The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-02-07

The grocer soon gives up his trade,
and likewise goes hungry The
tailor takes the money that was paid
To him by the carpenter and the gro
Ger, and gives 1t to the gambler,
Result: The tailor doesn't visit the
grocer and the carpenter any more,
his house falls into ruins. He also be-
comes Acquainted with the pangs OF
hunger. Should the carpenter, or
the tailor, or the grocer, at any time
win ten dollars; should they stay
with the game till they have gathered
in a thousand. II isn't the gambler
who loses. Not bit of 1t. It's the
money that came out of the pockets
of the others. when they failed to
put their money on the proper figure,
as the wheel went round. end the
little ball slid down the board. The
gambler didn't have any money to
lose. If he had any money when he
came into the community, it was
money that he filched from the peo-
pie in some other community. The
gambler has no legitimate way to
produce money.
The gambler can only get hold OF
money as the tailor, and the grocer,
and the carpenter become suckers
enough to play his little game.
Wherever the gamblers flourish. the
only possible way by which the gro
Ger and the carpenter and the tailor
can expect to do business, and live,
is to have the gamblers bestow their
patronage upon them. Thus the
gambler becomes dangerous con-
sumner, in any community; fifth
wheel to wagon. a leech having
no place in the economic arrange
ment. disturbing FACTOR in the
trade relation.
And do you know. the grocer who
stood by listening to this discussion
refused also To sign the petition. He
didn't want To lose the gamblers
trade II was so in one or two other
places, but before | left the camp, /
am glad To say that | rounded up a
host of petitioners. representing all
the different lines of business.
Yes. the gambler is a vampire. a
parasite And just as the vampire
and the reptile and the parasite of
every kind crawl into some sunny
spot. and bask there after gorging
themselves ON their prey, so the
gambler Tolls around. surfeiting on
what he draws from other people.
He hasks in the sun. He tolls not,
as other men toll: neither does he
spin, except To spin the gambling
wheel. He wears fine clothes. and
sports fine diamonds. He lives on
the fat of the land In order that he
may thrive. men become bankrupt,
and go out of business: men squander
their wages: little children must be
without food and clothing. the coal
bin must remain empty-there must
he hunger aud tears. and homes made
miserable. II | had my way, the
gambler would go to work, like other
men. would make 1t severe for him
awhile. | would require him to toll
50 days on the grave yard shift.
would make him dig ore In the bot
tom of the Veteran for forty days and
forty nights with nothing but a
cracker and gill of water to live on.
would put him on the stone pile
until he knew what IL was TO have
callous on his hands, and few
honest blisters somewhere in his
possession.
The meanest thing about the gam
bier is that he thriyes on the weak
nesses of Others. Gambling is a
weakness. IA passion-a mania with
some persons. You remember in the
old Curiosity Shop" how the old
man and Little Nell take their de-
parture from London and its sin, in
the hope that the old man may get
away from the gambling dens, that
81 /.
They stop at a wayside inn. one
night. and the old man hears the
clink of coin. and the noise of the
gaming board in an adjoining room
and the old passion comes upon him.
That night he steals the purse of
Little Nell. as she lies asleep, think
ing that in the morning they will
have plenty for AL their needs, but
when the morning dawns, the bit of
money that they had is gone; the
little that was theirs to make their
journey into the new life together.
There are lot of people just like the
old character that Dickens so faith
fully portrays. In their mad passion
for the gaming table, they use the
money that ought to go to their wives
and children: they ignore the claims
of God and man. of every RESPONSE
bility placed upon them and out of
their miserable weakness the gam
bier alone profits. IL / had my way
| would not only put the gambler on
the stone pile. but also the man who
makes such blind dupe of him
self, and causes his family thus to
suffer.
And SO, some people say: eff you
stop gambling, you'll kill business. 4"
A man put that to me the other day
and l said: In just what way will
business be killed" And he couldn't
answer me.
Quite in contrast to this mans
declaration was the statement not
long ago by young man with whom
| was talking young man at one
time holding an official position In an