Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-01-25
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THE DEAD GAMBLER.
4 California Sketch.

Among the thousands of gold seekers
WHO landed IN Sacramento. Ill the summer
ot lr,.J on thelr way To the placcrs OF the
south Middle and North forks Of the Am
crlean river Was a prepossessn@ grntle
/ man bl the name Of iiardie. His only
companion Was MS son. a lad of fourteen
Years, hat who, Notwithstanding his rX-
trcmc youth WAS sharp, shrewd and ntelli
gent. He had once been wealthy. but his
passion for gaming had ruined him. lie
was not professional. Indeed he looked
With een'emls .M!!p%p al who lkGcPt pa4ss
such characters did not prevent him from
rlsklug his money upon the turn OF Il card
or the cast Of the dice. His son, tally a.
ware Of his farther's only falling, sought
/ by every means to keep hnn from the tn.
/ bic. i'll the hope vain, though it was, that
the passion would lose its hold on him, and
that eventually lie would be thoroughly
weaucd away from cards
llardir landed in Sacramento with about
one hundred dollars in money, the last Of
hi- once ample fortune. and. without an
hours delay, pushed for the mines. vhich
had lust been discovered to the east of Co
Iona. QlormerIy Sutteryillr) where it was
rumorcd very rich veins had been diseoy-
cred.
BY fortunate chance, IIarlie and his
son made the acquaintance on the road of
two honest hearted, adventurous sailors,
and together they determined to prospect
the country.
ON the fourth day from leaving Sacra-
mcnto the little company entered a gulch
which subsequently became famous It's the
Oregon and they succeeded in securing Il
claim that amply repaid the adycnturers
for their time anl labor. AT the expira-
tion Of four months the company had real
ized twenty thousand dollars. THIS was
equally divided, and one half handed to
has son, while the other money was retain
cd by their co laborers. When the diyis-
ion had been satisfactorily made, lIardie
became suddenly restless. He intimated
a desire to return to Sacramento, there to
engage in some mercantile pursuit for
which his early education had fitted him;
and he offered 20 sell biz own and his sons
interest to the sa!prs. These meu were
reluctant to part with him. The lad was
avcrSc to the proposition, but ilardie per,
sisted in his resolution, aud disposed OF his
claim for twenty-five hundred dollars.
On returning t0 Sacramento, father and
SON, as the reader Pcrcci>cs' mad the snug
little sum of upwards of twelve thonsaud
dollars to commence with. Had, lIardie,
rs lie honestly m:ended when ut Oregon
cannon, at once embarked i'll trade, he
could have, in Il few months. trcblcd if not
quadrupled his capital, and perhaps in the
course of Il few years returned to the At
lantic States with a fortune quite as large
as he was master of before the mania for
gambling came upon him.
Unfortunately for him, however. before
he had fully arranged his plans, he formed
an acquaintance with a person who, like
himself, had been addicted to gambug,mi
was by him induced to visit the Empire
Saloon, at that time the leading "hcIl' of
the town, Whele faro, mante, rdUge ct noir.
and other games of chance We're openly
PLAYED IA "hcllo where miners, after
months exposure, perhaps sickness and al
ways hard labor, would Loose their hum
drcds and thousands Of dollars in single
night, and tEeu be compelled to rctGrn to
the diggngs with saadcned hearts, to win
from the rivers and hills those smiles which
fortune had denied at the gamblers table
llardic had hardly entered the saloon
when his thirst returned to him, and even
before he was lully conscious of his actions
he found himself seated at a fare table.
Unfortunately again for Hardic he arose
from it the winner Of a thousand dollars
The passinu for gaming once arose i'll
the man. and he could no more restrain
himself from indulging in it than Il broken
down thirsty topper can keep his lips from
tasting the fiery potaton that stimulates
and poisons.
The next night and the next, iIardie
was at the table, noW, however, acc0mpa-
MED by his sou, who, with tears in his eyes,
stood hv the chair in which his father sat
and trembling saw their little capital grad
ually passing into the "bankers' OF the
game, He, paor boy entreated his parent
not to indulge in the wild intoXication, to
save his money, aud if he could not ensag-
III any s.:mate business, either 10 re