Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-07-19
THE BROTHERS.

dah, Mine dor, FL Dorado, and Park
er House, all situated about the Plaza;
and each employed band of music to
lessen the tedious hours of that rainy
winter, and to drown the noise of jing-
ling gold and silver, and the cursing
CALCULATIONS of the gamesters. Many a
sad scene has taken place within those
saloons, that chilled the blood of the be-
holders, and is remembered with hor-
ror.
I was once carelessly sauntering thro'
one of these places. My attention was
attracted towards person who had
large piles of gold before him; the start
ling eye balls, the swollen veins upon
his forehead. the cold sweat on his face
and clenched hands told heavily of his
losses; mingled EXPLANATIONS of horror
and contempt would escape him. and
he seemed unconscious of all else going
on around him; his gaze bent upon the
cards as if his life's blood was the stake
of.the issue; and in this case, his last
dollar was put within the dealers bank,
when, with the frenzy of maniac, he
drew a long dirk knife and plunged it up
to the hilt in his own body, and sank a
corpse upon the table. A few rude
jeers followed the act; the body was re-
moved, and the game went on as though
nothing had happened-as though
another victim had not been added to
the page of the gamblers damning re-
cord, or another soul had not gone to its
final account!
l learned this much of his history:
He started with large stock of goods,
given him by his father to sell on COM
mission, and the fathers fortune de-
pended upon sure return of the mon
ey invested; but, as usual with young
men, he in the full liberty of unbridled
license, and while the ship stopped at
one of the South American ports, en-
gendered the first seeds of play, but for
while after his arrival, the excitement
of trade and the energy necessary to ac-
complish a successful issue, kept his
mind busy. One day, by appointment,
he was to meet a mercantile friend at
this house, and while waiting for his
| friend he staked a few dollars upon the
turning cards, when the latent disease
sprung into life, and it carried him head
long over the precipice, and ended in
the tragic manner related.
The Mine de Oro was gambling sa
loon situated on Washington street, op-
posite the Ell Dorado, and in '49, it was
the principal resort of the disbanded SOL
diers of the California regiments, and
also of the soldiers who had been en-
gagged in the war with Mexico. Behind
one of the largest monte banks in the
room, sat man who had won for HIM
self honorable mention, and an officers
commission was given him for his brav-
cry at the storming of Monterey; but,
preferring the climate of California and
its golden prospects to more northern
home, he embarked for that country at
the close of the war with Mexico, and
upon his arrival he opened a bank for
gambling. The emigrants came in by
thousands, and few nights after his
arrival, a youngman entered the saloon,
seated himself at the bank, and staked
various sums upon the cards, until he
had lost nearly all the money he pos
sessed. Excited with the play and
maddened by losses, he accused the
dealer of cheating-the dealer replied
sharply to the accusation-the lie pass
ed, when the young man struck the
dealer a severe blow upon the face; as
quick as thought the sharp report ef a
pistol followed, and the gamblers cloth
ing was covered with the young mans
blood-he had shot him through the
right breast.
The room was soon cleared of the
spectators present, the door closed, and
medical attendance called in aid Of the
wounded man. The gambler sat mood
lily behind his bank, running the small
monte cards through his fingers, and
perhaps thinking of the deed Just perpe-
trated, when the wounded man gave a
groan of agony as the doctors probe
reached the bottom'of his wound. The
doctor inquired what State he was from,
and the wounded man replied
"From Vermont.
The gambler raised his head, for it
had been long time since he had seen
person from the home of his child
hood, and Vermont being his native
State, the mere mention of the name in
terested him. The doctor next inquir-
ed the name of the place where his pa
rents resided, if he had any. The
wounded man replied
Montpelier"
The gambler sprang to his feet, his
limbs trembled and his face was as pale
as death, for Montpelier was the home
of his youth, and perhaps the wounded
man might have been his playmate in
childhood-perhaps a school-mate-
knew his parents, his brothers and sis
ters. He clung convulsively to the ia
BILE, with the contending emotions ofrap-
id thought, and the weight of the injury
he had inficted-he could scarcely keep
on his feet.
| A stimulant was given to the wound
ed man and he was momentarily reliev-
ed from that weakness the body is sub
lject to after severe wound-when the
doctor inquired if there was any friend
in the city he wished sent for. He re-
Inlied-