The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-01-16
4 GREAT SANE OF DICE.
There Was Good-Sixed Fortune
Staked on One Throw.

In 1868 go the vicinity of Petroleum
Center, in Pennsylvania, was the richest
IN the world. The lands all about the
town were making their owners rich.
Among these pieces of property was the
Woods farm, lying upon the hill to the
west of the place. It's big production at
that time was selling at from $3 to 70
q barrel. Samuel A. Woods was the
owner of this rich deposit of oil, ana MS
royalty from it yielded him princeiy
income. He was then about 50 years OF
age. and was as full of fun as he was OF
business. He dressed we'll, wearing daily
diamonds worth from $4,000 to $4,000,
lived high, and was foremost in all the
enterprises in oil Developments. in 1868
he built the largest and first complete
iron tank-4OOO barrels-then along OIL
creek and into it his farm poured its
LIQUID wealth. Woods had noted fond
ness for throwing dice and was usually
luckily. He was ready at any time to
throw for stakes ranging from $50 to 800
or $1,000. 1t was seldom he would throw
for less than the drst named sum.
One night in the winter of 186S-69 he
was spending the evening with a party of
friends in the Rochester House at Petro
!eum Centre. Among the party was Colo
mel Brady, another rich producer and a
man who had earned his title on the bat
tlefelds of the rebellion.
In the course of the evening Woods
said:
"Colonel, I'll toss the dice with you for
$50"
GAIL right" was the Colonel's prompt
reply.
The first throw Brady won, continuing
to do so until he had won $3.50 of Woods
money. This trife just wbetted their ap
petites, and the chance contest then began
in earnest.
The amount of the stakes was increased
from time to time and Woods losses rap
idly crept into the thousands. Luck was
against him, but as he was perfectly sober
and the friends present knew that he
would regard as little less than insult any
suggestion that it 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 of the morning hours was
ushered in Woods had lost $32 700, and
Brady held his check for that sum. AT
this juncture Woods said to the Colonel:
"Now, l am willing to double the amount
and let each of us take but one throw,
and the highest take the stakes. You al
ready have my check for the $4,000. If
/ lose will write you another for the
full amount here tonight, and it will be
cashed at the bank tomorrow"
"All right" said Colonel Brady, II &C
ccpt."
The interest of the bystanders was now
worked up to the highest notch. The
dice were produced and Woods had the
first throw. Eleven spots turned up as
his count. Colonel Brady then threw and
but nine black spots turned up to be
counted. Woods therefore saved good
sized fortune on the throw, for, had
helost, that 1874, 900 would have been paid
with as much promptness as though it
had been part of Legitimate business
transaction. Woods then proposed that
they start in anew with $40 as the amount
of the stakes. The Colonel responded,
and soon all the cash he had with him
$200-was transferred to the pockets of
Woods. "Here Colonel" said Woods, is
SEQ. 1 can't see man go away dead
broke"
And so the greatest game of dice on
record in the oil regions came to close.
Cincinnati Enquirer.