Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-04-05
CALIFORNIA MONTE.
High Betting During the Famous
Flush Days.

Monte was the great California game
big stake made or lost at II"
'.what was the biggest single bet You
ever saw made?"
Sixteen thousand dollars. There was
a little gambler in Frisco who used to
deal it; Sandy jackson was his name.
He came, il / am not mistaken, from
somehere in New England. George
Walton, the banker, wandered into his
place q littl full one night, and, after
looking around rather unsteadily for .
moment laid his hand on Ssndy's shout
der and said;
SANDY, how much in the bank to.
nighty ~
the new comer's handsome, Intelligent,
but rather dissipated looking face.
Sandy took stock Of his pile. 1t had
been lucky night for him. "A thou
sand ounces, he replied t$l6, ,O0O)
".Will you take a tap, Sandyf asked
the banker. II. ,. .s.
s'Sandy seemed TO study for . mo-
nient. He was evidently . little stag
gered at the reckless proposition. The
lights shone full on his peaked, old-man-
ish features (he was barely turned of 20)
countless freckles, sandy hair and little
twinklihg ferret's eyes. He fixed his
gaze on the window 80 intently that his
eyes seemed to pierce the psnes and the
darkness beyond to seek some far sway
object; his hands opened and shut nerv-
ously. Suddenly the lines about his
mouth lighted; be leaned back in his
chair. and, turning his face to look up
at Walton, uttered the word, YEA
'The banker seemed little surprised.
He evidently did not think his offer
would be accepted. Still he was too
proud and too game . man to weaken
now. SO he walked over to side table.
and, drawing blank check from his
pocket book, filed II In for the amount
named, scribbled his name at the bottom
and tossed it over TO Sandy with The re-
mark, IL that all right?
SANDY glanced ct it. sAH right, l
guess, he rhuttered; does it 90?
'.The banker nodded. The gamblers
at the other tables stopped playing and
clustered around this ono to see the re-
suit. In monte the first card shown Is
for the dealer, tho second for the player.
Sandy turned mp two-the first was .
queen, the second nine. Whichever
came first now would win. Sandy placed
them next each other, few inches apart.
The room was as still a. death.
SANDY gave q quick glance arouqd
the gallery and then began to pull ay
the cards from the bottom one by oil
He was - white as ghost. but other
wise betrayed no emotion, nor would any
one have supposed that all he had in the
world was ct stake. s
1.-The excitement grew intense o. card
after card was removed and not Z uine
nor face card showed itself. Zen,
deuce, eight four. ace. six--a dozsn or
more cards had been shown, when sandy
paused; the card beneath the one be wss
pulling had thin layer OF color along
IL sdgs--it must be face card. but was
It . queen, or only jack or king!
''eandy paused, aud, taking his hand
ksrchief out Of his pocket, passed il
lightly over his face andstcr agkihst the
AasSn, card and AZ 1t slowly yielded
hoarse voice behind SAndy's chair called
out: "A queen, by
"Sandys face was the color Of ashes,
but all he said was:
81 leave for the States in the
mornin'.' .s.-f
''Thsn he picked up the check, and.
folding II up carefully, placed it IN en-
enormous red morocco pocket-book.
Games closed for tonight. he remark
ed, in answer to . question. Come,
boys, let's 70 to the Belle of the West
and I'll set up the wine for the crowd.
''As the boys iilsd down the creaking
stairway, one very old, white haired
gambler whispered to another loud
enough for me to hear:
1.-THE rlickest | ever see. Must
done II when he wiped his face on that
thar Handkerchief. = Phila. Times.