Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-07-27
AN OLD RIVER SPORT.

Eourgo Devol. n Once Famous Gamble1
 on Western Stoamboats.
 A representative of a generation fast dying out was in Memphis the other day. It Is generation of men that hoUrished and decayed with the steamboat interest on tho southwestern rivers, and though not con- mendable from the moralist's point of view they were an interesting part of life from Cincinnati to New Orleans score or two years ago. The visitor, says the Memphis Avalanche, was man of sixty, well pre- served and stoutly built, with hairy, mus cular hands; a big head, from which time Is plucking the strands of sandy hair, a short beard of the same color tinged with gray, and gray eyes, with the quick, keen glance peculiar to men who have carried their lives in their hands and who search in that swift moment the features of people they meet for the first time. It was George Devol, an Ishmaelite of the Ishmaelites, for forty years the king of the river gamblers, who in his eventful career has seen more of the seamy side of existence on and along'the Mississippi than any other living man, and whose name is as familiar as pig tracks to people who have travelled on the great river before and since the war.
 "Every body gambed," he said, as he sat in the office, "and all had stuff to lose. 1 handled every sort of tools them days monte, faro, roulette, short cards and every thing you wanted to bet on. I had the 'privilege' of all the big boats runnin' out of Orleans, and it wasn't much of 8 week when didn't draw out five or ten thousand. Now Pm glad to get hundred sellin' book. It was the monte that used to slay the most lambs, though. It was so simple, you see, and they all just knew they could beat it. It caught the fellers with the big wallets that thought they could bust any little machine like that. Did they ever bust itl Well, not as I remember. It wasn't built that way. Yes, Eve been pretty hard one.
 s'One thing I can say that lots of men that think they arc better than mo can't-I never beat friend, or anybody that knew and liked. I never would give up money that won when there was bluff made. but many's the thousand dollars I've given back to men that couldn't afford to lose it, and many's the time I've given back dia- monds and such to ladies on boats when their husbands would lose lem to me- Fightss Well, rather.
 s'I'vo been cut and slashsl and shot all over, but I'm here yet, you see. Look at that gash on my throat; see that wrist shot all to flinders; and there's plenty more signs where you can't see lem. My main holt in rough and tumble fight was buntin'. I win most of my fights that way. I never WdulCu OuG OuC pass de d A1la1 oASA ! hoo him. My heads as hard as iron. I'll bet money that I can split the skull of any mig ger in America, and there's mighty few doors can't bust in. Of course, wouldn't be here if the steamboat men hadn't been my friends stood in with the bar-keep- CTS and mates and pilots, and the officers liked me and wouldn't see mo hurt by a mob if they could help it. Still, I've had to take water more than once to save my ba- | con when there was gang after me-
 i'There are just as many suckers on the | big Atlantic liners as you can find any where on earth, and they are generally well | tixed-tour of Europe and all that, you | know. Eve worked lem many time to the Queens taste. The purser stood in with me- I'd go aboard and put my tools in his office and he would point out to me the pas sengers most likely to be worth my while. I always put stock of good liquor, wines and cigars in my state-room and after got acquainted would invite the fellers in to
 sample lem, and then had the game in my | own hands,"