Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/446

 432 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

and doing all in her power against the churches of the town. Mrs. B.'s hus- band died and she, after quite a career in America and Europe, married a wealthy man whom she met abroad.

"Of course the 'Pastime Crowd' who had been playing Old Dan Tucker, etc., at their evening parties soon organized an evening card club, after the mothers had become interested in the game and this was where most of the young people learned to play cards. The way the gambling started among the young men and women was through the old and seemingly innocent plan of the losers treating to oysters or ice cream.

"The Mrs. A. that entertained first at cards has no children but has brought up a nephew. The nephew was sent to the state university, but did not finish the course on account of his gambling, etc., it is said. He is the young man who took the place of the cashier I told you of in my other letter, has been one who played for money with the young women, and has taken part in most of the gambling among the young business men. Mrs. C. has but one child, a daughter, and she is one of the young women I told you of while you were here.

"At present our jail is full, and nearly if not all of the occupants are 'crap shooters.' Their fines and costs ranged, I believe, from about $25 to $75, and they, unable to pay, have been placed in jail. Most of the men, I think, are paper-hangers, plasterers, etc. My father's partner is mayor of the city and while he was in the office a short time ago, the father of one of the men in jail came asking help for the wife and family of his son. The family was desti- tute and the father, who had been caring for them for several weeks, being a poor man was compelled to ask aid of the city for them.

"Women of my class can play for prizes and the winner's name will be in the paper as though she had accomplished something to be proud of, while the poor wretches who 'shoot craps' are hunted down and placed in jail. I would not attend a function where I must openly break the law, as I formerly did, if for no other reason than that I believe in fair play.

"This is the week of our county fair, or rather, the time of our annual horse-races. It has been a very common thing for girls to bet among themselves on the races. At every heat each girl will put up a small sum and the girl whose horse wins will take the pot. If there are young men with the party they too take part. This is done openly. There is always a great deal of fun

over it and everyone seems to look upon it as a joke If the young women

who are looked upon as leaders bet on the races, is it to be wondered that the young men indulge in the excitement of winning and losing?

"If you remember, you heard a little in the discussions after your lectures, about our pool-rooms. At first I laughed at the agitation shown by some when

the pool-rooms were opened in E. I had played pool a few times at

clubs, etc., and can yet see no harm in the game, but I do not think the public pool rooms have been a benefit to the town. I have heard of cases here where men are spending their evenings and earnings there, and whose wives are taking in washing. I do not know whether this is true or not, but I know that it is a great loafing place for men and boys. There is one case though that I do know about. A man twenty-two years of age is married and has one child. He and his wife belong to the younger society crowd. The young man has been in business for himself less than a year and has cleared, I am told by one who should know, $1,800. He pays no house rent and his other expenses have not been large, yet he has nothing now. Although he has as good a business as his father's, if it were managed properly, he comes into his father's store and asks for money just as he did when a boy, and when anyone wants to see him it is said he can generally be found at the pool-room. He has been a boy that seem- ingly attended strictly to business until of late." L. L. Bernard