Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1855-04-07
THE BROTHERS,

| III fO thC PIiuCip0i UduhlUg u
the chance kind" in San Francisco, were th
"Bella Union," "Verandah," "Mine de Orc,
Gel Dorado" and "Parker House." all situate,
about the Plaza, and each employed band o
music to lessen the tedious hours of that rain
winter, and to drown the noise of dngIin!
| gold and silver and the cursing calculations O
| the gamesters. Many sad scene has takel
place within those saloons, that chilled tn,
blood of the behoders, and is remembered will
horror. Twas once carelessly sauntering thro
one of these places. My attention was attract
ed towards person who had large piles of go't
| before him; the starting eyeballs, the swoler
veins upon his forehead, the cold sweat upon
his face, and clenced hands, told of heavy loss
es; mingled exclamations of horror and con,
tempt would escape him, and he seemed un.
conscious of all else going 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 a maniac, he drew long
dirk knife and plunged it up to the hls 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 happened though another vic.
tim had net been added to the page Of the gam.
biers damning record. or another soul had not
gone to its final account!
learned this much of his history He
started with large stock of goods, given him
by his father to sell on commission, and the
fathers fortune depended upon sure return Of
the money SO invested; but, as usual with
young men, he indulged in the full liberty of
unbrided license, and while the ship stopped at
one OF The South American ports he engendered
the first seeds Of "play;" but for a while after
his arrival the excitement Of trade and the en~
ergy necessary to accomplish 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 few dollars upon the turning cards,
when the latent disease sprang into life, and it
carried him headlong over the precipice, and
ended in the tragic manner related.
The "Mine de Oro" was gambling saloon,
on Washington street, and opposite the
.El Dorado" and in '49 it was the principal re-
sort of the disbanded soldiers 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
4 man who had won for himself honorable men.
lion, and an officers commission was given him
or his bravery at the storming of Monterey
but preferring the climate of California and its
golden prospects to a more northern home he
for that country at the close of the
var with Mexico, and upon his arrival he OPEN
ID bank for gambling. The emigrants came
n by thousands, and few nights after his ar
ival, young man entered this saloon ana seat.
ID him SoIf a tho hanl, ond bAl
ipon the cards until he had lost nearly all the
money he possessed. Excited with the play and
naddened by his losses, he accused the dealer
# cheating; the dealer replied sharply to the
lie passed, when the young
nan struck the dealer severe blow upon his |
ace; as quick as thought the sharp report Of |
'istol followed, and the gamblers clothing was |
overed with the young mans blood--he had |
hot him through the right breast. The room
vas soon cleared of the spectators present, the
oors closed, and medical attendance called in
id Of the wounded man. The gambler sat |
,oodiy over his bank, running the small monte |
ards through his fingers, and perhaps thinking |
fthe deed just perpetrated, when the wounded I
Ian gave moan ofagony as the doctors probe /
cached the bottom of his wound. The doctor
lquired what State he was from, and the
rounded man replied:
'From Vermont" hs 'as@ ~ ~. 9+
The gambler raised his head, for It had been
long time since he had seen person from the
ONE Of his childhood, and Vermont being his
alive State. the mere mention of its name in L
rested him. The doctor next inquired the
anne OF the place where his parents resided, if
. had any. He replied: "a ''@saa'
sMontpelier a@a a @ $500
The gambler sprang to his feet his limbs
embed, and bis face was pale 40 death, for
ontpelier was the home Of his youth, and per.
Fps the wounded man might have been his
aymate in childhood perhaps q schoolmate,
lew his parents, his brothers and sisters. He
ung convulsively to the table, and with the
emotions Of rapid thought and the | |
eight Of injury he had inflicted, he could
arcely keep upon his feet. A stimulant was
ven the wounded men, and he was moments
relieved from that weakness the body Is go |
bject to afler severe wound--when the doc.
: inquired Il there was any friend in the city
wished sent for. III
e Yes" he replied. smy wife--shs IL at tie
y Hotel, on the corner Of Clay and Kearnsy
eets--tell Mary to hasten, for ! am badly !
It" %#@ @
A man was sent to bring his wife.
doctor" said the gambler, ssave that mans :,
and there is my bank, and $4,000 in Bur- J
yne's-you shall have it all.
The. docter felt the pulse Of the man and pro.
the wound anew. The gambler watched i
. with the greatest anxiety until his inspec- ;
q was finished, when the doctor shook hid l.
ID in token Of impossibility; the gambler sat
Sn by the side Of the wounded man and
he'd hia head with water, and staanchsd the 9
? Of blood from the wound until the arrival :: !:
he wife; she came, accompanied BY few !"
nds, and % heroic women bear their miss
tuses, she bore hers. Not word Of rel !
ach eseaped haf-wordss Of icheerfulnsss q
! came from her ips - the tears eounsd N
N her cheeks. To her inquiry % to The /
nces Of her husband's recovery, the doctor q
nred hss tbsse was no hop; thatth wound th'
!. Al eAs.2 Ak~A =. n. L A.