The New York herald., 1922-01-23

ing to pair of queens; had hooked
up a third queen and the other two
mines. He was a great old boy,
Marse Henry.
"As I was sayings times have
sadly changed. You don't even
know where to find a friend these
days. twenty-five years ago when
you wanted to connect up with pal
you started out at first cocktail hour
down at the Hoffman House or the
Fifth Avenue Hotel. worked up to
the Cafe Martin. then TO the st.
James and Gilsey House bar, on up
to Trainor's. where Gimbe's is now,
and finally to Paddy Roach's Ross
more and Shanley's old place, just
above Forty-second street. The town
was localized between the Hoffman
House and Shanley's. and il you
couldn't find your man on that beat
you knew he was sick or in the
morgue.
',rhe big difference between the city
now and the city of twenty-five years
ago is that there are q dozen, twenty,
Fairgrounds where there was only one,
the old Tenderloin. There are So
called men about town now who never
see Broadway, but who are the real
Camembert over in Brooklyn or Asto-
ria, in 1S1st street or in some other
self sufficient district.
"Cheap Gamblers Now"
John, himself one OF the most ceie-
bratcd totalizers the town ever pro-
duced. 1.-The difference is enough to
give a man the lumbago. The gam
bling that goes on now Is cheap,
sneaking kind of thing, victims lured
here and there and trimmed as quickly
as possible-nothing agreeable or hos
pitable or dignified about 1t. When
we oldtimers were turning the wheel
just before this century began, We ran
our gambling houses high, wide and
handsome.
THE houses were conducted in q high
class way. and there was a big over
head cost. because everything was free
to patrons-the richest food and the
finest wines and liquors There was
hardly house in those days-take
Dick Canfield's. Sam Emery's, Davy
Johnson's, Walbaum's. Busteed's and
JOHN Daly's--that didn't give a better
meal and n finer glass of wine or cigar
than you could get at Sherry's.
I'VE were not out TO rob people or TO
trim those who couldn't afford TO play.
No clerks or responsible employees
were allowed to enter If we knew II.
end the big players that we were after
got a run for their money and fire.
quentiy wailoped the house. 1t was
our percentage that won for us. the
cold, unfaiing. mathematical percent
age in our favor. The players came as
much for the excitement of the thing
as to win a hatful of money. and they
were big. breezy. generous fellows.
i've seen colored boy get tip Of a
hundred dollar bill merely for holding
an overcoat.
Favors Licensed Houses.
"of course. the blow Jerome gave us
when he clubbed US with the Dowlng
law and put the fear OF God into the
police ruined the really respectable
business OF those days. | maintain II
gas respectable and that it would be a
good thing to-day IL the city or State
would license certain number OF
houseA We might then get rid OF the
sinking crew that came up from the
East side to play white mems games
with marked cards. rugged wheels and
weighted dice.
''But there have been other reaEons.
The automobile is one In the old days
the man who wanted TO take a fling
had 70 come TO our playground. Now
nc hops into a motor car and shoots
out 90 Long Beach or Ardmore or some
place In Jersey and gets the action he
Graves. Men In the game nowadays
prefer 70 run their houses In these iso-
lated and distant places because. as g.
rule the authorities are easier to handle
and are not so expensive.
"Me, ! never gave n red cent to the
cops in my life and nobody can say
differeu. They kept me busy for years
buying new front doors Just because
wouldn't work 10 all their pockets, b,it
never cared much what they did while
I was In business. I'm not now. I've
leased The old house at 15G West Forty
fourth street 20 Republican club. and
live with my family in thls one. No
1877 West Forty-onc has long since given
way 20 business building. i've never
been squesler and I never split on a
pal.
Turned Down $4,000 Bribe.