, 1884-08-23
WINNING TO LOSE.
After One Lucky Play a Gambler
Leaves the City.
His Wife and Child Abandoned and
Left Destitute.
Education and Ability That End In
a vagabond Career.


Alex Wallace, who, with his wife and
child, has lived on Eddy street. Wallace,
while recognized as a gambler, could hard
" be called one, but rather was n sort of
incidental sport Of the kind commonly
known as a 'tin-horn artist a name
given to that branch Of the sporting fra
ternity who are habitually penniless but
who still affiliate with the men of the
green baise and the ivory checks. Wal
lace, while a quiet and orderly man,
seemed to be lacking in ambition and that
characteristic known as go-aheaditiveness
was never mentioned in the listof his lido
syncrasies.
Few have known anything about him,
and his departure from the city would be
calculated to cause a void not easily filed.
For a long time he has been in that
serio-comic financial condition which a
Western vocabulary has described by the
one word broke" How he lived and
by what means he supported his family
were secrets known to but a few acquaint-
ances and are not of especial interest in
connection with this article. Suffice it to
say, therefore, that Wallace had been
broke for some time until a few nights
ago, when he CHANGED to make a fairly
respectable winning. Shortly after ac-
-quiring the money mentioned Wallace
disappeared from the city.
Now there is nothing especially start
ling in the fact that 4 gambler leaves the
city directly after a successful sitting at a
card table. In fact such a moment is the
one usually selected for starting upon a
journey, but certain attending facts and
circumstances give to the conduct of
Wallace an interest ordinarily lacking in
cases of a similar kind.
Some years ago Alex. Wallace,
who is the son of a well-known mining
expert, held the position of confidential
assayer in the Office Of a smelter in Salt
Lake City, his salary being about two
hundred and fifty dollars a month. he
alleges that his health was injured during
his engagement at the smelter, and that,
after several unsuccessful attempts to con-
tinue in his profession, he was obliged to
permanently abandon it. Others, who
seem to be informed of what they speak,
give different reasons for the cessa-
ton of his labon in Utah, but, be
that as it may, he drifed out
into the sporting world and has never
since earned his living in a legitimate
business.
While at Salt Lake be met a young
lady, a mere girl in fact Wallace was a
handsome, stylish fellow. and readily won
the esteem of the girl. She was the
daughter of people in good standing and
was, at that time, not quite IS years of
age. Acting in accordance with the
wishes of Wallace she left the convent in
which she had been placed for instruction
and married him. The marriage was
looked upon with anything but favor by
the friends of the girl and Wallace. after
escaping assassination several times. was
obliged to flee from the city.
Of the lite Of Wallace and his gih-wife
since that time we have nothing to do,
and the years which have PASSED since
that event will be unrecorded save by a
reference to the birth of a child, which
occurred some four years ago.
When Wallace left the city the other
night he knew that the young woman,
who had left home and friends and com
fort and the delights of society, at a time
when all of the exterior relations of a girl
are most keenly enjoyed, that she might
share with him privation and the neglect
of the world, was deserted in want and
suffering. He knew that his beautiful
chill and its mother were helpless in the
strife for life, and be still further knew
that while he was dissipating away his
money his wife was lying upon a bed
of sickness without any luxuries. and in
deed, without needed comforts, to lighted
the burdens of pain that alike weighed
heavily upon her body and her heart.
Kind and wealthy people, who have a
right to take the initiative in the matter,
are now providing for the deserted woman
and her child, but had not such friends
been found the charity of strangers, which
is so often but a cold, critical and prying
charity, would be necessary to a V them
from actual starvation.
1t is thought that Wallace has gone to
Colorado. He has been in trouble along
the line of the Union Pacific and also at
Denver, and it is not thought he will long
tarry in the middle Rocky mountain
region.
Thus passes from sight n mar who is
still young and who began life with educa-
ton, wealth. position and influential
friends and who has sacrificed all that men
hold dear for the baser joys Of the dram
shop and the excitements OF the gaming
table.
A New Nationality.
The Evening Meios, Sydney, N. s.. W.,
Australia, says editorially ut has mys-
tilted doctors, delighted sufferers and dis.
PEELED the doubts Of the most i%ncredulous.
Its virtues are praised by thousands who