James Harold Romain

James Harold Romain is the author of Gambling; or, Fortuna, Her Temple and Shrine, published in Chicago in 1891. The book presents gambling not as a simple vice to condemn, but as a subject to examine through history, philosophy, and moral argument.

The surviving public record located here is quite thin, which gives him a somewhat elusive place in literary history. A publisher's note in the Project Gutenberg text praises the work as learned, original, and broad in culture, and the dedication shows that Romain credited Judge John Cameron Simonds for suggestions while preparing it.

Some catalog and memorial records identify him as living from 1850 to 1921, but beyond that, readily available biographical details are limited. What remains clear is that he left behind a distinctive nonfiction work that still draws readers interested in gambling, ethics, and the way 19th-century writers tackled difficult public questions.