Year: 1871




arrest the same day.


The next week dragged along, during
which time answered number of ad
vertisemeuts, but owing to my ignorance
OF the German language or the business
called for, was unable to find employ
ment.


One evening, turning over the leaves
of a pictorial paper, the following adver.
tisement caught my eye: persons bav-
ing their evenings unoccuped can find
highly lucrative employment by calling
at No.-Broadway, between eight and
nine p. M" | took view of the place
next afternoon. and seeing the business
like name Of Jones 4 Co. on the door,
called the same evening What was my
horror on going into the room to find that
| was i'll gambling hell, and this chang
ed to CONSERVATION when found that
the door opened only from the outside,
unless unlocked with latch key. A
dark, sinister looking man, a very beau
ideal of a gambler, came forward and ask
ed what wanted. In the frmest man
ner could assume | Informed him that
[ had mistaken the room aud was seek
ing employment. With a laugh he took
me by the arm and drew me into cir
Gle round an extempore bar at the room,
young cock from the country looking for
work" "a speech which amused the ruff
fan crew exceedingly.


One of them suggested that if | was
look ing for work must have some "char-
acter." aud then proceeded to rife my
pockets of their contents Another, who
seemed to have had at one time an educa-
ton, read all the papers l had making
ludicrous remarks on them as he went
on. | submitted with the best grace [
could until he came to the last, which
was letter | had just received FROM
home, when, as he began it, sprang for
ward, spatched it from his hands, and
tore it into fragments.


Finding that they could get no more
amusement out of me, l was told to take
seat and wait awhile nor could all my
entreaties prevail on them to let me go,
as they were afraid that | would inform
the police.


| took a seat resolved to make the best
of it, and proceeded to take mental in
ventory of the place and its occupants.
1t was a large whitewashed room, evil
deutly not long occupied, for the walls
were clean and the floor had recently
been scrubbed. A number of tables stood
round the room, leaving passage down
the centre to the end, where long coun-
ter was used as bar. The players sat
round these tables, aud cries of Keno -
and game % followed by oaths aud calls
for more drink, mingled with the click of
counters and the rattle of dice Hour
after hour passed away; the vitiated
atmosphere made NE exceedingly drowsy,
and, notwithstanding my good resolu-
tions, | fell asleep.


How long slept I cannot tell, but I
awoke with a start at hearing great
hamEering at the door, succeede1 by two
reports, and amid the smoke | saw men
and police struggling before me. In a
few moments comparative quiet ensued,
some of the men had escaped, while those
remaining were handcuffed and marched
down stairs. | shared their fate, orna
mented by steel bracelets. | was escort
ed to the Tombs and locked up in the
same room as the gamblers. Utterly mis-
erable and exhausted, [ sank down and
wished to die. Not so. however, my
panions, who joked aud laughed as
though they were at circus. The weary
hours crept along, till a sickly yellow
light through the window and rum bling
noise outside, proclaimed that day had
dawned and man had once more COM
menced the business of life. At last we
were brought before the Judge or Record
er, and | got an opportunity of stating
my case and proving it in the best way
could, so His Worship gave me most
paternal warning aud let me go.


Great was the CONSERVATION when |
arrived at my boarding house, pale and
haggard, my worthy landIady anxious to
know what dreadful evil had befallen
me, and very sagely shaking her head
when declined to enter into particulars


had got quite shock with my night s
adventure, aud was not myself for several
days, when seeing that my prospects there
of future success were not very bright, |
said goodbye to New York and struck
out for the West.