the parks. Strange to say, hundreds live in this way, which is
vulgarly called "scratching" in New York. I afterwards saw my
friend driving an omnibus; and when I could speak to him, I found
that he was still attending the banks with every cent he earned!

`It is amusing to watch the proprietor of this place at the
Bowery; he has a joke for every one he sees. "Hallo, old
sport!" he cries, "come and try your luck--you look lucky this
evening; and if you make a good run you may sport a gold watch
and chain, and a velvet vest, like myself." Then to another,
"Young clear-the-way, you look down at the mouth to-night! Come
along and have a turn--and never mind your supper tonight.' In
this way the days and nights are passed in those gambling
houses.'

There is also in New York an association for the prevention
of gambling. The society employs detectives to visit the
gambling saloons, and procure evidence for the suppression of the
establishments.

It is the business of these agents also to ascertain the names
and occupations of those who frequent the gambling rooms, and a
list of the persons thus detected is sent periodically to the
subscribers to the society, that they may know who are the
persons wasting their money, or perhaps the money of their
employers, in gambling. Many large houses of business subscribe.

In the month of August the society's agents detected among the
gamblers 68 clerks of mercantile houses, and in the previous six
months reported 623 cases. It is stated that there are in New