The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-10-19
WHERE LIFE is LIVELY.
Sports Travel at a Rapid Pace
In San Antonio.
A DOGBERRY OF THE FRONTIER.


How He Dispenses Justice With Ono Hand
and Sells Whisky With the Othcr-How
the Gamblers Conduct Themselves In
Gay observation-disclosures Anecdotes.
San Antonio is the liveliest town on the
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
alters and dance halls are in full blast all
night
There is q saloon in San Antonio for ey-
cry day in the year, and there are three
breweries. The town has about $4,000 in
habltants, and when times are lively it
supports anywhere from 500 to 500 profess
sional gamblers. Gambling is the only
vice which is not licensed directly in San
Antonio. The games are run openly, and
the gamblers are fined" two or three times
year. They also have to Ego to Jail" about
as often.
The writer saw Lee Cotton, notorious
all round sport, standing in front OF
gambling house smoking a Maverick cigar
with mn air of sweet serenity.
Hello, Lee! What you doing nowP"
who, me? Pm in Jail"
Don't say! How long you been in?"
"Oh, dunno. Hey, Dick" Ito another
dealer of the house. Dick Strayhorn), chow
long have been i'll jail?"
Bout n week, Lee, amt its'
Yes, guess so. Anyhow I know the
times up next Wednesday,"
How do you work it, Lees'' asked the
writer
"Why, just drive out to the poorhousc
every night at 6 o'clock and report. Then
/ come back to town till the same hour
next evening"
This was true. Lee having good pull,
was subjected to an Imprisonment of about
five minutes 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 or 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 he that in the cash drawer of every
faro, roulette, monte or poker table lies II
little machine which lets out Il bit of cold
lead mt the same time that it lets IL mans
soul out of his body. The gentlemen who
preside behind these tables IRE of cool tenn
perment, gentle of speech and courteous in
manner, but when their fingers are daily
ing with the trigger of u 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. Il few invcteratc city "pikers"
and by tourists The cattlemcn and
ranchmen quite often win large sums of
money; the "pkers" pick up Il scanty living
at the game, but the tourists almost invn-
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 peace OH the Pecos river Judge
Bean Is IL short stoclly man, strong and
rugged, with iron gray hair and Il 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
55 years old he seems to stand the pace like
a 2-year-od.
His most peculiar traits are not so con-
spicuous in the Alamo City as in his own
town. There he is the terror of the com
munity. He is not only justice of the peace
but coroner, supervisor, poor clerk and cen
scr of public morals. In conjunction with
these duties he is the principal saloon
keeper of the town and is the proprietor of
dance hall. About the only thing he
doesn't own is II gambling house.
toll rnn 81,
in San Antonio The learned judge holds
court in n little room behind his saloon
One night Il stranger walked into his bar
room, laid $40 goldpiece on the bar and
called for drink. At IL silent signal from
the judge all the loungers in the place
sauntered 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 a conuois