The Republican journal., 1916-01-06
Right or Wrong Influences.

To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: |
saw an item in The Journal lately stat
ing that woman had bequeathed to
each of her friends, all members of card
clubs, $1,000. l think the whole amount
given was more than $30,OOO and it was
all given to women of means, so it was
of no use to them only to give them
more opportunity for lavish expendl-
ture. l was thinking what a splendid
idea it would have been to have put that
money at interest at or per cent, and
there would be $1,000 or 81, 300 a year
forever to give three worthy boys or
girls each $500 OR $500 year to assist
them in getting college education. l
have no doubt that the city where this
woman lived would have been very glad
to manage such fund. And to think
that it would have been noble monu-
ment to her memory forever But row
it has been given to a lot of card playing
women, it will, in a measure at least,
be spent for prizes at card parties, and
its Influence on the young Will be very
different from what it would have been
if it had been used for their education
Let me give you few instances how
it has worked in real life. | knew some
people of prominence in another county
who played cards with their neighbors
and enjoyed very pleasant evenings to-
gether. They used to give prizes at
their card parties just to give more IN
terest to the amusement. A son of one
of the families, about II years old, said
to his mother one day. Mother, see nay
watch" She replied: George, you
haven't snapped your watch we gave
you Christmas, have your" He replied:
"No, that is Arthur's watch, | got it
playing euchre.". She said in astonish-
ment: "Why, George, you haven't been
gambling, have your" He saids.. AWhy,no,
of course not. We just played euehre
and put up our watches for prizes and
got bis watch" She replied "Why,
of course you were gambling What is
the difference whether you were playing
for watches or money, it was gambling
just the same.'' George was indignant
and said, earnestly: 81 don't see how
you make that out, for you and Arthur's
folks and lots of others here, and some
of them church members, too, put up
prizes at your card parties and play for
them just as earnestly as we did for the
watches, and if we were gambling | do
not see why you are not just as guilty as
we were, and worse, too, for you taught
us to do it,"
am glad to state that several of the
parents in that village saw what their
example was teaching their children to
do and they never gave any more card
parties. A few years ago man over
65 years old told me that when he was a
young man he and friend went to Bos-
ton to work. They roomed together, and
as they had but few acquaintance and
the evenings were long, he taught his
roommate to play cards. Later they in
vlted some friends in and his chum was
very much interested in the games and
was very anxious to beat" and he was
not always too particular how he did it.
and he went out to other friends rooms,
and later got to gambling. That led
him to worse things, and he said that a
few years before he visited him in Thom-
aston prison, where he was serving 10
years sentence. This man was a chris
tian and he spoke to his friend about his
past life and urged him to try and lead a
better life when he got out. He said
4is friend swore at him like pirate and
fa'd, "You are pretty creature to