The morning call., 1893-04-23

and the whole atmosphere of life here has
Tor some years been that of chance. Within
the last decade great c0rporations have
sprung up Inc cities Of Butte and Helena
and very substantial cities they are hays
been built up, and there is now as much
business done here as anywhere in the
country Sill the old habits cling to the
people and gambling goes on as openly in
Montana to-day rs it did when the mines
were first discovered. The cities are honey
eombed with gamblers and over nearly
every saloon you see the sign Licensed
Gambling. The games are authorized by
law, and there are score Of places in Butte
and Helena where you may drop in at any
| hour OF The day aud see a crowd around the
/ ciHerent faro tables, betting with white
red and blue chips, and this goes on from
morning till night, weekday and Sunday.
There IS no place in The world where
wages are comparatively so great as here
and there IS no city that has so many I'M
married men IN proportion to its pOpula-
ton as Butte The lowest wages paid to
any one Is 8 80 day, and it does not take
al extraordinary man tn get So DAY for
his labor the month through. rhe mines
ard the smelling works run day aud night
and the men work in fight-hour shifts The
result IS that you find the city of Butte filed
with men at any hour of the day or night,
and TINS lrreguiaritY OF life conduces to
drinking and gambling. Gambling in stocks
auu mines and real estate goes on the same
way. man may be worth nothing to-day
ana Do rlch tomorrow, and the result is
that hekie Dame Fortune is ever whirling
her wheel before the eyes of these people
A true history of the big poker games of
Montana would be more interesting than the
Arabian Nights.
Big games are played to-day, but the most
famous were those Of the past. The gam
bling which you see on the ground floor and
IN the saloons is done with chips, the lowest
OF which represent value of I2b cents.
ana with these quarter, hali-dOliaT and
dollar chips the games go on. On the floors
ABOVE greater stakes are played, and you do
not fad the better classes on the ground
floor. The gam bling-houses are owned by
men whose credit Is good. and there are a
number OF sporting men in Montana to-day
who. II they lost $4,000 tonight upon their
tables, could 90 II any bank Of Butte or
Helena and borrow ike sum to begin
business with tomorrow.
am surprised at the club life of these
Western cities. Helena has one Of the rich
est clubs IN the world. 1t is now building a
clubhouse which viii compare fnvorably in
It's interior furnishings with any in the
East. found very comfortable club at
Great Falls. and Butte City has club
called the Silver Bow Club, the members OF
which represent as much money as any club
in the United States. These clubs are mag.
niiicently furnished aad you meet in them
the cream Of tins Western country. Their
mem OeTS are more cosmopolitan than those
OF any other clubs of the world, for these
MoBlaHa men come IRON all over the world
and they are, as rule, br0ad-gauged men,
/ full OF energy aud pluck. The most OF them
| are cOllege-bTed ana you will find as we'll
dressed and as well.rpad men here as in
New York The majority of them are
young men. They are men who have made
and are making money rapidly. and it is a
rare day that you do not find half dozen
miliiouaires in the Silver Bow.
The club has fine library. n good billiard
room and DarlOrs and reception-room 1t
has caTdroom as well. and around the
tables Of this some of these plucky million
aires and others now and then take a hand
at poker. The stakes are often large. and
| they tell story here of travelling drum
mer who came into the Silver Bow Club one
day in rather clustering way. He saw a
group OF men playing poker about one of
the tables. He considered himself a good
| PokeTplayer, and he thought he would ike
| to take hand. l think he was introduced
TO some of the party. AmongSthem were,
as l understand it. Marcus Daily, Lee
! Mantle and NJ. {. Connell, a very rich man
of this region. AS he greeted them the
! drummer said as he rubbed his hands To-
| getheT: "Ah, gentlemen, you are playing
| poker, [ see. play somewhat myself and
| l venture you would not object to have me
| come into the game"
"Oh. no." replied one of the men, you
can play if you wish, but Jou had better get
some chips"
"All right" said tie drummer. and with
his he pulled out some bills and said with
buster: well, guess you can give me
S1O0 worth of chips" A sly look passed
around the table. The men were too polite