Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-09-25
Poker Bills First Attempt at
Preaching the GosPel, and
.EEt5 What Came Of It

Duo ~ 10 hob VI 3 SaiApAiuS tudt WOufu
tell you. The scenes are but dupli-
Gates of those so familiar to every pi-
oneer in the early days of the Union
Pacific railroad.
l was standing in front of the hotel
when my attention was attracted by a
dilapidated, antiquated looking spec
linen of a saloon hummer, who was
passing along the street ringing bell.
At intervals he would cease ringing,
and shout:
Religious racket right away at the
big tent! Roll up, tumble sp, or
slide up on yer years, fur we'll have
bank-up dish o. gospel talk from
Faro Bill-and d-o-o-n-t you forget
it.''
Turning to dapper little gambler
who stood near, asked:
"Who is Faro Bill?'
"Who is he? Well, now, if that
amt the boss play fur high. You kin
break me right here if thought there
was bloke in the mines that didn't
know Bill. He ased to be one O. the
boys, but got capped into religious
game by a slick-tongued gospel sharp
about two months ago. He's chopped
on all his old rackets, an don't stand
in with nothin' now that don't suL y
up Bible or prayer-book in the ] y
out. Billy used to be the boss G. l.
bier of the camp, and warn't afeered
to sit in game with the tiyest sport
that ever slung a card but he's clean
gone on the pious lay now, and seems
to have lost all the good there ever
was in him. The boss mouth-piece of
the heavenly mill has gone down to
Denver, an Bill is a goin' to stand in
an 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 theater, where artists{ y
/ of questionable character performed
acts of still more questionable decen-
cy, and was rented for religious SER
vices every Sunday morning. l found
the tent filled To its utmost capacity
Many had, no doubt, come through
curiosity to see how Bill would de-
port himself in this, his initial sermon.
/ Upon the stage sat u burly, red-faccti
man, with arms folded in careless
manner, who looked over the large
audience with an air of the most de-
cided independence. This was Faro
Bill, the speaker of the occasion.
When lac arose he glanced around the
tent for a moment, evidently collect
ing his thoughts, and began:
! ''Feller citizens, the preacher bein'
absent, it falls on me to take his hand
and play it fur all its worth. You al,
know that I'm just learnin' the camel
an, of course, L may be expected to
make wild breaks, but l don't be-
lieve thar's rooster IN the camp
mean enough to take advantage O.
my ignorance, and cold-deck me
right on the first deal. I'm sincere in
this new departure, an 1 believe I've
struck game that can play cleai
through without without copperin' g
bet, for when man tackles such s
lay out as this, he plays every card
to WIN, and If he goes through the
deal as he orter do, when he lays
down to die, an the last case is ready
to slide from the box, he can call the
turn every time.
Il was readin' in the Bible TO-DAY
that yarn about the Prodigal Son, an
I want to tell yer the story. The
book don't give no dates, but it hap
!, pened long, long ago. This Prodi
gal oon had an old man that put W
the coin every time the kid strucI
, him for stake, an never kicked a
the size of the pile either. l reckon
the old man was pretty well fixed, an
when he died he intended to give al
| his wealth to this kid an his brother
t Prod give the old man little gam
r o talk one day, and injuced him t,
1 whack up in advance of the dealt
5 racket. He'd no sooner got his div,
f in his fist than he shook the old maj
] an struck cut to take in some o. tn
other camps. He he'd way-up tim
I for a while, an siung his cash to tn
) front like he owned the best payin
lead on earth +; but hard luck hit hir
e lick at last an left him fiat. TIL
t book don't state what he went brok
: on, but reckon he got steered u
a agin some brace game. But anyhow
he got left without chip, or a foul
e bit piece to go an eat on. An oil
1 granger then tuck him home an Sc
l. him to herdin' hogs, and here he &C
: so hard up an hungry that he pipe
4 off the swine while they were feedin
e an he stood in with 'em on a hus
+. lunch. He soon weakened on sue
e plain provender, an says to himself
{ says he: ''Even the old lman's hire
l hands are livin' on square grub, Will
e I'm worryin' along here on corr
a liusks straight III Just take gran
l. tumble to myself an chop on tn
), racket at once. I'll skip back to Il
y governor and try to fix things up,an
cali fur n new deal. sooffhe started
tsrhe old man seed the kid con
. ing and what do We reckon he die
,e Did he pull his gun and lay for hin
intending to wipe him as soon as
= got in range! Did he call the dogs
n n chase him off the rancheI Did
Il hustle around. for club an give hi
II a stand-ofF at the front gate? Eel
al Not to any alarming extent he didn'
Z < No, SIR! The Scripture. hoax says
J, Y waHz zed ont to meet hins and froze
'assIsim on the SPOT, and kissed him, al
lhen marched him TO a clothing sto
IliI and fitted him out In the nosbiest /
" to be had FOR coin. Then the old ge
&c invited all the neighbors and killed
ir fat calf, and gave the biggest blowo
err the camp ever seed s
idI At the conclusion Of the narrativ
rs the speaker paused, evidently framii
: =, III ,,,;aasl. ..<roya ~ d rrr4siration