The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-07-28
From the Card Table to the Pulpit.

The interest in the Sea Cliff meetings
has been greatly increased since yester-
day by the arrival on the grounds of Mr..
G. Z. Burlington, who, although still a
young man, was for years one of the
most notorious gamblers in the West.
One year ago this month he was con-
verified by Mrs. Van Colt, in Davenport,
Iowa, and since that time he has been a
most earnest worker in the cause of
Christianity. The story of his life,
could it be published in full, would be a
thrilling romance. He is about thirty
years of age, and was born in Bradford,
Pa. When eight years old he was
sent to boarding school at Oswego.
Here ne was indicted by his school
mates into the mysteries of small games
of chance. One of his first experiences
in these was to lose his aCk- knife.
Determined TO make good his loss, he
persevered in his petty gambling until he
was the possessor of twelve jack knives.
At the age of fourteen he was sent to
Waverley, N. D., to. school, and here
he conducted his gambling operations
on a larger scale. He soon made the
acquaintance Of professional gamblers,
and was by one of them taken to Pitts
burgh, and there was introduced to the
fraternity, and initiated INTO all their
secrets. Joining himself to one of the
most skiliful of these, he travelled West
with him, and, being young and appar-
emily innocent, acted most successfully
as stoolpigeon for his companion.
They sought the far West, and became
noted in Omaha, Julesburg Cheyenne,
and the various termini of the Union
Pacific Railroad, then in process of con-
struction. In these places Mr. Buffing-
ton travelled under the names of Butler,
Morton, Schuyler and Elwell, by some
of which names he is still well remem-
bered by many of his victims.
During this wild life he met with the
most desperate adventures and was at
one time shot in the head in Julesburg
dance and abandoned for dead
His partner was killed in a drunken
brawl, and he, having amassed consid-
cradle amount of money, decided to go
East. He returned to his mothers home
in Susquehanna, Pa, and began the
study of law. Being terribly dissipated,
and engaging in every kind of wicked
ness, he soon found himself compelled
to quit the town, which he did at night,
going to Cleveland Here he spent q
night in a saloon, in which he was
drugged and robbed. Finding himself
in a lumber yard next morning he swore
never to touch another drop of liquor, an
oath which he kept. To recover his lost
fortune he again put into practice his
old gambling tricks. To carry these out
the more successfully he became travel
ing agent for sewing machine COM
pany. He operated extensively in Iowa,
and was well known in II in Des
Moines as Harry Dunlap, the son of
Baltimore banker. Sunday, the Sd of
June, last year, he spent with COM
panion in German beer garden across
the river, and on their return in the
evening they intended to visit the Ger
man Theater but instead of 50 doing
strolled, out Of curiosity, into a Methodist
church, where Mrs. Van Colt was con-
Quoting revival meeting While lis
tening to her Mr.. Burlington, or Knapp,
as he was then known, suddenly realized
the horrible wickedness of the life he
was leading, and moved by impulse,
stepped to the front, confessed his crimes,
and declared that from that time forth
he would devote his life to God He has
for the past year been successfully con
Quoting revival meetings in the West.
He thinks that he will ultimately Join
the ministry. He is a thorough gentle
man, well educated, and of proposes
ing appearance. He is the most effective
worker that has yet appeared at this
camp meeting, and is doing much good.
He is accompanied by his co-laborer and
former fellow-sinner, Mr.. G. H. Oliver,
another of Mrs. Van Colts young
converts.-SeG Clif Ger. ~ T. Sun.