The Washington herald., 1907-03-25
..Where.s the eamblin. go,

Where's the gamblin' boat?'
This was a much-used expression yes
terday along Alexandgias water front
among the hundreds of Washingtonians.
clerks. mechanics. and dozens of others
of TIE various handicrafts. all anxious
for play at one or more Of the different
games on the fulI-hedged gambling boat
that is in operation just below the old
Virginia town and out in tile middle of
the Potomac.
All day Yesterday it was a battle of
the man sf toll against mechanism and
the brain of experience. When the days
receipts We're counted late last night, or
rather this morning. the man with the
brain and his machines. the owner Of
the gambling boat. was the winner. This
morning the clerk and the tradesman will
start in on another week for his Sstur-
DAY night envelope, 10 be squandered
again next Sunday. and at the same place
and in idenueally the same manner.
Yesterday was the second day Of the
season for the gambling boat 1t opened
With a fiourshing business, as usual on
the previous Sunday.
Nieknamed the Ark"
The gambli boat in reality is a scow.
15J feet in length and 80 feet wide. Il is
known among the patrons as the ark"
on the inside, below the water line. is one
long room with the tables, the lookouts,
and the gamblers. Not a card was in
sight yesterday. all the games being
played without them. There was one big
game of keno, two of hazard, which is
something like the 'old army game. and
the OmnipTesent roulette table.
Il Is an easy matter to reach the ark.
A tugboat is always ready to take the
man with the desire to the den only d
few blocks away, and beyond the reach
of the authorities, it is said. No charge
is made for 'ferrying" one from the
Alexandria wharf to the gambling scene
OF the great games The charge. il
seems is included in the percentage Of
your play. All day the tug runs back
and forth with its little loads of ever
ANXIOUS men. all eager and anticipating
great winnings. and also with the man
who has lost his ali.
The crowd both ways is interesting in
the extreme. In most cases the tide has
changed when the man comes on deck
and looks Tor the boat 10 return him TO
y
has changed The look of expectation. Of
anxiety and longing has wilted. His
money is gone He wants to get on
land again. home among his friends. and
away from the place where he lost his
money without so much as a thank you
All Look Alike.
But as he steps aboard the tug and
looks wonderingly back at the steady old
ark. he is not alone, There Is another be
side him. perhaps younger or older. whose
frame Of mind is exactly the same And
on the other side of the man. and in fact
al around him. are the ones who were so
anxious only an hour or so before.
The game at the ark is strictly a work
ingman's game. except for the gamblers
themselves. And the majority of the
players are Woodworking men. laborers.
many Of them. as is evidenced by the
sight of their hands, rough and calloused
but trained TO their actions in the game
of chance that they have been looking
forward TO.
Alongside the man with the hard hands
is the clerk with the soft fingers. Ten
cents at a time their hard money! flows
10 the same end and in the same direc-
tion.
Keno the Attraction.
Beer in small bottles is sold on the ark
as an addition to the so-called attractions
OF the place. Sandwiches. small for the
money may also be purchased by the
patrons But the feature Of the new gam
bling den, and the principal revenue-ob-
tainer for the owners, is the keno game.
Yesterday six tables, covered with their
thousands of little black buttons. and from
sixteen TO twenty men at each table We're
all crowded. stu more patrons. so anx-
fous 10 play the game they could not wait
for a seat, had arranged temporary