The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-23
The Sports Go 1t At a Very Rapid
Pace iu San Antonio,
Texas.
4 Frontier Dogbefry Who Dis
penses Justice and Sells Tan
glefoot Whisky.
How the Gamblers Csndues Themselves In
Gay K'Autoine-SOms lntssssttug A.
ssd0tss Of the Pinos.

continent, broke or flush, according to an
entertaining correspondent. Nobody ever
thinks Of going to bed in San Antonio BE-
fore midnight, and the number Of persons
who turn night into day Is greater in pro-
portion than in any other place In the
Union. Saloons and restaurants there are
by scores that never close their doors from
one years end to another, and variety the
aters and dance halls are in full blast al
night.
There ia q saloon in San Antonio fors6v-
cry day In the year, and there are three
.breweries. The town has about 10000 In
habitants, and when times ara lively IT.
supports anywhere from 500 to 900 profes-
sional gamblers. Gambling is the only
vice which Is not licensed directly in San
Antonio. The games are run Openly, and
the gamblers are ''hned" two or three times
> year. They also have to ''goto jail" about
as often. ~
The writer saw Leo Cotton, q notorious
all round sport, standing in front of a
gambling house smoking a Maverick cigar
with an afro sweet serenity. a.
"Hello, Leel What you doing nowP"
"Who, meg I'm In Jail"
Don't say! How long you been in,"
"Oh, ! dunno. Hey, Dick" Ito another
dealer Of the house, Dick Strayhorn), how
long have l been in jail?"
Bout q week, Lee, amt tt"
"Yes, | guess so. Anyhow I know the
times up next Wednesday,"
"How do you work it, Lee2" asked the
writer. .
"Why, l just drive out to the poorhouse
every night ut G o'clock and report. Then
l come back to town till the same hour
next evening""
phiS wns trna Toe bayinu n ooo5 null
was subjected to an imprisonment of about
five minutes n day for two or three weeks.
After having reported to the keeper Of the
poorhouse at 6 O'Clock in the evening he
was free to return to the city and deal faro
until 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning.
The gambling is conducted in an orderly,
quiet, businesslike way, and rows or fights
very seldom occur. One reason for this
may be that in the cash drawer of every
faro, roulette, monte or poker table lies a
little machine which let's out a bit of cold
lead at the same time that it let's a mans
soul out Of his body. The gentlemen who
preside behind these tables are of cool tenn
perment, gentle Of speech and courteous in
manner, but when their fingers are daily
ing with the trigger of a six shooter they
are apt to be dangerous.
The gamblers are the best dressed men In
the town. Most of their clothes come from
New York and are made to order by Broad
way tailors. They give more to charity
than any other class. They are esteemed
citizens, and while they do not mingle In
the more exclusive circles of society their
friendship is sought after by the solid mer-
chants of the town. Gambling in San An
tonic is only an eccentricity.
The games are supported by cattlemen,
ranchmen, n few inveterate city ''pikers"
and by tourists. The cattlemen and
ranchmen quite often win. large sums Of
money; the 'pikers'' pick up a scanty living
at the game, but the tourists almost inva-
riably lose, although the games are square.
Judge Roy Bean Is an odd character who
frequently visits San Antonio to enjoy a
period of relaxation from his duties as JUS
tice Of the pence ON the Pecos river. Judge
Bean is q short, stocky man, strong and
rugged, with iron gray hair and a deter
mined face. He can drink more whisky
and play more faro than any other man Of
his age and weight in Texas, and although
IS years old he seems to stand the pace like
a 2-year-old.
His most peculiar traits are not SO con-
spicnous in tho Alamo City as in his own
Town. There be Is the terror of the COM
munity. He is not only justice Of the peace,
piI Coioiief, supctN isol pooi c4eih anu CeH-
sor of public morals. In conjunction with
these duties he is the principal saloon
keeper Of the town and is the proprietor Of
n dance hall. About the only thing he
doesn't own is n gambling house.
They tell many amusing anecdotes of him
in San Antonio. The learned judge holds
court in a little room behind his saloon.
One night Il stranger walked into his bar
room, laid u $50 goldpiece'o on the bar and
called for a drink. At II silent signal from
the judge all the loungers in the place
saunLerd up to the bar, and each man took
a particularly large drink. The stranger
asked for another and tossed off the con-
tents with the delicate relish of q connois-