CHAPTEE XXXIII.

GAMBLERS AND GAMBLING — A MIDNIGHT VISIT TO GAMBLING-
HOUSES OF HIGH AND LOW DEGREE —A GLIMPSE BEHIND
THE SCENES.

A Flourishing Evil — A Night Visit to a Fashionable Gambling-House — How
Entrance is Gained—"All Right, Charley"—Magnificent Midnight Sup¬
pers— Midnight Scenes — Who Pays the Bills ? — A Secret Understanding
— One Hundred and Eighteen Thousand Dollars Lost in Eight Hours—
Dissipating a Fortune — Buried in a Pauper's Grave — "Square" Games
and '' Skin " Games — Fleecing a Victim at Faro — How it is Done —Inge¬
nuity of Sharpers — Drugged and Robbed — " Dead Men Tell no Tales " —
A Tale that the Rivers Might Unfold — A Club-House with Unknown
Members — The Downfall of Hundreds of Y'oung Men— Why Employers
are Robbed — An Interesting Photograph — A "Full Night"—Gambling-
Houses for Boys — Confldence Men—"Sleepers" — Low Gambling-
Houses— "Lookouts" — "Every Man for Himself" — Enormous Sums
Lost.

IN spite of all the laws that have been made against it, gam¬
bling in various forms continues to flourish iu the great city.

Gambling-houses are of aU grades, from the high class and
costly establishments in the neighborhood of Madison Square
down to the low-class houses of the BoY'ery and Water Street.
Most of them are only open during the evening, but there are
some which are knoY'n as "day houses," where Fortune can be
tempted at almost any hour.

Closely connected with and well known to the profession is
a "roper-in," "capper," or "steerer," whose vocation is to
bring business to the gambling-houses. He is always well
dressed and constantly on the Y'atch for non-residents who wish
to " see the sights " iu the metropolis, and the gambols of the
" tiger " are one phase of life in which many strangers manifest
uncommon interest. The " capper" expects, and Y'ill receive,
a liberal commission on all money dropped by visitors under
his guidance in whatever place is entered.