Note 22 — Chapter VIII · GAMBLING AT THE DIAMOND FIELDS.—MR. DODD’S ADVICE ON GAMBLING.—SPECULATIVE VALUE OF DIGGING.—THE FIELDS IN THE EARLY DAYS.—GAMBLING HELLS IN 1872.—MR. JONES “AT HOME.”—GOVERNOR SOUTHEY’S PROCLAMATION.—EXODUS TO THE FREE STATE.—RONDO EN COLO.—COLLAPSE.

An Act to legalize gambling by this means came before the legislative council this year (1887) but was rejected. The arguments “for and against” were very funny. One Dutch legislator, when the subject was under debate, brought forward as a clinching argument that “when Jonah was on board a vessel on his way to Nineveh it was decided by a totalisator that he should be thrown overboard,” while another (who had a large open Bible before him) referred to the Revelations, where, he said, it was pointed out that “roovers, woekeraars, and spelers,” could not enter the kingdom of heaven. He said God’s Holy Word did not justify gambling, and where could they get a better authority than the Bible? The name “totalisator” was in itself so big a word to pronounce that he often wondered that people’s tongues did not twist in pronouncing it (loud laughter).