Year: 1870

AN English review culls some curious
stories of gamesters from new book
on "The Gaming Table," just published
in London:
4 But apart from these conventional
weaknesses, which are inseparable from
any compilation-and the history ef the
gaming table, as we have said, can be lit
tie else than compilation Of anecdotes of
gamesters-Mr. Steinmetz gives us some
amusing reading about the whims and od
dities of those who surrender themselves
to the influence Of this passion. The love
of gambling is so wide spread, and sustains
itself under such disadvantageous circum-
stances, that a pleasant chapter is made up
describing the shifts to which gamblers
are often put to procure the means for
their diversion. But just as Porson is
said to have tossed Of, bottle of embro-
cation when he could find nothing else to
drink in the room, so the gamester, de-
prived of dice, of cards, and of the table,
rises superior to the difficulties of his po-
sition We remember how in the last
century, when a man was thrown off his
horse in ST. James street, the odds were
laid and taken in hundreds at Whites
about his living or dying and how, when
he was brought into the club in a state of
unconsciousness, those who had wagered
on his decease strongly objected to a pro-
posal to send for surgeon, as being an
unfair advantage to the other side. Bet
ting on drops of rain running down a
window pane, and backing one against
another for speed, is well known resource
for frozen-out gamesters; and the Ameri-
a cans, in true, go-ahead style, have by the
invention of fly loo established eccentric
wagering on a solid basis. At fly loo the
players sit round table, each with lump
of sugar before him. and the player upon
whose lump fly first perches carries OIL
the pool, which is sometimes enormous.
Even this, however, is capped by device
for promoting gambling hit upon by some
under graduates, and recorded in the Ok
ford Magazine:


"a few days ago, as some sprigs of no
bility were dining together at a tavern,
they took the following conceit into their
heads after dinner: One of them obsery-
ing maggot come from fibert, which
seemed to be uncommonly large, attempt
ed to get it from his companion, who, not
choosing to let it go, was Immediately of
fered five guineas for it, which was ac-
cepted. He then proposed to run it
against any other two maggots that could
be produced at the table. Matches were
p accordingly made, and these poor reptiles
were the means of $500 being lost and
won in few minutes"


In the Anaoat0g Register for 1912 will be
found curious investigation of charge
of assault ON a police officer. He had OBJ
served in the distance two men going
through the respective parts of hangman
and culprit, and he arrived on the spot just
in time to see the hangman duly turn off
the culprit and the culprit hanging by
his nec1 from lamp post AS in duty
bound, he was about to interfere in this
process, when the rope broke and down
came the man, whose first act on recover
ing consciousness was to knock the officer
head over heels. On inquiry it turned
out that the two men in question had been
gambling together, and that one had won
all the others money. After that they
tossed up for their clothes, and the loser
lost them also. Then, as it was inconve-
nient TO walk about the streets without
clothes, they tossed up which of the two
should hang the other, and the loser lost
this toss also. After q friendly farewell,
the loser was honorably submitting to the
process of hanging, when it was unfortu-
nately interrupted in the manner we have
stated. Even In duels, which were such
an everyday sequel to gambling transac-
tions, the element of betting was not
wanting: III


II was told of German, who, being
compelled to fight duel on account of a
q quarrel at the gaming table, allowed his
adversary to fire at him. He was missed
Thereupon he said to his opponent,
never miss. bet you hundred ducats
that I break your right or left arm, just as
YOU please The bet was TAKEN and
the arm broken in a workmanlilze man
ner."


The eccentricity of gamblers is in.
creased, ii anything, when their passions
are infiamed by heavy losses. Moore tells
a story of q man who had lost all his
money at Crockfords, leaving that estab
lishment brimful of bad temper, anC
meeting perfect stranger on the stair:
who was STOPPING down and tying hi
shoe Course you, sir" said the loser
"you're always tying your shoe;" ano
forthwith kicked him down stairs. The
same peryerse inability to acknowledge
the plainest facts the same desire to pick
Quarrel at al hazards, both so charac
terlstc Of men smarting under the blows
of Ill fortune, are illustrated by Mr. Stein
metz in a scene that was witnessed in a
noted he'll in Dublin. An angry caster
VINO had lost al his money and all his
temper, placed at last his black hat in the