Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1879-09-20
LEADvILLE PlETY.
Respect of the Gospel Maintained With
Rev0lVers.

Of course went to Leadville that won
q derful mushroom city which can boast
of the most rascally gamblers, hardest
drinkers, checklist bummers. and the
yileSt prostitutes in creation. ones hrst
impulse upon arriving in the town Is to
start out and see the sights Ito gaze In up
on the many gambling hells, where money
is ever changing hands upon the turn OF
card. Above the sharp clicking of the
iyory checks can be heard the voices of
the dealers calling upon the players to
"make your bets, gentlemen" while notes
ejaculation and cursing come forth in
strange chorus, uttered by those who lose
and those who win. But it is not of gam
bling thatI would tell you. The scenes
are but duplicates of those so familiar
to every pioneer in the early days of the
Union Pacific Railroad. .slz,5
l was standing in front of the hotel,
when my attention was attracted by a
dilapidated, antiquated-l Hooking specimen
of saloon hummer, who was passing
along the street ringing bell. AT in
teryals he would cease ringing, and
shout: .-.,r -,,..-l..
Religious racket right away at the
big tentl Roll up, tumble up, or slide
dish o. gospel talk from Faro Bill; and
d-,-O-O-n't you forget itF' .a
Turning to dapper little gambler who
stood near, asked: .- {
"WhO is this Faro Bill"
'.WhO is he? Well now, if that amt
the boss play for high. You can break
M, right here if thought there was a
bloke in the mines that didn't know Bill.
He used to be one of the boys, but got
capped into a religious game by slick
tongue gospel shark about two months
ago. He's chopped On all his old rackets,
an don't stand in with nOthin' now
that don't show up bible or prayer
book in the layout. Billy used to be
the boss gambler of the camp, and wasn't
6afeared to sit in game with the fiyeSt
sport that ever slung card; but he's
clean gone on the piOus lay now, and
seems to have lost all good there was
ever in him. The boss mOuthpiece of
the heavenly mill has gone down to Dem
yer, an Bill is going to stand in and
sling gospel to the boys as well as he
can"
This explanation, given in the most
earnest tones, started me instanter- for
the big tent. 1t was used at night for
~ variety theatre, where artists () of
questionable character performed acts
of still more questionable decency, and
was rented for religious services every
Sunday morning. / found the tent fill
ed to its utmost capacity. Many had, no
doubt, come through curiosity to see how
Bill would deport himself in this, his
initial sermon. Upon the stage sat a
burly red-faced man, with arms folded
in a careless manner, who looked over
the vast audience with an air of the
most decided independence. This was
Faro Bill, the speaker of the occasion
' When he arose he glanced around the
tent for moment, evidently collecting
his thoughts, and began:
Fellow citizens: The preacher beln'
absent, it falls on me to take it for all
it's worth. You all know that Pm just
larnin' the game, an of course, may
be expected to make wild breaks, but
don't believe thar'S rooster in the
+ camp mean enough to take advantage OF
e nv ignorance, and cold deck me right
on the first deal. Pm sincere enough in
this new. departure, an 1 believe I've
struck game that / can play clear
through without cOppering bet, fol
when man tackles such lay out as
this, he plays every card to win, an If he
goes through the deal as he Orter do
when he lies down to die, an the last
case is ready to slide from the box, he
can tell the turn every time.
81 was readin' in the Bible to-day that
yarn about the Prodigal Son, an | want
tell yer the story. The book don't give
no dates, but it happened long, long ago
This PrOdigal Son had an old man thai
nut up the coin every time the kid strucl
: him for a stake, an never kicked at thu
size Of the pile either. reckon the ole
man was purity well fixed, and when hi
died intended to give all his wealth tt
this kid an his brother. Prod gave the
old man little game o. talk one day
aud injuced him to whack up in advance
o. the death racket. He'd no sooner got
his dizzy in his fist than he shook the old
man an struck out to take in some O. the
other camps. He he'd a way-up time fuI
awhile, an slung his cash to the front
like he owned the best payin' lead Oh
airth; but hard luck hit him lick at last
an left him fiat. The book don't state
what he went broke on, but / reckon hi
gOt steered up agin some brace game
But. ANYHOW. he got left without chip
or fOur-bit piece to go an eat on. Al
old granger then TUX him home, an Sc
him to herdin' hogs, an here he got 81
hard up an hugry that he piped Off TIT
swine while they were Ieeuln aH LII
stood i'm with 'em on husk lunch. Ill
soon weakened on such plain prOylnder
an says to himself, says he. Even tn
old mans hired hands are llyln' on squar'
grub while Pm worrying along here OF
corn husks straight. I'll just take
grand tumble to myself an chol
on this racket at once. I'll skip back t.
the governor an try to fix things up, an
call fur a new DEAL so eff he started:
"The old man seed the kid a coming
an what do We reckon he done? Did b
null his gun an lay fur him, intending
to wipe him out as soon as he got int
range? Did he call the dogs to chas
him off the ranch? Did he rustic arOunl
for club an give him stand-Off at tn
back gate? Eli? Not to any alarming
state he didn't. No, sir. The Scripture
book says he waltzed out to meet him
I, and frOze to him on the spot, and kissed
him. and then marched him off to /;
clothing store and fitted him out in tn,
nobbiest rig to be had fur coin. TheI
the old gent invited all the neighbOrs