Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-01
MURRAY'S MUSINGS.

Interesting Story of a Tried Old Gambler
Experience Of a Home Missionary
Cleveland In the SOuth-A Story of Gen.
era1 Sherman-Red Hair.
"rm gambler. always was gambler. I'm
New York gambler. only differ from 9TH
ers in the same business in this-I do not at
tempt to conceal the fact"
This frank avowal could scarcely be accepted
as an evidence of superior virtue in the speaker,
since the fact was emblazoned In every feature
in every detail of his personality. 1t stood out
as distinctly as 32-sheet stand of bills in four
colors.
His massive head of short-cropped gray hair
SUPPORTED silk hat of vintage unknown to
connoisseurs pulled squarely down to a level
with pair of big ears. A broad and bulging
forehead. massive nose and still more massive
jaws matched well the powerful frame. There
was sense of bigness in every lineament and
in every article of dress, including the paste
brilliant in the horseshoe marked cravat. That
IS, in all save one particular. the eyes. These
were small and tucked away back under the
shaggy outlines of the beetling brows and were
cold and gray and piercing. The large. coarse
mouth gave strongly brutal cast to the iron
face.
With that keen insight which comes from the
habitual study of his fellow man, he seemed to
read his hearers thoughts. He smiled-not
as other men smile, for the muscles of his face
were too securely anchored to impassiYity; but
the little eyes twinkled.
Yes; almost anybody could tell my profess
sion at glance. Yet there are those who
know me best who have never suspected it.
and these L love most. I have daughter al
most grown, and young boy. The daughter
is at SCHOOL, first-class Catholic seminary.
The lad is at home but will be sent away as
soon as he is old enough. Neither of them
knows that am a gambler. There is fiction
in our little home that 1 am a speculator. 1t
sounds better and means the same thing. My
wife knows. was gambler when married
her 20 years ago. She took me as she found
me- and is the only real friend have on earth,
or ever have had since we struck the terms of
our partnership. can trust her: she trusts
me. When am in luck she puts percentage
away. When am broke she stakes me in a
small way. Whether she wears diamonds or
does our washing, she is just the same to me
the best little woman on earthp'
He paused and slowly revolved the half
smoked cigar between his fingers, as If dwelling
on his home life. What story that "best little
woman on earth" might tell
We've seen a good many ups aud downs in
20 years, you can just bet! Pm down at this mo-
ment about as fat as l ever was in my life. No
games TO amount to anything But It'll pick up
it'll pick up" This hopefully. "Pve been
down to nothing lots of times. At one time
owned q Dank tn2L ran three tables anu TWO
Wheels with side games. and my place lost and
won thousands nightly. The highest ever lost
in single night was nearly S2U. 000 had less
than $500 left, but never closed. 1 never
finched though that balance was set aside for
the education of my daughter. L sent home for
it and my little woman cried when she gave 1t
up; but luck changed slowly. and got back
about $4,000 within another week on a change
of dealers.
Out! What would I do? Starve. There
was only one time when 1 could have quit. and
that was when l was l9 My father was a
farmer and good man. i was too fond of
loafing around our country town. Was a
pretty wild young fellow. and slick at all sorts
of games. The old man offered me share in
the farm If I'd let cards alone and attend to
business. II I didn't might SHIFT for myself.
While was thinking the matter over that
evening got into game with some city chaps.
drummers, who thought they had a snap. i
came out with something like a hundred dol
lars ahead-more than my share Of the farm
ing would have been in year. That settled it.
left home, took to gambling. and have never
shown up there since. If had lost that night
l wouldn't be a gambler now. 1t would have
saved me from a life that rather than my
son lead would bury him without pang."
There was no emotion discernable in this
utterance 1t was on the same dead level of
undisturbed nonchalance. 1t was as if the
gambler had considered the matter thoroughly
and simply repeated long established convic-
ton.
what strikes me as the most peculiar thing
in my eIperience2 As = faro dealer and
roulette spinner it has always seemed remark
able that bad luck usually attends the play Of
those who love money, and as a general thing
drunken, reckless systemless players are those
who occasionally strike 1t rich. Then I've al
ways noticed that in my own case the pressing
necessity for money seemed TO render Dame
ESrt9ns exceedingly oey When was reason
A man who plays for pure love of money is a
fool He'll get left.