The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-12-29
A Leadville Incident.

The following incident 10 the history of
the famous Texas gambling house which
was recently destroyed by fire is related by
the Denver Tribune:
1t was nothing less than Partisan ban
quet. Invitations to it were not only sought,
but having been obtained the receiver felt
honored and 1attered. II is doubtful if, in
the history of mining camp gambling,
grander or more complete affair was ever
had. At the table there were seated about
forty men in full dress. And that in pioneer
| Leadville. The party represented at the
| lowest calculation $4,000, 600. Men who
are now prominent politicians, men who are
now high office holders, meu who owned
carbonate mines with their hidden millions,
and men who managed the principal stock
concerns of the camp, were there eongregaf-
ed. From O'Clock in the evening until
O'Clock the following morning, high revelry
was had. Songs were sung, toasts were made,
stories were told, but during all these hours
not SO much as the playing of cards was sug
gested.
On the floor beneath, the roulette man
rolled the little white ball, and the poor play
er saw his last quarter of a dollar disappear
from the red spot. With despair in his soul
and poverty in his pockets, he walked out
into the night to find some place where he
| could sit within the warmth of bar-room
| fire and sleep. The faro dealer passed The
| chips to ard fro from the rack, and the
layers one by one s'weLt broke" or
'cashed il" and sought other places. The
restless tide eff cheap humanity came and
| went. and the twenty five and ten cent
| games moved on as if forever. The feast a.
| bove was concealed page in the volume of
that nights life. The mllionaires Toasted.
| wined and toasted. and thought no more #
the struggling mass Of poverty, depravity
| and emotions beneath them, than if they
were the Inhabitants f a distant land.
| After fourteen courses, half as mauy
| wines and cOgnac and coffee. what would be
more natural and becoming than the light
turning of ones mind to excitement, cards,
| faro-anythiug that had a chance in il.
Some one suggested, and theu some one ex-
| plored, and few minutes later the major
| portion of the distinguished guests had TAX
| en- possession of Pentland's apartments.
The faro game was quietly progressing
| First one and then another took seat to
watch the cases, and soon all were playing
| Some had systems, but most of them had
! more money than what is considered skill,
and bet caFelessly and recklessy. 1t was a
big game. The ''ivory whites'' sold at a
| dollar and a quarter, and the cry was sno
| limit
'.Well if Idon't win again; Sc. therer
would exclaim w9ll-known judge, as he
moved the pay for $500 bet from off the
| layout and placed the stack on fresh card.
"There we are again; din you ever see
| anything like it?'' would another player
murmur, as he stacked up his winnings.
ture single bet Everybody 66ann tdeR af tsaD
won. Deal after deal, the game never varied
in favor of the ''bank;;' and even an lmpe-
| cunious reporter of the Herald, inspired by
the surroundings, put down S. which he had
| laid aside to pay ON his weeks board, and
during deal won $145. There Pentland
| sat, moving the cards out of the box, pays
| ing off aud passing out the unlucky card
| that lost him thousands, the smile never de-
parting from his face He never murmur-
ed, and disastrously though the cards were
coming, when the lucky judge excited by
success desired to place thousand dollars
| on the king "to win," Pentland said: "Why,
Of course, bet ten thousand if you wish"
The king won.
Several times the rack was stripped of chips
and those in the hands of the players had to
| be bought ire
The game did not last long-not more
| than hour. Not man left the table loser
After the guests had departed, Pentland
| and his assistant sat down to bottle of ex-
ira dry and talked about everything but the
| losses. The writer was present
"What did you lose, Pentland2" was ask
| ed.
"Oh, couple of thousand; it don't
amount to anything" he said. ST rather
enjoyed the losing;it was a jolly good crowd
| of fellows that got away with it."
While Pentand was looking up another
| bottle of wine, the assistant feared over and
| whispered: John never talks about his
game, but, between us, the sport tonight
cost him $30,00O.''
This was the biggest nights play ever had
| In Leadville.