The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-02
GAMBLING IN PANAMA.
That Is the One Diversion on the
Canal Strip

SdHat
New York. jan IA correspondent
writing to the Evening Post from Pana-
ma, says:
There is practically no diversion in the
Canal Strip except gambling. OF the
problems which will harass the Ameri-
cans when they commence to dig, this is
worth attention. Mr. Pratt of Pratt &
Seymour holders of the gambling mono
poly. came here fourteen years or so ago
with a light opera company, and never
got away Perhaps theatres may arise
again, and those welcome singing troupes
which wander up and down the South
American coasts once more find it pro-
fitable to put into Panama. But until
the troupes come again. gambling, with
an occasional dance at the Commercial
or International club is the only general
means of recreation-if that is the word.
Everybody CANDLES | was sitting with
a banker the other day when he received
a bag if silver. his winnings at last
weeks lottery drawing. High and digni-
fed and rather straight-laced American
officers. ashore to rest. find nothing to
amuse them except to play the red and
black. In the American colony distinc-
ton as entertainers often goes to the
families which have the most satisfactory
poker game. For the natives and the
very poor there are various games. The
argument for permitting games to the
very poor is the same as that used in
New York regarding Sunday liquor. If
those who have clubs may gamble. why
CHI xxhn olnhs no de-
prived of the sport of rslSing their money
on a chance? There are roulette wheels
open to the street. but It seems that there
are peopl who cannot afford the eight
cent or four-cent chips which are used
upon them.
So Pratt & Seymour lease TO a China
man the privilege of running curious little
games in which four or five cents is
enough capital. till it is lost. One called
Dado. is played with dice. Every time
six and five or double three come up
the banker takes ten cents gold, from
the stakes on the table He mereyl fur
nishes place for the public 10 play, and
acts as umpire. men around the board
play two by two afainst one another for
such wagers as they please Another
Sdilt II nan lplNtlN anu lldll IOuittlt
II is called Lotto. The players have
sheets with numbers pasted upon them.
They chip in four cents each. or eight
cents, as they please, as a pool. The
banker whirls a cylinder containing
numbered cubes and when one drops out
he calls the number. Thereupon each
player places a kernel on his sheet. Ev
cry sheet is differently arranged: and the
game is to get full row of kernels of
corn across the sheet. The first to do it
wins. and the banker takes ten cents
from every dollar in the pool
Pratt & Seymour have been paying
Those who gamble. therefore, lose at
least that much annually, and all told.
women and children, there are but
1900 people in the canal strip. including
the towns of Colon and Panama. The
chances are greatly against the players.
None Carlo has but one zero on its ia
bles while Panama has two. This means
that Monte Carlo exacts for itself. the
house" only half what Panama does.
Besides from five to eight o'clock daily
Monte Carlo plays with the player on
even terms. without a zero. Yet, not
withstanding the chances in their favor,
Pratt & Seymour do not profit greatly
by their monopoly Whether the people
have not the money or whether the very
openness and accessibility of the tables
detract from the fascination, play Is sell
dom high OF Iong-coatinued. 1t fire.
quently closes after two hours for lack
of patrons The coming of 50.e0 people
TO dig the canal is expected 70 change
this condition They viii be away from
home with nothing 10 DO after the daily
labor. and the gambling conceSsionnaires
look for times like these when the French
were here. and officers OF construction
sat by the tables with huSe bags Of sill
yer. sending their servants for more when
luck was bad.
That is. the concessIonnaires had hopes
and expectations Of this sort until night
before last Mr. Pratt went 10 call then
upon DR.. Arnador. Just returned from
Washington.
"All monopoles,' DR.. Amador told him.
except the lottery. must so. \ gambling
monopoly IS especially Objectionable 10
the Americans.
There is yet fear for the concession
70 run # not renewed it does rot fol-
low that gambling viii thereby be sup
pressed That s2noo,a which il has bern
yielding 20 the government would Of
course. do much towards convincing The
police hat quiet gambling" as they