Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-06-06
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THE BROTHERS,.

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TILE BROTHERS.
In 40, the principal banking institutions
of the chance kind" in San Francisco, were
the bella Trion," "Verandah," "Mine
d'Oro," ElDorado," and "Parker House"
all situated about the plaza, and each em.
ployed asband of music to lesson the tedi.
Gus hours OF that rainy winter, and to drown
the noise of dinging gold and silver and the
cursing CALCULATIONS of the gamesters. Ma.
ny sad scene has taken place within those
saloons, that chilled the blood Of the behol.
ders, and is remembered &ith horror! | was
once carelessy sap0teriRg through one of
these places. My ~Aention was attracted
towards a.person,, who had large piles of
gold before himse the starting eyeballs, the
swollen veins upon his forehead, the cold
sweat upon his face and cenched hands,
iaold of heavy losses; mingled exclamations
Of horror and contempt would escape him,
and he seemed unconscious Of all else 60.
ing on around him; his gaze bent upon the
cards as If his life's blood was the stake at
issue; and in this case his last dollar was
put within the dealers bank, when, with the
frenzy of maniac, he drew long dirk
knife and plunged it up to the bilt into his
own body and sank corpse upon the table.
A few rude jeers followed the act; the body
was removed, and the game went on as
though nothing had happeued-as though
another victim had not been added to the
page of the gamblers damning record !--or.
another soul had not gone TO its final &C.
count!
Learned this much Of his history: He
started with large stock of goods, given
him by his father, to sell on commission, aud
the fathers fortune depended upon a sure
return Of the money he invested; but, as
usual with young men, he indulged in the
full liberty OF unbrdled license, and while
the ship stopped at one of the South Ameri.
can ports he engendered the first seeds Of
"play;" but for while after his arrival, the
excitement of trade and the energy neces.
sary to accomplish successful issue, kept
his mind busy. One day, by appointment,
he was to meet mercantile friend at his
house, and while waiting for his friend, he
staked few dollars upon the turning cards,
when the latent disease sprung into life, and
it carried him headlong over the precipice,
aud ended in the tragic manner related.
1oohi he siaatsd Mia On Washington street, and
opposite The K" ElDorado," 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 engaged in
the war with Mexico. Behind one of the
largest monte banks in the room, sat'a man
who had won for himself honorable mention,
and an officers commission was given him
for his bravery 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 bank for gambling
The emigrants came in by thousands, and
few nights after his arrival, young man
entered this saloon aud seated himself at
the bank, and staked various sums upon the
cards, until he had lost nearly all the money
he possessed. Excited with the play and
maddened by his losses, he accused the
dealer of cheating; the dealer replied sharp
ly to the accusation-the lie passed, when
the young man struck the dealer a severe
blow upon his face; as quick as thought the
sharp report OF a pistol followed, and the
gamblers clothing 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
doors closed, and medical attendance called
in aid of the wounded man. The gambler
sat moodily over his bank, running the small
monte cards through his fingers, and perhaps
thinking over the deed just Per3etrated, when
the wounded man gave moan OF agony as
the doctors probe reached the bottom of
his wound. The doctor inquired what State
be 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 tho home of his childhood, and Yer
mont being his native State, the mere men,
ton Of its name interested him. The doc.
tor inquired the name of the place where
his parents resided, if he had any. The
wounded replied" Montpelier"
The gambler sprang to his feet, his limbs
trelnbled, and his face was as pale as death,
fo- Montpelier was the home Of bis youth,
and perhaps the wounded man might have
been bis playmate in childhood-perhaps a
schoolmate-kuew his parents, his brothers
and sisters He clung convulsively to the
table, and with the couending emotions Of
rapid thought and the weight of the injury
he had inflicted, he could scarcely keep up.
on his feet. A stimulant was given the
wounded man, and he was momentarily re-
lieved from that weakness the body is so
subject to after severe wound--when the
doctor inquired if there was any friend in
the city, he wished sent for
eyes," he replied, "my wife--she is at
the City Hotel, on the corner of Clay and
Kearny streets-tell her to hasten, for am
badly hurt"
A man was sent to bring his wife. -
doctor" said the gambler, "save that
mans life, and there is my bank, and sl0,.
900 in Burgoyne's--you ahall have it all."
The doctor felt the pulse of the man and
probed the wound anew. The gambler
watched him with great anxiety until bis
inspection. was finished, when the doctor
shook his head in token of impossibility
the gambler sat down by the side Of The
wounded man and bathed his head with
water, and staunched the flow of blood from
the wound until the arrival Of the wife; she