The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-01-30
LOSING 500, 900 AT FARO.
The Remarkab Career of Lucky Bill.
the Gambler.
Ran PrAnciaca Golden Era.

The Re mars able Career of Lucky BILL Is
The Gambler,
San Fra.ciscs Golden Era.
Of all the individuals who figured in
California in early times as desperate and
successful gamblers, or rather as "thim.
BILE Triggers" and French monte dealers,
none were better known than the sub
ject of this sketch. Many who were in
the state as early as 1850 or 1851 will
doubtless remember him. During the
greater portion of these two years he was
a residentof Sacramento City, and almost
any day might have been seen squatted
in front of some gambling house, or near
corner, with a pile of doublOons beside
him, offering TO bet "two, four or six
ounces" that no one could find the ''little
Joker" which he was artistically moving
about under three "cups" placed in row
upon his knee, or which was ingeniously
hidden under his thumb nail. In the
spring of 1851, when misunderstanding
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
house in Sacramento (Lee Exchange),
for no other purpose than that of securing
to themselves 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 $4,000. This sum
seems immense for a 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 dur
ing the three years preceding the passage
of a law by our legislature, in 1852, pro
hibiting "French mente," "thimble
game" "pic-r-the-loup," and similar
thieving games then practiced to an
alarming extent throughout almost every
portion of the state.
Bill understood his business as well as
any one that undertook to mislead the eye
of the verdant miner and, although his
great success may doubtless be attributed
to the dextrous and well-orgsnized gang
of "cappers," who, disguised as miners,
iaborers, traders, etc, went from table
TO table and from gsme to game, making
sham bets (which they generally won),
and inviting the lookers-on to "invest,"
yet not small share of it was owing to
his shrewd management. Sometimes he
would assume such an air OF verdancy,
and handle his "cups" so clumsily, that
persons well acquainted with the nature
of the game (better, l need not say, than
with the man dealing with it), imagining
that they had found some one ignorant
of his business, were induced to lay
down few noes, religiously believing
that an opportunity had at last pre-
sented itself for them to get even with
their previous losses; and others were
ensnsred and relieved of many an ounce
by his cOunterfeiting intOxicatiOn and
recklessly tossing his money around, and
exhibiting "desd wood " (certainties OF
winning) to their temptation. One bet
generally operated as an eye-Opener,
however, and relieved the unfortunate
loser Of any erroneous idea that appear
auces may have warranted him in en-
terrain ng respecting Bills verdancy or
intoxication, fer the bet always lost.
Bilrs usual method of attracting Gus
tom was the cry of " Here, gentlemen, is
nice, quiet little game conducted on
the square, and especially recommended
By the clergy for its honesty and whole.
some moral tendencies. | win only from
blind men; all that have two good eyes
can win fortune. You see, gentlemen.
here are three little cups, and here is a
little ball, which, for the sake of starting
the game, shall plaza under this one,
as you cal plainly see; and now | shall
place it under this, the middle ore.
merely to show how much quicker the
hand is thsn the eye, and, removing it
from the middle, quickly cover it with
the other, thus-aud thus and thus
and now | will bet two, TOUR or six ounces
that no gentleman can, the fast tima
irving, raise the cup that tie ball Is
under anu he can, he can win all the
money that Biz, 10y patient till aud
industry, his scrsped together"
Whist Lucky Bills name was, or what
state he was from, do not know, for, as
l scarcely expected to become his biog-
rspher, l never took the trouble to
ascertain either. The first time 1 ever
saw him was in the spring of 1851, al
though had often heard of him be ore
that time. l had been mining some
three or tour miles north of PlAcerville,
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