The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-03-26
HOW POKER BILL MADE HIS MARK
AS AN EVANGELICAL Elk
HORTER.
The Story of the Prodigal Son, as Told in
Mining Camp-Settling a Little
Disturbance in Meeting
The Art of Boarding
House Keeping.

Correspondence Carbon (Wyoming) Journal.
OF course went to Leadville, that
wonderful Mushroom city, which can
boast of the most rascally gamblers,
hardest drinkers, checklist bummers and
vilest prostitutes in creation. Ones
first impulse upon arriving in town is to
start out and see the sights-to gaze in
upon the many gambling hells where
money is ever changing hands upon the
turn of a card. Above the sharp click
ing of the ivory checks can be heard
the voices of dealers calling upon the
players to "Make your bets, gentlemen"
while notes of exultation and curSing
came forth in strange chorus, uttered by
those who lose and those who win
But II is not of gambling that I would
tell you The scenes are but duplicates
of those SO familiar to every pioneer 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 speci-
men of saloon hummer, who was pass
ing along the street ringing bell. AT
intervals he would cease ringing and
shout:
"Religious racket right away at the
big tent Roll up, tumble up, or slide
up on yer years, fur we'll have bang
up dish O. Gospel talk from Faro Bill
an d-o-o-o-n't you forget it -
Turning to dapper little gambler
who stood near, l asked:
"Who is Faro Bill? ?"
"Who is he? Well, now, if that amt
the bess play fur high. You kin break
me right here if l thought there was a
bloke in the mines that didn't know
Bill. He used to be one O. the boys,
but got capped into religious game by
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 show up a Bible
or prayer-book in the layout. Billy
used to be the boss gambler of the camp
and want afeared to sit in game with
the fyest 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 goin' to
stand in an sling Gospel to the boys as
we'll as he cam"
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 CD of
questionable character performed acts
of still more questionable decency, and
was rented for religious services every
Sunday morning. found the tent
filled to its utmost capacity. Many
had, no dosbt, come through curiosity
to see how Bill would deport himself in
this, his initial sermon. Upon the stage
sat burly, red-faced man, with arms
folded in careless manner, who looked
over the large audience with an air of
the most decided independence. This
was Faro Bill, the speaker of the occa-
sion. When he arose he glanced around
the tent for moment, evidently col
lecting his thoughts, and began:
"Feller citizens, the preacher bein'
absent, it falls on me to take his hand
and play it fur all it is worth. You all
know that I'm just learnin' the game,
an, of course, may be expected to
make wild breaks, but l don't believe
there's a rooster in the camp mean
enough to take advantage O. my ignor-
ance an cold-deck me right on the first
deal. I'm sincere in this new depar-
ture, an / believe I've struck game
can play clear through without copper
in a bet, for when a man tackles such
a layout 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.
81 was readin' in the Bible to-day
that yarn about the Prodigal Son, an |
want to tell you the story. The book
don't give no dates, but it happened
long, long ago. This Prodigal Son had
an old man that put up the coin every
time the kid struck him for stake, an
never kicked at the size of the pile
either. I reckon the old man was pur-