Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-11-01
THE DEAD GAMBLER.

! Among the thousands of golt
seekers who landed in Sacramento
lin the summer of lS49, on theii
way to the placers on the South
! Middle and North forks of thu
American river, was a prepossess
ling looking gentleman by the name
of Hardie. His only companion
was his son, a lad of some four
teen years, but who, notwithstand
ing his extreme youth, was sharp
shrewd and intelligent. Mr.. Har
die was what might be called, as
the phrase goes, ''reticent man.
He had once been wealthy, but bis
passion for gaming ruined him.
He was not professional. In
deed, he looked with contempt up
on all who kept games Of chance,
but his personal dislike for such
characters did not prevent him
risking his money on the turn of
a card or cast of a dice. His son
fully aware of his fathers only
failing, soughtev possible means
to keep him from the table, in the
hope, vain though it was, that the
passion would lose its hold upon
him, and that eventually he would
be thoroughly weaned from cards.
Hardie landed in Sacramento
with about one hundred dollars in
money, the last of his once ample
fortune, and without an hours de-
lay pushed for the mines which had
just been discovered to the west
ward of Coloma formerly Suffers
vile, where it was rumored very
rich veins had been discovered.
BY a fortunate chance, Hardie
and his son made the acquaint-
ance on the road of two honest
hearted, adventurous sailors, and
they determined to prospect" the
country together. z-aff
On the fourth day from their
leaving Sacramento the little COM
pany entered agulch which subse-
quently became famous as the "Or-
egon," and there succeeded in Sc
curing q claim that amply repaid
the adventurers for their time and !
labor. At the expiration of four
the company had realized |
twenty thousand 8 dollars. This
was equally divided, one-half be-
ing handed to Hardie and his son,
while the other moiety was retain
ed by their co-lahorers. When
the division had been satisfactory
ly made, Hardie became suddenly
restless. Heintimated a desire to
return to Sacramento, there to en-
gage in some mercantile pursuit
for which his early education had
fitted him, and he offered to sell
his own and sons interest to the
sailors. These men were reluc-
tant to part with him. The lad
was also adverse to the PROPOSE
ton; but Hardie persisted in his /
resolution, and finally disposed of
his claim for twenty-five hundred
dollars. VA e,r-.
On returning to Sacramento, ia
ther and son, as the reader per-
,eives, had the snug little capital
IF upwards of twelve thousand
dollars to begin with. Had Har- 4
lie, as he honestly intended when i
1t Oregon canon, at once embark
ID in trade, he could have in a
ew months trebled if not quadru-
oled his capital, and perhaps in
he course of a couple of years,
'eturned to the Atlantic States
With fortune quite as large as he
vas master of before the ma
lia for gambling came upon him.
Unfortunately for him, howey-
n, before he had fully arranged
lis mercantile projects he renewed {
lis acquaintance With agentleman, !
Who, like himself, had been ad- /.
licted to gambling, and was by
him induced to visit the Empire
aloen, at that time the leading {
hell" of the town, where faro, !
monte, rouge ct noir and other
James of chance were openly
shell" where miners, {
.fter months of exposure, perhaps
ickness, and always hard labor, !
would lose their hundreds and ,
thousands of dollars in a single
light, and then be compelled to |
eturn to the diggings with sad {
lened hearts, to win from the riy- c
RS and hills those smiles which !