Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-28
FORTUNES SLAVES.
Queer Characters Who WhOrship the
Goddess ChanCe---The Pet Bird
Of a Gamblers Mistress-.-A
Man Who Had Enough.

AAtAA NA0oN WI DoO wac SaANa AAaN ~
life by the click of faro chips, and rose
from its bier to take a hand in the
game, may be a creature of the poets
imagination, but he is no whit NOR
original or eccentric a character than
one meets every day about the gaming
houses of the metropolis.
The slaves of luck who haunt the
various places where fortune flashes
her elusive temptations from behind
the board of the green cloth, make up
an array as strange as it is numerous.
To an outsider a journey among them
-on a familiar footing, that isis
like a trip among a strange people, and
the tales he hears and the queer men
he meets are experiences which he is
never likely to forget.
MOLLY IsAACs' MOCKING-BIRD.
Among these yarns the Dispatch re-
porter recalls one which is far too
good to be consigned to the limbo of
forgetfulness. The hero of it is or was
Bob Dunn, otherwise known as Bob
Isaacs, for whose murder VIM. j.
Sharkey is now eating the bread Of
exile.
Bob Dunn's or Bob Isaacs' mistress
kept an assignation house in Amity
street, and possessed a mocking-b bird
which she valued as the apple of her
eye. Bob was an inveterate gambler,
and when he was not dealing n
game or another was "bucking the
tiger on his own account. When
ever his luck was bad and he found
himself cleaned out, he laid felonious
hands on the mOcking-bird and carried
it to some neighbOring saloon, where
he invariably secured a loan on it.
Mary's love for the bird was notori-
GUS and no one ever hesitated to ad-
vance from ten to fifty dollars on it,
for its owner was certain to release it
from pawn.
Finally Molly produced a chain and
paddock and secured the cage to the
window ledge at which she was accus-
toned to keep it. Bob returned one
afternoon as usual, penniless, and sued
for a loan. 1t was refused, and he
made his customary break for the bird
cage. Molly chuckled as she heard
him wrestling with the chain and
cursing her precautions, and smiled
blandly on him as he passed out, lcav-
ing the bird still on the perch. The
laugh was on the other side when she
found that the ingenious Bob had
put a stuffed bird into the cage and
carried off the live one under her very
eyes in the crown of his hat.
$500 FROM A sHOE-sTRING.
One of the best known gamblers in
the city rejoices in the soubriquet of
Shoe. string Jack" and the follow
ing explanation of how he came by
the nickname is given as an absolute
fact,
After a steady run Of bad luck, Jack
joined one of the group of lcungers
one sees in every faro bank, playing
short cards for stakes Of all amounts
from a nickel to twenty-five cents, un-
til they raise money enough to buy a
couple of checks and chip in to
the heavier game. One morning he
s~trolled into his usual haunt, a
" game" in Park Place, and an ac-
quaintance challenged him to a game
of seven-up.
Il haven't got any money" said
Jack, I've just spent the last ten
cents had for a pair Of shoe-strings."
We'll, | want a pair of shOe-strings
myself" observed the other, so I'll
put up a dime against them. What
do you say"
Done said Jack.
@The hand was played, and the
owner of the shoe-strings won. On
the next deal he doubled his ten
cents, and on the next won twenty.
When his opponent declared himself
broke, Jacks shoe-strings had Retted
him exactly g.
With this he bought into the faro
game at the next table, and when he
left the place that afternoon had $500
in his pocket.
AN INJURED BLACKLRG.
The proprietor of this same Park
Place gaming-hOuse was a character.
He was one of the best-natured men
in the world while his game was win
ming, and would stand beaming down
on the table most benignantly, but no
sooner did fortune favor any of the
opposition players than his good hui
NOR vanished. To see an outsider
carry away any large amount would
drive him frantic, and he would always
try his best to lure him back to the
table to get even.
One day a Southern gambler sat
down to a game of faro at his place,
and when he cashed in had won nearly
a thousand dollars. Old watched
him roll the bills up and stuff them
into his pocket with fearful eyes, and
when the stranger rose to go cordially
invited him to try some of the elabo-
rate lunch spread in the ante-room.
The winner did ample justice to the
game and salads, washed them down
with a pint of champagne, and lighted
one of his entertainers best cigars.
And now" said old -, who had
been lowering about the table like a
v%ulture about its prey. Now, colonel,
| suppose you'll go back to the game
again.
Not much l WON'T" responded
the colonel, pulling on his oyercoat.
m not n hog know when I've cot
enough
My GodI' groaned old -, as the
stranger went out. THAT fellow will
go and spend hat money, sure"
FISHING A FORTUNE.
There is a gambler in New York,
now out Of the profession" though
he occasinally INDUCES in a tussel with
the animal, made a large fortune out
Of a faro bank. And this fortune, it
is claimed, was reared on the frail
foundation afforded by one miserable