Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-24
WHY THE DEAL CLOSED.
he Was Beating the Bank, but His Friend
Gave Him Away.

he Was Beating the Bank, but His Friend
Gave Him Away.
From the Seattle Press-Times
Il had a curious experience when i first
struck Seattle, said well-known gambler to
Press Times reporter last evening, as he
stood in front OF the Delcho saloon on Yesler
avenue near South I'd street.
THAT was one time when ] wasn't very glad
to meet a friend and when his hello to me
probably cost me several hundred dollars Of a
good bankers money.
II had been PLAYING pretty lucky down in
Denver and up in the Cripple creek country
and came up to the sound by way Of Portland.
Don't know why came. but just came. didn't
find many OF the boys whom knew. but soon
got acquainted and was moving around. having
a good time, but not playing any. Ihad a good
deal OF money and was enjoying few DAYS of
leisure. One evening sat down in front of a
faro layout and was keeping case myself
didn't know the dealer from Adams orphan
and didn't paw much attention to the game.
was simply chipping along waiting for cases.
keeping about even and seldom making more
than one bet at the start of a deal.
AFTER a while my attention was called to one
player. In fact. about all Of them had dropped
out but us two. and as was noticing INV own
play only enough to see that bets were properly
paid, I had to notice him. He seemed TO have
plenty OF money, and was dropping good deal
Of it by placing il on the high card
"Now. there are a good many things about a
faro box that every one Is not on TO. but with a
fellow who makes his bread and batter on the
green cloth, as have for wears, it's an old ac-
Clifford down in San Diego a year ago, and I
practice with ii ENTHUSIASTICALLY up in nv
room when haven't anything else to do and
nothing particular to think about.
"When noticed the fellow lose his money I
turned my attention TO the dealer The man
with the money must have been greener than
the cloth in front Of him, for he didn't tumble
to the dealer, who was working very raw He
was putting up more than half the deck for the
high card to lose. He didn't pay q bit Of at
tention to me, and so did to him. have a
pretty good memory, because / need il in nv
business. 1t was no trouble for me to watch him
shuttle and remember eight or ten turns from
the top, and of course / could catch the
last turn He was putting up for the other fell
low and thought 1 was just playing lucky, for
didn play many cards open, but had nv chips
leading over from some ut-of-the-way card 10
the card 1 knew was going to win, and was, of
course, apparently as much surprised as the
dealer when il was seen that nv chips led right
1.-The dealer was busy and was accomplishing
what he was striving for. l was busy. too. and
equally successful The result was that in two
or three deals the moneyed gentleman had
that much to the good and the dealer was APP
parently not noticing that his hard work was
accomplishing very little toward increasing the
bank roll.
about that time Rickebaugh Of Los Angeles
walked INTO the room and stopping near me, in
surprise, said: Hello. Lem, what are you doing
in this country? Thought you'd gone into
mines in Colorado and quit faro looked up
and was Of course surprised to see him. but i
knew the little game in which was not taking
much interest was up.
The dealer looked at me a moment and said
Say. Rick. do you know this gentleman? He's
been PLAYING mighty lucky
"Rickebaugh glanced at the great stack of
chips in front Of me and sarcastically remarked
Lucky, h-!'
The dealer looked sold. and at the end of
that deal quietly turned down the box and
cashed the chips.
''Of course didn't have the heart to call his
last turn, though 1 knew it from the time the
cards were boxed"