Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-31
4 FORTUNE ON 4 THROW.
sixty-four Thousand Dollars Isislsed on a
Game of Dice.

Game of Dice.
A difference of but two in the up.
turned dice dots, but each dot repre-
scented $4,000 and the winner was
made that much richer by his single
throw, says an Oil City correspondent
of the Philadelphia Times. The details
of this occurrence, recalled in contem-
platon of the fast departing traces of
other and better days in the town where
il occurred, may be Of interest.
From the time of its first importance
as an oil town Petroleum Centre, in this
county, was known as famous place
for gambling. There was, however, no
particular place in which this gambling
was carried on. An engine house,
saloon, office or private room-any place
served the purpose, and a riclety table,
u greasy writing desk or a board laid
across the head Of an oil barrel wered
as well as the equipments Of gambling
palace.
III lSGS69 the vicinity Of Petroleum
Centre was the richest in the oil region
and one Of the richest in the world.
The lands all about the town were maxi
ing their owners rich. Among these
pieces Of property was the Woods
farm, lying upon the hill to the west of
the place. Its big production at that
time was selling at from So to SO Il
barrel.
Samuel a. Woods was the owner of
the rich deposit of oil and his royalty
from it yielded him princely income.
He was then about IS years Of age and
was as full OF fun as he was of business.
He lraaanI tCpl1 nil, Il.
worth from $4,000 to $1,000, lived high
and was foremost in all the enterprises
in oil Developments In 1868 he built
the largest and first complete iron tank,
10000 barrels, then along Oil Creek,
and into it his farm poured its liquid
wealth
Woods had a noted fondness for
throwing dice, and was usually lucky
lie was ready at any time to throw for
stakes ranging from $50 to 800, $500
or $1,000. 1t was seldom he would
throw for less than the first named sum.
One night in the winter of 1S6s-69 he
was spending the evening with party
of friends in the Rochester House at
Petroleum Centre. Among the party
was Colonel Brady, another rich pro-
Queer, and a man who had earned his
title upon the battletields of the rebel
lion. In the course of the evening
Woods said 10 him:
Colonel, I'll toss the dice with you
for $50"
"All right" was the coloneps prompt
reply.
The first throw Brady won, continu-
ing to do 50 until he had won $3.50 Of
Woods money. This tribe just whetted
their appetites and the chance contest
then began in earnest. The amount of
the stakes was increased from time to
time and Woods losses rapidly crept
into the thousands. Luck was against
him, but us he was perfectly sober and
the friends present knew he would re-
gard as little less than an insult any
suggestion that il was time to quit, feel
ing abundantly able to pay any amount
he lost, all they had to do was to watch
the two men with increasing interest.
To pass on from the process to the re-
suit, when one &c the morning hours
was ushered in Woods had lost $32 900
and Brady held his check for that sum.
At this juncture Woods said to the
colonel :-"Now am willing to double
the amount and let each of us take but
one throw, and the highest take the
stakes. You, already have my check
for the $32 ,000; if lose will write you
another for the full amount here to-
night and it will be cashed at the bank
tomorrow"
"All right" again replied Colonel
Brady; al accept
The interest Of the bystanders was