The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-17
THE GAMBLING FEVER.
Effects of the Races on Youthful
Minds.
From the Washington Star.

From the Washington Star.
Lost on the races and played the
| horses is often stated by way of COM
ment in connection with suicides and
| criminal trials" said a former resi-
! dent OF Washington to a Star reporter,
| and when l see such phrases my
mind reverts to the bitter experience
! through which l passed in this city
some twenty years ago. Thank God
it is but memory now, and though
l am much poorer in this worlds goods
l feel a satisfaction which no money
can give.
You know my son, and what
| promising boy he was; but you ought
to see him now. He was at the time
l speak OF his mothers idOl-and mine,
| too, for that matter-and now he is
our pride and joy but it makes me
shudder when l think of the few
months in which he sowed his wild
cats.
Just as he had reached manhood,
with an education fitting him for the
profession he seemed ambitious to en-
ter as his life work, he fell. l had Sc
cured him a position, and he started
| with every promise of reaching high
rank. Then came the races, and he be-
came infa tuated, soon losing all sight
of his work, and was not long in be-
coming d Well-known figure among
the race people.
In few months his money was
gene and he was broke. Then he COM
menced to borrow from any who would
lend, and give due bills here, there
and everywhere. Not only this, but he
became so much addicted to drink that
he seldom came home sober, and many
and many time l would go out, find
him and bring him home.
Yes, | did more than many a IA
Their would do. More than once have l
taken him from the gutter into which
he had fallen and shouldered him and
carried him to bed. Why, for months
my whole occupation was the care of
my unfortunate boy. His due bills l
took up when | could trace them, and
night after night mother and l sat
up, anMously awaiting his unsteady
steps. His conduct was telling on the
health Of his mother [ could not rest,
my business left me, and the money
we paid to cover his shortcomings
greatly reduced us in circumstances.
we Were not far from being financial
ly wrecked.
Did chide and upbraid him? Did
L take the advice of neighbors and
send him away? No: 1 did neither for
When sober he knew as we'll as 1 did
that he was doing wrong, and when
drunk any advice would make him
worse.
One Redeeming Trait.
My boy" continued the old gentle
man, fortunately had a trait winch
led to his reformation. He was inor-
dlnately fond of hunting, and was a
crack shot. l thought of this. and
at breakfast one morning | dropped a
remark about a desire l had to take a
hunting trip in the Northwest, having
heard that some of my acquaintances
mad already gone into camp to rough
1t. l proposed to join them. The boy
fell into the trap and urged that we go
together.
You may imagine my delight, for 1
saw that should he go his mother
would be relieved of a trial for time
at least and perhaps it might be the
turning point of his life. l played my
part by not seeming too anxious. and
with apparent reluctance agreed to go
and take him. That day he busted
himself in his preparations, and I ask
ed myself as to the feasibility of put
ting the boy to work in the West at
the end of the trip The next day we
started, and in a day or two arrived
at the camp. Here, fortunately, were
some business men, one Of them heav-
| lily engaged in pork packing and when
! we broke camp, finding that my son
| was out of employment, he offered
him a position in his office The boy
| at once accepted and went with him
| to his home and l returned to Wash
| lngton 1t was not long before we
| noticed by the tone of his letters that
! he was devoting himself to the inter
| ests of his employer and that ne APP
| prec1ated his position. He soon recefv-
| ed an advance in salary, and mother
| subsequently discovered that he was
getting interested in a lady boarder
| 1t was not long before ne wrote me
| of this lady, asking my advice as to
| proposing to her. assuring me that she
! was all that he could wish as a help
mate, and inclosed her picture. l was
| so much taken with it that answered
by telegram: Pitch in and win, and
| God bless you
| This he did and but a few weeks
elapsed until the invitation to the we'd
ding came, and then he surprised us
| one evening by entering his old home
with his bride. They spent but a few
hours with us, both being anxious to
return to start housekeeping.
II was very glad the boy had so
| happily married, though my circum-
| stances had so changed that l was
! glad to accept some light employment
| in one of the Atlantic coast cities. In
the course of a few months my wife
| fiftieth anniversary of our wedding, and
discussed how and when we should
celebrate it. When I suggested that
we go and see son, my wife agreed, and
we went informing him of our inten-
| tons.
TE.e Contrast.
1--WE arrived the day before the an
| niversary and soon felt at home-that
| is, we had the range of the house,
which we had just learned was the
wife's contribution, of which fact she
had kept my boy in ignorance till after
the bridal trip.
"At o'clock in the afternoon the din
ing room was opened, and there was a
scene which | had never seen surpass-
| ed, though l have dined al such places
| as Delmonico's. To say we were sur
prised Is mild. You may believe that
we enjoyed the dinner but when the
dessert came / broke down. Before
wife and me were placed gilded choco-
late pigs. and in the mouth of each
was a $50 gold note. When l realized
that it had been but a few short years
that this fine-looking, elegantly dress
ed gentleman who but a few Years be-
fore was on the downward path, fast
running himself and us, had lost all in
| terest in horses and was able with his
fair young wife to set before us such
a dinner for our golden wedding, 1
cried, and l am not ashamed of it,"
A WHOLE STATE ON A SPREE.
BibuIous Celebration of the End OF