St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1912-10-12

to run it up a~stake."
Smile, if you will, but the
many gambling houses that were
open in the TenderIoin until the
blood of Rosenthal sealed them
for a time, were supported, not
as you might think, on the mon
ey of millionaires, but on the
money of those in more or less
since they accepted ~tips-service
employment
It is an Iron Age, as James L.
Ford says, and everybody had to
produce. The gangster who was
made murderous with drink and
drugs before he did his bloody
work was of use to the politician,
the politician was of use to the
police. The gambler was glad to
split fifty and fifty" The only
trouble was that the corrupt
police official became entangled
in the System. He had too many
friends to take care of.
Then, too, matters were COM
plicated by the 'priyateers.
The police of the precinct had to
have their usual percentage, the
headquarters man must get his
and casual civilians and detached
police officials went up and down
the land spying upon those en-
gagged in illicit concerns upon
whom they could prey. These
were the ''privateers." A cor
rupt police official transferred to
the quiet outskirts of the town
knew where he could go and
make touch for a couple of hum
bred. Why not pay him the
money and say nothing? Any
day he might be back in the pre-
einct where the games were
running, the joints open.
The small CRATER paid some
body, who paid somebody; the
cocaine peddler had to share his
CHASTITY earnings with somebody,
who shared with somebody high
erup.
Higher up! That's the word.
Everybody after the easy money
wanted to go higher up. but they
wanted to go to the golden alti-
tudes without work or effort.
This was the way of Broadway,
the New York Idea. They want
ed to go higher up"
Going higher up! The gam
blers were going higher up from
the slums to the Gay White Way.
The girl was going higher up
who left off waiting in the cheap
restaurant to dine in the expen-
i've ones.
Then there is the woman with
he eheckbook. She is an envi-
ID exemplar of the New York
.dea! For the lady .oafers, "
% have the Fortuna purse of
checkbook ~ somebody
making the account goods the
highest height they aspire to
limb to.
The little bookkeeper would go
up. He would be known
IS a spendthrift millionaire in
he Tenderloin. He falsiies the
he embezzles money from
he firm. And then a detective
,ouches him on the arm as he is
from his motor car with
white light, or rather red light,
'riendssand he goes in from in
'ront of the bars to behind them.
To dress, to idle, to get invited
o a dinner they could not afford
o pay for, to ride in taxicabs
With men they should not, to rub
with real millionaires'
wives and daughters and be
lressed in imitation Of these are
he New York Woman's aspira-
ions, her part in climbing high
o forbidden things.
The evil money that went
up is parcel out amonng
II these. The money that came
ainted carries the faint with it
nd spread it wide. The purest
old, when passed in Vanity Fair
a curse with in and be-
base coinage.
But Babylon has fallen, the
Iouses of mirth are darkened. the
hands that clinched to
each higher up are shaking with
ham, the dance and music have
eased, the wine and the babble
ave stopped. There is a corpse
cross the Threshold, the shadow |.
= @45@r S ~ f.