In Atlantic City: The View from the Porch

It is 11 o'clock on a sparkling summer morning, and over on the Boardwalk they are already crowding into the casinos—thousands of Ali Babas in brightly colored polyesters, searching for treasure in those vast air-conditioned caves. Dice are rolling, cards are turning, and there are hands attached to most of the slot machines, which occasionally gratify with spurts of change. It is the busiest time of year in the new Atlantic City, which has high hopes of becoming the Las Vegas of the East, and the ebb and flow of the surf has given...