New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-04
Three Card Monte ON the Missouri.
From the st. Louis Dispatch.


Very nearly every one knows there is
such a game of chance as three card monte,
but very few know how it ever was intro
duced in this section of country. 1t appears
that during the Mexican war, and when the
American army was encamped near Old
TampicO an old and withered up Mexican,
palsied and lame, lowered along the lines
and won large sums of money by this same
game of monte.
One day the 'Old Wizard" as he was
called by the boys, spread his blanket near
the Second Tennessee infantry, and soon
the soldiers of that regiment fairly swarmed
around him, and handed over their money
with characteristic liberality. Among
others, drummer boy of one of the com
panies became infatuated with the game,
and in the face of the losses he sustained at
every turn of the cards, thought the chances
for winning were decidedly in his favor.
and soon all his money was gone. Then he
borrowed from his comrades till they would
lend him no more, all of which went into
the greasy leather bag carried by the
wizard; then he staked a pistol he carried,
then his blanket, and finally his coats. All
were lost, and the boy was placed on fatigue
duty, and compelled to serve out a three
days sentence for losing his blanket and
coat.
After getting out of this scrape he was in
no time laundering after his pet game, and
one day laying on the grass he was watch
ing the game closely but he had mary a
stake to put up" He remained until the
close of the game. when just as he was pre-
pairing to leave the wizard got his eye on
him, and muttered out in half Spanish, half
American, You d-n little fool, if you had
any more money would you bet" Every
cent" was the quick answer of the boy.
This reply so pleased the gambler that he
took the boy by the hand and told him he
would make his fortune. He then explained
the game of three card monte to the drum
mer, and planted the seed that has since
made many poor wretch's heart ache over
losses of hard earnings and sent many
poor woman and her children hungry to
bed. 1t was but a short time before the
drummer boy became an adept of this 1--WE
might say) Western game
Shortly after returning from Mexico, and
when the California gold fever was at its
height, this drummer boy of the chapparel,
then about twenty-one years of age, came
to st. Louis, and, under the name of Abel
Deekman, took the steamer Banner State
for WestpOrt Landing, with the intention of
going to the land of gold.
On the trip up the river the boat was
crowded with Adventures, on their wav TO
California, most of whom were provided
with plenty of money; which they spent
freely, and gambling was carried on extern
sively, Young Deekman thought he would
try his monte game with the passengers,
and his success was so great that on arriv-
ing at WestpOrt he changed his mind. and
concluded to run the river
The old citizens of Westport, and it's land
ing, now Kansas City, will remember the
old days of 1859, when the steamboat COM
petition was so lively-when the steamers
Banner State, +. Y. Aubrey, Polar Star,
Evening Star, and others, were crowded
with passengers on every trip, and with
their bands of music and gay parties
aboard made the river trade what it never
was before, and, in all probability, never
will be again; when dollars were as plenty
as dimes are now, and money was distri-
buted almost as freely as water. Fast men
and Adventures of nearly every class