The sun., 1901-03-17
GAMBLING IN SOCIETY.
STORIES CURRENT N NEW YORK About
LOSSES Ar BRIDGE.
Serious Dilemma Of a Man Who Has Lost
$500 -Hostesses who Insisted On Prompt
Payment Young Women Who Have Won
Large sums Newport Yacht Race
FORGOTTEN while Brd dye Was Played.

Forgotten while Bridge Was Played
When the Tranby Croft gambling scandal
attracted attention In Eng and "A decade age
one comm ent on the subject was an expression
Of surprise that even in tho quiet OF country
life persons Of fashion should find gambling
for high stakes necessary to their enjoyment,
and could not finish the evening without re-
tirfnr afte- dinner to the gambling table.
where the diversion might b. baccarat. rou-
lette or any other game OF chance that the
quests enjoy ed most That the present
King OF England should have travelled with
gambling parar hernphH was thought another
evidence OF the seriousness with which this
branch Of their amusement was looked after
by people Of wealth and position
II was said that the exposures which fol-
lowed the Trauby Croft case put for at least
some years a 1uietur on English society
taste for gami2g At all events, attention
was not again attracted to This weakness os
II had been before. and no such criticism Of
English social liie has been heard in recent
years as that wi ich Is just now r~ech ding
from one end Of New York TO the other
For a long time certain houses in New
York have buzzed with gossip concerning
the losses made by this person or that and
tales which seem exaI aI,gerated TO all but those
who know the truth are told OF the mis-
fortunes that have co ne upon this person or
that through devotiNn to the prevailing
passion Of the hour, or at all events through
the devotion OF one pers on TO the game what
ever the individual fes linss may he Of the
man or woman forced by circumstances to
play For II is curious that most of the
stories serious losses refer TO persons without
q knowledge OF the game who have been led
into PLAYING for the convenience OF others
rather tiau from any desire Of their own
10 was year aRo neariv that these stories
Of losses at bridge whist began to be told In
New York. During the summer they came
In greater numbers from Newport and this
season they have res ched the public through
the pulpit and in othG ways less direct In
the accounts Of losses. and occasionally Of
winnings. the names. Of persons con-
spicuous in society FREQ uently occur and. in
deed. most that has be en- told is limited 10
two OF three houses whe e only the most con-
spicuous figures in society gather
Poker has temporarily ,isar pesred in favor
Of bridge whist and even the private roulette
wheels, numerous now in New York. are not
nearly so active in furnis hing entertainment
as they were two or three fears ago Bridge
handed euchre. which has lately become
an absorbing pastire for women but as the
latter game is rarely.i ever played for money
II Ia gambling only in a serse that has never
been seriously condemned
IL il a fact that the poralla rity OF games
Of chance which now prevails has led women
10 gather Ii the afternoon "a they never did
in the past merely to play cards The
limited to twenty-one persons. making three
tables, have supplanted the women's luncheon
A. n means Of social diversion. and have even
had m effect on the afternoon tea, which
has lost IL charm for those who can pass the
afternoon in the more engrossing sport OF
playing for turquoise pin or a silver edged
pocketbook This phase OF the gambling
craze Is not n serious one, however. and is
regarded bv social observers as only sporadic
result Of the more absorbing passion which
has led to serious financial losses
Nothing can give better idea Of the extent
TO which women and men are interested in
bridge whist than some Of the stories now
floating through New York society. The
most serious Of these. and about the latest,
refers TO the case Of n young man who lost
$500 at the house OF a woman whose name
does for religion. He was foolish enough,
or weak enough. to play bridge at this house
one night and to lose $500. This sum. to
his host. was a bsgatelle. and TO the woman
who had asked him TO play Il meant nothing
more But II happened that he was young
man living on an income Of about $4,000 a
year. and keeping close to the limit Of that
His social life required an expenditure Of
Just about as much as he made. and he had
no accumulation in tho bank from which this
loss could DO paid II meant social ruin 10
him to default Probably It can be main
tanned that there Is no need for sympathy
In the case Of any simpleton who CANDLES
with his eyes open and meets with such dis
sster. BIT IL can he said on his side that ne
was.-In a measure under the necessity Of
doing what he was SIX ed TO do by persons 20
whom he was under social obi cations
The money has not yet been paid The
story Is pretty well known and the man, who
has found Il more difficult to raise the amount
than snybody would have supposed il would
be for one OF his acquaintance among people
OF wealth. is Just now the most observed Of
all the young men In his Social set. When
he Is TO pay and what he Is to do under the
circumstances are questions that Interest
ell his acquaintanoes Their interest CON
tinuss great because there is a well founded
belief that the young man himself has not
yet seen his way out Of the difficulty.
II he does not pay hs might as we'll leave
New York. because knowledge Of the affair
has travelled around through his entire circle
OF friends, and he is likely to be known for
the rest Of his life as the loser who didnt I pay.
II. on the other hand. he 4, able 10 raise the
o., 500 his situation II lik ely 10 be embarrassed
financially for some time 10 come In any
case his social career here has about come
To an end
few weeks ago man was asked n dino
at the house OF a woman he had known for
some years a. he knew hfty others in society.
He found eight person there including him
self. and the dinner was briefer than he i'm
sgined IL would be, not knowing that bridge
whist was the real object Of the evenings
gathering. When tho coffee was served
and the men were notified not 10 linger over
II too long a. it was time 10 begin the game.
he declared that his ign rance Of the game
would prevent him from PLAYING vs. ONLY
eight persons were present. it would have
been impossible 10 have the two tables vl0nned
without him. The hostess said 10 would he
impossible w get anybody else. and that
three persons who had come thcrc espe-
cially to play bridge would be deprived of the
pleasure unless he consented
Besides she said. you play whist. and
the rules are very uuCh tho same Wa p,n