Democratic messenger., 1893-09-23
MEN WHO HAD LUCK.
STORIES CIRCULATED IN A GROUP OF
TACOMA SPORTS.

| Most of Them Were Told by professional
Gamblers and May or May Not BE True
but an A fiidavit Is Required For the Yarn
| About the Gold Seeker.
"Well, that was luck"
The speaker was one of a group of hall
dozen men who were standing on Pa
cific avenue putting away at Havanas and
talking just to pass time away and tc
clear their throats. The heconversation had
been about the livery stable man. Mar
tin. Of this city, who had fallen heir te
$3.50, 900 three years ago and didn't find
it ont until few days ago.
Talk about luck" said one of the
group. who was n gambler, 1--WE see plenty
of it. Do you know that one day las,
week man entered one OF our gambling
houses with nickel and won out $4OO In
three hours? He had gone clean busted
the night before and found the nickel in
an ont of the way corner in his room the
next morning.
That blokie went to the gambling
house with the intention of placing his
5 cent piece on the number 5. He got
into the room when the roulette ball was
whizzing around on its tour of numbers
He rushed to the table and got.down his
nickel on the five just as the game run.
ner shouted All DOWN. In a few sec.
onds the ball started on its rear end
bouncing, and in few seconds more the
man shouted 'Fivcr That gave the man
with the nickel $l75 for his 5 cents.
/ Thor, h.av 81 NJ &1rA
Der came up, giving him $35 more. He
continued to play with varying luck
until in three hours he had won $4OO.
And the next day he was broke again.
He borrowed nickel and tried the game
again. but it didn't CO."
II can tell n story of a man who was
lucky" said business man. I'm the
early days of the gold excitement in Cali
fornia, there came into San Diego n man
who was ragged and sick almost to death.
He was taken in hand and fed and fixed
mp. Then he told story of wonder
full find of gold he had made. It was
only a lew days off. he said. and he would
take party to the place if they would
outfit.
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the great gold in the mountains that was
theirs to go after got up party of so.
! The start was made with that man as
leader. After few days travel it be.
came evident that the man had forgotten
the way. They Travelled on, trusting to
luck. however. Indians were hostile ut
the time. and they started in to NOW the
gold hunters. They picked off one after
another with their bullets. A score were
thus taken off. Then fever struck the
party, and II more went the way OF
death.
by this time the 10 survivors were
crazy with rage. They had been II days
out and We're travelling in the most arid
country. Food was growing less and
less. and death faced everybody. On the
afternoon of the fourteenth day the lead
er, who had caused so much misery, was
given three days more to find his gold
find If he was not successful by that
time. he was to hang.
We'll, the three days had almost
passed, and still there was no sign of the
find. The last hour was almost up. It
seemed that the man must hang. There
were only five minutes more, now two
minutes, now one minute, now a half
minute-then came his luck. Just as the
time was mp for the hanging that man
dropped dead"
Il don't see how he was lucky" put in
the gambler who had told the first story.
Why" said the business man. ''he
was lucky because il he hadn't died he
would have been hanged"
Another gambler told how few DAYS
ago green Swede who knew nothing
atout the game, but determined to try
his luck, had won nearly 81 200. He
had been an onlooker once or twice and
seel big winnings. He went to the rou-
lette wheel with SEQ, and in few hours
he had won out $500. 1t seemed that no
matter what number he put chips on
and he played recklessly. as all new play
ers dot came mp every time. That
was pure luck. The man played no COM
binations or arrangements" because he
was rs green rs grass and knew nothing
about The game.
Il have friend" spoke up one Of the
group. who is connected with the city
government. "who by the merest luck
made discovery that is netting him mil
lions. His name is Perkins. and few
years ago back in Minnesota he made his
discovery. He was a travelling man for
n grocery firm, and while walking to q
train to go from one country town to an
other one day he whitfield u stick.
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gular shape. On the train the idea struck
him that the shape would be just what
was wanted for railroad spikes. The
square spikes i'll vogue were not the right
thing because they split the grain of the
green ties when driven into them, and
when dry the wood shrank away from
them. The triangle shaped spike would
not split the grain. and subsequent
shrinkage would be done away with.
Perkins submitted his discovery to Pull
man. and now the spikes are being made
by millions mt Pullman. Ills, making
millions for Perkins and Pullman"
Another gambler here chimed in with
the statement that during the past week
gambler from Seattle had won 81, 300
At idTo Au 1dSoiid IooiiiS III TWO SlttinSS.
Both sittings occupied l3 hours. and the
first sitting resulted in the winning of
$1,000 and the second $1,000. During
the latter game the man was out nearly
the whole $1,000 he had won at sitting
No. /. bnt he picked up and won big
money. Il suppose he has gone back to
Seattle with his dough" said the gam
bier. ''as ! have not seen him for some
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