The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-08-19
4 TIE LIST DE41.
Tho Cpnfession Of IL Reformed Gamblor--6
sIght thNt Nude Him Swear orr torarcr3

81 never dealt again!n
These words fell from the lips of s
gentleman well known in LeadvilIc
yet few recognize in The elegant, easy
going man who now commands the re-
spcct Of his fcllow-citizcns, the ono.
cool-hcadcd, impcrturbable gambler
who, in his day, figured prominen!l,
along tho Pacific coast, and was almost
universally recognized as the slrowd
est faro dealer in tho West.
t"As for tho games morality, that's
neither here nor there. When dealt
upon tho squire it is much like any
other game. II is not to bo thought
that the law will hinder men bit
ifthey want to play, and often thoy
arc forever cured Of playing wheil
They find it doesn't pay. L dealt the
game for twenty years, but I'vc quit
now. l mado nothing, nor lost any.
thing, and, but for sight l once saw
| should probably be gambler still.
Hereby hangs tale. Lot mo tell it:
"Somc three years ago ran u high
toned game at certain place you pro
badly know, for it strikes me 1 saw
you there. 1t was u square game, as
L Will leave any ono to say-a thriving
game, for l dealt for half The bloods ii,
town, and ofton had as many as five
lay-outs ut time, with too much busi-
ness on hand to even get timo to rest.
Omc evening young chap strolled in,
with sort Of curious stare upon his
face, and l concluded right there that
lo was u green. lIo was fair haired
and hada pair of blue cyes and clear
cut fcaturcs-m Innocent looking
young fellow if ever [ sNw one. Il
only required n glance to convince yo,
! that ho was stranger in The gambling
room. lie soon was ut home, though,
for saw in his blue eyes tho love of
play, and after that evening ho was q
constant visitor" lie played his pile
right up and up and never growlcd if
his luck was hard, and on every card
he'd stack thc limits up in blue. Take
| altogether, his luck was hartl-somc-
times the hardest think, l ever saw.
Eve known him to lose at II single deal
seven double shots.
"Busincss for me, Of course, but
sometimes 1t almost seemed too bad.
! couldn't saya word, though, and /
liked the boy. | think from the tlay
nc began he must have dropped cool
Slo0,000 on the game, and llc never
gr0wlcu.
eve both quit gambling tho same
niGlt- he, poor lad, for u sufficient
reason, and |, because loathcd the
game. 1t was this wise:
lis coin gave ont in deal or two
ana nc put up diamond ring Just to
SEQ his luck out, you know. The
chips soon went. lie hada pin, Il
taming stone in massive metal.
lie passed that III without word, and
, drew $500 cold. SO help me God! |
wished him luck as heartily rs any
player there; hut no, his last stack
went my way ona losing ace. lie
drew $500 more, think, on his watch
and chain, and tried his line of bets
again, but his luck was gone. My
God! III never forget The palc haygaril
look that crossed his face, but he was
game. lie never uttered II word, and
kept bis chair like \ pillow Of stone,
FOR n moment hr seemed to dNZc at his
rcvcrscs, but suddenly his eve caught
the thin, worn circlct Of dull gold on
, his little finger. lie looked at il lit.
!H'S."l\"ptH,n.3"o' o'' Jar9Mo Ath9t Grim,
clrclct seemed to even faster than the
ilaShing gem he had passed in before
ilcat last stripped it otfhis finger and
iEthucd II to me. 1t came reluctantly,
this worn old ring. 'What can have
on thiST nc asked. Il don't know
what ms value is, but I'll redeem il
'irSi otall.' Ii might have cost five
dollars new. but it was worthless
then, StilLcl passed ont iitv stack
III return. lust to let him try again.
ne piankcd il down in the pot, and
thcn low upon the table he laid his
lace upon his folded arms. Wen, for
Il wonder, his luck changed, and lie
won three times. lie took no notice OF
me rs told him when The limit barred
aEd SO We played two fifty on each
card. Would you believe it? In the
'teai the pot won ont and never lost |
;Nnd still he lay with his face hid in
his arm. The deal was out and shook
nm up, started back in horror at the
CLASSY expression OF his cyos, for the
boy was dead!
"l'vc often wondered to myselfsin
that night what thoughts were tlittin"
through his brain. as he bowed his
head and hid his face from our sight,
what pledges Ola better life, regrets
Tor Il fortune he had thrown away
with lavish hand. and loathing of his
irrcVocablc course. Who can tell?
we can but guess at them, but may
ncNcr lCcl. Ills face showed wears of
he'll endured in that brief game but il
Was not until the coroncl's Jury SAT
that | learned all. Before them was
ucvclorcd the fact that the ring which
had changed his luck, as il did his OK
iStrncc, was one given him bv his dear
dead mother years before. Poor boy !!
never dealt again"
TIE CONDITION or TIE CROpS.
NeP"rt OF Our Department Of Agriculture
Tor tho hl"nth ofJuly--A Fine Outlook
III" General Corn and Cotton Crop.
COLUMBIA, August 1i.-Thc month
~ report of the department of arricul
turc for July. issued to-day, gives the
following information as TO the condi-
tion ofthc principal crops of tho State
at the close of that month:
CoHN.--Thc late planted crop is in
most of tlc counties in better condition
than in June, but the early crop was
%cncraliy too much injured by the