A Desperate Plea Against the City’s Gambling Dens
A woman struggles to protect her family from the unchecked gambling houses that thrive in the shadow of Tacoma's railroad industry.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A neat-appearing young woman called at The Times office this afternoon and inquired: 'Can anything be done to stop gambling in this city?' Her husband works for the Northern Pacific. Ever since the town was thrown open, he has been gambling in the various houses and losing his money. Last month he lost over $100, which was more than he earned. We have a good home and some property, but my husband can't resist the temptation. I have been to Mayor Wright and asked him to help me. He said that he would issue an order to the chief of police to notify the gambling houses not to allow my husband to play, but I didn't like that because of the notoriety it would bring. I wouldn't want my neighbors or the railroad officials to know that my husband was posted in gambling houses. So I declined the offer by the mayor. Then I went to two attorneys. Each of them was unwilling to take my case up. Neither of them wanted to bring suit against the gambling houses for fear that it would make them objects of discrimination by the gamblers. One of them suggested a divorce as the easiest way, but I wouldn't hear to such a thing. Will you tell me any way in which I can bring suit to get the money back, or stop gambling in this city?
“It is a shame and a disgrace that women and children should be made to suffer for the sins of the fathers in gambling.”
This story highlights the systemic difficulty of fighting addiction when city leaders and legal professionals prioritize the status quo over vulnerable families. It reflects a recurring tension in Tacoma's history between commercial vice and the families struggling to remain housed and stable amidst the city's growth.
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