The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-02-06
LUCKY BILL.
BY &. NJ. DAGGETT.

OF all the individuals who figured in
California in early times as desperate
and successful gamblers, or rather as
acknowledgement and French monte
dealers, none were better known than
the subject of this sketch, Lucky Bill.
Many who were in the State as early as
80 or 81 will doubtless remember him.
During the greater portion of these two
years he was resident of Sacramento
City, and almost any day might have
been seen squatted in front of some
gambling house, or near q corner. with
q pile of doubloons beside him, offering
to bet ''two, four or six ounces" that
no one could find the s'little JOKER"
which he was artistically moving about
under the three soups" placed in a row
upon his knee, or which was ingeni-
ously hidden under his thumb nail. In
the spring Of 81, when "thimble-rig-
cling" and French monte were carried
on to their greatest extent, and with
such success, too, that the fraternity
practicing them were enabled to rent
the largest gambling houses in Sacra-
mento, Oee's Exchange), for no other
purpose than that of securing to them
selves the right of exhibiting their
games in front of it. Lucky
Bill occupied stool at the extreme
west end of the porch of the building,
and in two months time made 1874 900.
This sum seems immense for gambler
to make in the short space of sixty days,
yet it is hardly 1.-THE of the amount to
which Lucky Bill victimized the unwary
during the three years preceding the
passage of law by our Legislature, in
1852, prohibiting French monte"
" thimble game, "pick-i'-the loop"
and similar thieving games then prac-
ticed to an alarming extent throughout
almost every portion of the State. Bill
understood his business as we'll as any
one that undertook to Anislead the eve
of the verdant miner; and although his
great success may doubtless be attrib-
uted to the dexterous and well organ
lied gang of hired "cappers," who,
disguised as miners, laborers, traders,
etc., ETC., went from table to table and
from game to game, making sham bets
(Which they generally won) and inviting
the lOokers-on to invest" yet not a
small share was owing to his shrewd
management. Sometimes he would as
sumo such an air of verdancy, and han
die his "cups" SO clumsily, that per-
sons well acquainted with the nature of
this game DIETER, need not say than
with the man dealing it., lmagining that
they had found some one ignorant of
his business, were induced to lay down
few ounces, religiously believing that
an opportunity had at last presented it
self for them to get even with
their previous losses; and others were
ensnared and relieved of many an ounce
by his counterfeiting intoxication, and
recklessly tossing his money around,
and exhibiting " deadwood - Certain.
ties of winning( to their temptation.
One bet generally operated as an eye
opener, however, and relieved the I'M
fortunate loser of any erroneous idea
that appearances may have warranted
him in entertaining respecting Bills
verdancy or intoxication, for the bet al
ways lost.
Bills usual method of attracting GUS
tom was the cry of-"Here, gentlemen,
is a nice, quiet little game, conducted
on the square, and especially recon-
mended by the clergy for it's honesty
and wholesome moral tendencies.
win only from blind men; all that have
two good eyes can win a fortune. You
see, gentlemen, here are three little
wooden cups, and here is a little ball,
which, for the sake of starting the game,
l shall place under this one, as you can
plainly see; and now shall place it
under this, the middle one, merely to
show how much quicker the hand is
than the eye, and, removing it from the
middle, quickly cover it with the other,
thus-and thus-and thus; and now |
will bet two, four, or six ounces that no
gentleman can the first time trying raise
the cup that the ball is under; if he can,
he can win all the money that Bill, by
patient toll and industry, has scraped
together.
What Lucky Bills name was, or what
State he was from, do not know, for
rs scarcely expected to become his
biographer never took the trouble to
ascertain either. The first time l ever
saw him was in the spring of 1851,
although l had often heard of him
before that time. l had been mining
some three or four miles north of Pla.
cerville, and taking a notion into my
head to visit Sacramento, had arrived in
town just in time for the stage. We had
travelled probably six miles, when q
couple OF men presented themselves by
the side of the road and asked passage
lato the city. As there was but one
vacant seat, the driver told them that he
coald not accommodate both of them
unless the passengers were willing,
which was found not to be the case.
Noticing that the travellers looked
wearied, and recognizing one of them,
although he did not remember me,
protested against the decision of the
passengers so strongly and appealed to
their humanity so earnestly, that l at
length secured them seats, although l