San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-08-29
GAMBLING FORTUNES.
The Ups and Downs OF the Game
ster's Life-tbe Yankee or

ster's Hfe-tbe Yankee of
Monte Carlo.
One evening after dinner in Paris,
relates w. II. McElroy in the New
Yorh Tribune, the conversation turn
ed on Monte Carlo-the ups and downs
of fortune which are experienced at
it's gambling tables. After several
interesting stories of loss and gain
had been told, distinguished
American, one of the best known
business men in the United States,
was heard from. after l graduated
at an American college," said he, 81
went abroad to spend an additional
year of study In German, Baden
Baden was then q popular gambling
hell, ard one afternoon, not long after
1 arrived in Germany, found me at
Baden-Baden. sauntered into the
room in which the game was
in full blast, and for some time
contented myself with simply betting
men tally without putting any money
upon the table. To my surprise or
rather TO my citation every one Of
these Imaginary ventures was sue.
cess; and 1 could not but reflect that
IL had been putting my money up l
should have won quite snug sum.
Well, had in my pocket half dozen
silver pieces. I needed Que of them
to pay for my return ticket to -,
where was then studying. The rest
J. determined to rick. played them,
one by one, and lost until laid down
my last thaler. That won. placed
1t and my winnings on the To BILE and
won again. repeated the expert.
ment and won third time. Thor
oughly infatuated, continued to
play on through the afternoon, even
ing and night until the bell rang,
which signifled that the game was
over till the next day. From the mo-
ment I began to win it seemed impos-
sible for me to lose, and accordingly
I rose from the table with q pile OF
silver before me as big around, as 1t
seems to me as 1 now recall it, as q
bushel basket. wondered how |
ever was going to lug it home. L
filled my pockets full, and then, IN
my EN- barrassment of riches, asked
q stranger at my side If it would be
possible to obtain gold for the pile
that still remained on the table. He
replied in the affirmative and offered
to make the exchange for me. 80 he
gathered up the silver, went out, ana
presently returned with quantity of
gold pieces. How much silver he
carried off I didn't know; 1 die mt
stop to countit. II he charged me q
liberal commission for his services,
was none the wiser. I only remem-
Der that when got back to my room
at emptied all my pockets and the
handkerchief in which had carr ed
away my gold and proceeded to count
my gains. 1 found that had won
considerably more money than all the
funds which I had carried with me
from America for my years ex-
penses."
At the conclusion OF this incident
Una OF those who had listened TO 1t
said to ite narrator. "Well, with such
beginning you ought 10 have devel-
oped into q thorough gong CANT bier"
"Ou the contrary" said the other,
"the fact is have never entered q
gambling establishment from that
day to this. You see, ielt couldn't
afford to- had always been q mathe-
maticiap, and I figured 1t out that &C.
cordipg to the law of averages
could never have such q stroke of luck
az ain. 50 with me it was once and
Out,D