The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-12-26
MONUMENT.

J. s BrecitnS n Romance
"rwcnty.ono in the red; tho lucky
rcd. Fifteen in tho black; everybody
wins" This ndliko information called
out in the querulous voice OF Old Pow.
crty was as familiar to Inc as the rattle
OF chips and the suppressed voices OF
the gamblers.
TWAS in Cheyenne, in 1867. The rail.
way had just reached tho town and
made 1t the western terminus for SOW.
ernl months. Graders, miners, soldiers,
bull-whackors, mulG.skinncrs, Indians,
Cinnamon. Mexicans, md adyenturers
from every state in the nation and al
most every country in the world formed
the greater part OF tho population.
Money was plentiful and everybody
Samblcd. =
The Vaccinations OF the gambling halls
proved too much for any scruples
held, and soon was constant PLAYER.
| was generally u winner, and before
long my sliillful playing attracted the at
tention OF the proprietor Of the Wave,
and was offered tho position OF dealer
at one OF the fGro-banEs ut good salary,
and accepted it. ~.
l had narrow escape one night when
Big Bill Rogers, tho caller at tho rou-
lettc wheel, was shot dead by miner
who accused him OF stealing his chips.
a bullet fired in the melee whizzed so
close to my head that felt shaky and
ncrveless for several hours after the
fight was over. Rogers was an unpop-
ular about the Wave and when
We found among his effects some
letters giving the names OF his
people back last, it was hard to find
any one who would take the trouble to
inform them OF his DEATH l finally did
it, emitting, however, the details OF the
event.
Big Bills successor was Old Poverty.
He was 4 watery-eyed. hollow-cheeked,
dilapidatcd wreck who had haunted the
Wave for several weeks. Three callers
at the wheel had died violent deaths
and the place was not much sought
after, and when Old Poverty asked Tor
it lie got it without any trouble.
Despite his calling, Old Poverty had
an honest look, and he was favorlte
with the rough crowd OF cowboys, grad
ers and miners that surged around the
roulette table, and fights in that corner
oil the house became less frequent.
Where Old Poverty came from; what
his name was; why, wi tn such all hon
est, square look in his face, he was
gambler, no one knew or cared, but
certain it was that the first genuine
feeling OF sorrow that entered the Wave
was the evening that, Old Poverty failed
to show up for his night trick at the
wheel, and later on it was learned that
q hemorrhase had sapped his lifc-blood
and he was dead.
lie was the first man connected with
the establishment who had died
natural death, and he was given fine
funeral. a minister rode at the head OF
the procession, and all the employees OF
the Wave, the carmine-cheeked dance
girls, bartenders, croupicrs, callers,
short-card men, and even the colored
porter followed the hearsc in hacks. In
respect to his memory Ill the games
were stopped during the time OF the
funeral and for two hours after. 1t was
tho first time since the Wave had
opened its doors, day or night, that the
whirr OF the ivory ball around the rou-
lctte wheel, the click OF chips
in the restless fingers OF the faro
players, the slap OF cards on the
hardwood tables, and the monotonous
tones OF the man Mt the wheel, calling
"Fifteen ON the red" ora Twenty on the
black" had been hushed Tor even an
hour.
In front OF the bar number OF en-
ployes OF the house were drinking in
dustriously to Old Poverty's memory
when boy brought me a letter from
the postolTice. 1t was from Big Bill
Rogers folks and enclosed draft for
$3.50, with directions to expend it in
putting n monument over his grave /
read the letter aloud to the boys, and
they were all astonished at the con-
tents. The death OF Big Bill had
been almost forgotten, but this letter re-
called all the circumstances, and natur-
ally brought out comparisons between
him and Old Poverty.
called by many "reminiscences. His
willingness to give up his last
cent to help any man out
OF luck was in striking contrast
to the, disposition OF Big Bill, who was
q bully and was overbearing in his
treatment OF everyone with whom he
came in contact. In fact, it was gener-
ally agreed that cold Poverty was on
tho square and Big Bill was crooked"
"1t's pretty tough, gentlemen" said
sgd Harris, a faro dealer, "that this
here onery Big Bill Rogers, that no one
had any use for, is going to get a regn-
lar handicapped monument, and Old
Poverty, that we all banked on, gcts
nothing"
Everybody agreed that this state of
affairs was tough, but beyond setting
them up again for the crowd no one ad-
vanced any remedy until Jack Ryan,
who called the wheel on the afternoon
trick, said: Gentlemen, | move that
when We buy this here monument for
Big Bill we put it over Old Poverty and
let Bill go to hell. "
"A more popular proposition could not
have been suggested, and there was not
4 dissenting voice against it. Its adop-
ton was q finishing tribute to
Old Poverty's virtue, and all hands
returned to the destinations OF
poker faro, or roulette with load OF
care apparently lifted.
In about two months the monument
came from Omaha. 1t was placed over
Old Povcrty's grave, and rs it was tho
first marble tombstone put up in tho
cemetery, twas pointed out with pride
by the fraternity, until with the growth
.ofthe town more pretentious monuments
cclipsed it. =