The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-07
NERVY GAMBL ERS.
Nearly 100000 Won at Single Call
Turn by Ranchman.

nearly 0OO,OOO won at q ON gle Calk-
Turn by Ranchman.
From the Ne,o York san.
WASHINGTON, April 2S.-Cool Martin is
the last of the old-time gamblers who made
Washington gay add debonnaire during the
days of Joe Hall and the courtly Pendleton
of Virginia, whose palatisl faro banks and
surroundings were far more attractive to
the average sporting mans habits and
tastes than any other club house with mod
| ern viands and with medieval architecture
| in Washington or elsewhere. Martin has
seen 20 summers and good deal Of
wintry weather, but he is tall and erect
and, withal, has well-kept look which in
dicates that his sixty years observation of
the soda card" has not left him entirely
! impecuuious. After the Senate has ad-
| journed Senator Pettigrew Of Dakota, who
| Is not averse to a friendly game of stud
horse poker, although he now eschews fiokle
faro, can be seen sometimes in a famous
resort slipping his brandy and SOFA with
| Martin, who was the senator's friend in
the green days of that all-around man OF
the world and lucky lawyer. The senator
kicked a chair toward q group there one
| day recently aud asked Martin to tell some
| of his experiences in Nevada.
Nothing would give me more pleasure"
Martin said, Withdrawing his cigar from
his mouth and squaring himself. "There
were giants in those DAYS when was inter-
ested with Gentry q Crittenden, who kept
the biggest and liveliest gambling house
west of the Alleghanies. Abuer Gentry
was a square gambler, originally from
Texas, where he held many high positions
in civil life, and, while not a quarrelsome
| man, he was a character so well known that
| no drunken cowboy ever offended his dig
nifty with rough salutations or rustic famil-
larlty. Abner Gentry died recently in
| Texas on his vast stock farm, widely re-
spected for the muscular morality he dis
played on many trying occasions. He has
brother, Dick Gentry, who, with Daniel
McGlinch, called Soldier Dan, constitute
the brains of the gambling fraternity at
| Gloucester, where, under the 8gis of Billy
Thompson, now a half millionaire. every
thing goes as wide open as at Cheyenne or
Virginia City in the great das1 before the
| war. +-.
But gambling is sadly deteriorating when
blue chips sell for 50 cents apiece, as they
do at Gloucester, and d stao6 of roulette
worries are 10 cents apiece, and the bank
limit is 81 25 on each turn. 1t gives me
great tired feeling to see such 'piking BUSH
ness called gambling when have seen &c.
600 In gold dust staked on the high card In q
| single turn at Gentry & Crittenden's Bank
in Virginia City. We had one regular Wis
itor old John Undertake of New Mexico,
who religiously devoted one-half of his in
| come-and his annual usufruct was big
thing-to bucking the tiger. Undertake
owned his cattle on 1000 hills. and after
every roundup the old cattle king
would run up to take q shy at the
| 'keerds, as he called them. Faro
proper was too slow for him. and old John
hailed with delight the coming in of the
high card, an Egyptian device, which gives
| a movement at every turn out of the box,
and the eager gambler can win or loose fast
enough to please the Persian prince, who
travels at the pace that kills | have seen
| Tlmberlake lose $40, 900 In night and never
| Vince. But his big reserves made him a
dangerous player always, and often big
| winner. In the summer the old man gen
orally spent two weeks in the month Of
August at Cape May, where an old Texas
friend of his was then the boss gambler OF
the Middle Subsidiary Cleveland-who
in 1S60-63 was a rival of Joe Halls and Of
Old Pettibone OF Texas, contemporary Of
| Gov. Jack Hamilton. Pettibone, long and
lank looking, like Don Quixote. played the
most desperate game OF any man in the
west, having lost 800, 600 in a single sitting
with that king of the turf, Ten Brock, a
typical sporting man, who won the first vic-
tories in England with American race horses.
Cleveland was man Of Napoleonic tenn
per and of stalward ysicaI Development.
He weighed 200 pounds and in stature was
tall and slender, but well developed, with an
eye like falcon, but pleasant, suave man.
ners, like all the southern gamblers of that
period. While ready on occasions with their
guns. they did not train with weapons as
we did in the west sleeping or waking. Joe
Hall was very model of department., even
after in his declining years he embraced re-
ligion and became an activeipillar or sleeper
or expounder in the Methodist church in
| Maryland. Senators and congressman made
no secret OF their friendship for old Pendle-
ton, who was really polished gentleman in
manners and in conduct. Pendleton was
especially fond of old Thad Stevens, and
the old commoner had his regular seat at
the midnight suppers which were things
of gastronomic joy and of artistic
beauty as well. Here politics were tabooed
and no guests were more generously toasted
when the wine was red than the great
commoner. But digress. Timberlake was
the antipodes in manner and dress to the
dignided Harry Cleveland, but they were
fast friends and both loved to see cards in
action, 1t was the old ranchman's only
passion. The New Mexican had staked
| Cleveland when the latter was stranded by
i'll luck and tickle faro in San Antonio, Tex.
the cattle king was made in a heroic mold.
He was feet inches and wore cowhide
| boots, mostly innocent OF backing, ruffled
shirts, and had a general air Of a big sport.
in spite of his swallow ail coat of navy blue
quite sure that Albert Pike, who
wrote the Hymns to the Gods ;
and penned the Fine Old Arkan-
sas Gentleman did not personally
know John Timberlake. For Pike had
pictured the Arkansas planter waking up
at the wake at Prindle's, when he heard tn o
boys copper the ace and play the deuce to
win.' l never was quite sure that Timber
lake was not in Pixies eve when he pictured
the immortal but pleasing Arkansas gambo-
lier. who. unless the fly or some other con-
tingency' didn't burst his cotton crop,
always took in the faro banks from Wash
ington to Cape May and Saratoga, and
never left till fiat broke. and until the power
to draw on his cotton factories had ceased.
| Anyhow, the times were hilarious one sum
mer at Cleveland's Striped Pig as his lit
tie cottage was called on the Congress Hall
lawn. There some Of the biggest men in the
| country have eaten lotus and tempted the
| tickle goddess of fortune during the heated
| term. Timberlake had unlimited credit and
| Cleveland was reputed TO have unlimited
cash.
'In spirit of pure devilment Cleveland
bantered old Timberlake one August night
to faro duel for $50 900.
ill you take my draft on a California
bank if l loseP said the sportive ranchman,
"'Sure,' said Cleveland. for twice that
sum, old boy, if you say the word.
Cleveland had unbounded faith in his
lucky star and in himself as dealer. Re-
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