The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-26
GAMBLING ON SHlPBOARD.
Idea That Big Liners Are Haunted
by Card Sharps a Myth.
lBrooklyn Eagle.l

The annual crop of tales about profess
sional gamblers on the ocean liners has
been little late in harvest. Roaming
usually occurs in summer
There is much apocrypha in these read
able narratives of adventure on the high
seas IL is well for tenderfeet to avoid
games or any kind with strangers Bill
nards is one of the sports Impossible
aS I ara snip; but it is as likely vehicle
LOT the lmpoStor as are cards.
Playing bridge or poker on shinboard
= always liable TO be attended with an
noyance unless every man or woman at
the taole has been previously known to
S4u ashore s. II you are lucky enough to
WIN, stranger in the party is liable to
accuse you of dishonesty. That means a
Ilght, naturally; a fight in the cabin or
sHoke-room brings upon your head the
censure OF the captain. One must not for
get that- aboard his ship, the captain Is
powerful potentate and has the SUI
preme authority of his government and
its courts behind him. He is vertically an
an rioeI car, if you please.
Ihat gamblers travel abroad is uude-
niable; but that they haunt certain Hn-
ers like wraiths. seeking victims is ridi-
culous: ANY man who is fond of cards
is willing to give up n reasonable amount
or money for the enjoyment of a game
ANY true sport will tell you that there
isn't any excitement known to the hu-
man mind that equals play at the rou-
lette table. Most curious is the fact that
at the moment there's far more enjov-
ment in losing than in winning. Perhaps
that is due to the mad contempt for mon
ey that is evinced. Once the faint of
gambling nOcdlates the blood a player
Is Indifferent whether he wins or loses
l mean while the passion is i'm possession
or the man or the woman. | am not deal
ing with the remorse that may follow
loss that is irreparable or brings in its
train want@ misery and grief The re-
morse attending recovery from an over
Indulgence in alcohol is practically of
the same nature. / have seen men suf-
fer the agonies of the damned. after a
day or two of wild hilarity. A loss of
self-respect has, | imagine, more. to do
with the feeling than headache or dis
ordered stomach.
Speaking of gambling, there is much of
II going on at present in high places. The
Whist club is interested in a recent cpl
sOde that concerns two of its members.
One of the mutimillionaires of this city
is fond of bridge and plays at his clubs
for the highest stakes he can get. Rare
ly satisfied with % or 90 cents a point
he insists upon a large bet upon the.
side. Last week. while at an uptown
clubhouse he bantered the champion of
that organization to select any partner he
pleased, as he himself would do, and play
a rubber for 5000 The challenged party
was agreeable The match was ar
ranged for the following night on Riv-
erside drive, where dwells one of the
contestants He had chosen as partner
one of the best players of the Whist
club. The play was for 50 cents a point
and the two men who had been brought
into the game to make up the table were
not supposed to know about the large
bet ION the side Il
The challenger. largely due TO the con-
summate skill of his young associate
won the rubber" by a trifle over 800
points.
This meant $50 to the successful play
ers. But when the defeated player drew
out his checkbOok, and with a fountain
pen drew a check for 5000 the serious