al
ways active among the male travellers,
soliciting them to take chances in the
pools. His activity is by no means dis
interested. for unwritten rule pre-
scribes that he shall be a sharer in ali
winnings at least TO the extent of the
Scriptural tenth. When the pool runs up
into the hundreds, as it frequently does
on the larger vessels, his portion is
quite fat one. To these main kinds of
gambling which take up the time and
occupy the minds of the passengers,
might be added any number invented
by the passengers and popular during
4 single trip. Nearly everyone is badly
bitten by the gambling fever on ship
board, and any method of exchanging
money on chance if it, has any novelty I
n it at all is bound to be popular. d.
Not all the gamblers are found on ,
he main deck among the first cabin {
passengers. Probably the most invet- !
rate of the entire boatload of people
ire in the steerage. The steerage is {
Usually composed of Italians, Syrians.
IT Germans of low type, who are 7
'Vermueh given to gaming on shore. I
y men they are cooped up on the mar 6
ow decks of ship they give them I
elves up 10 their weakness without re-
traint, every greasy old pack of cards l
nat can be found is pushed into ser I
ice. and becomes during the whole c
mp, the centre of an earnest group of q
len, who are lingering piles of copper =
nd small silver coins. Such an ex- b
remely old-fashioned game as Lotto" a
III sufhce to occupy a dozen or eight L
en- men during whole week or ten S
ays. =. .lou sa5...a % a s7 h
a ra cir TO Z
nd IL is In the steerage that the sor- d
ows are the most prominent. Many Il
n enigrant has landed penniless in h
he United States because he has gam s.
led away the few silver pieces he le
Fought with him as the founda- Of
on OF MS fortune in the new land. For ii
rs reason many steamship companies II
rbid gambling among the steerage a.
issengers, though the prohibition is h
ost difflcult to enforce. On the upper Il
Eek, also, too ardent men find them OF
ives much crippled in finance. and F
leir proposed trip much curtailed be- lie
iuse OF excesses at the green baize Sc
Die. of the professional gamblers on III
'ard ships, who are supposed to spend il
eir time going from one side of the m
can to the other, fleeing the unsus- al
citing blythe way" there is not in
uch to be said. There are probably oU
me. but not SC many as rumor would I'll
EN- 10 indicate. A mans profession ri
Id social standing are too easily dis DR.
Vered on shipboard for professional til
arpers TO remain long undetected. 1t ae
the business of the smoking room
eward to see that everything in his Gu
ON is conducted properly, and smok- ce
room stewards are usually smok- tn
9 room stewards because they are yo
eVerer than the average. Whatever tt
iy be said for or against gambling on Oh
ipboard. 1t is practically always ION AT
G square" da
A PRINTERS ERROR. -,