Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-06-03
A WESTERN MONTE CARLO.
Butte the Greatest Mining Camp
In the World.
A FAyosITf RESORT FOR GAMBLERS,
The t'rcnt Mining Camp by NixhS- !
Meeting OF strange Characters
The Fierce Passion for Gamb-
Hug and ITS Attendant Vices.

Butte Is ono Of Tie most Interesting cities
on this Western continent, for not only il it
the grcatcst miuine camp In tho world, but
u Is also tho iavorltc resort Of the Western
gamplcr. The knight q the grccn cloth ia
omnlpresent IN Butte and he iinds tho hardy
minor an easy and willing victim. A round
half million IN wages Is paid out monthly to
the men employed In the mines In and about
Butte, and Il is no exaggcra,ion to say that
tho greater part OF this vast sum fnda Is
way into TIM pockets Of tho professional
gambler. Many OF the miners spend all their
leisure time at the gaming table, aud no ma,
IS 80 carolcss Or prodigal Vi his earnings as
miner, except Il DO eailor The gambling
houses Of Butte ARE licensed and r,pl faro
games and round the table poker Roulette,
rcd aud black. wheel Of fortune, hazard. or
any game with q "kl.ty" or percentase draw
back arc forbidden. Day and night shifts
ot dcalere are worked, Faro hank dealora
work Tor wages, 50 por day, and seat out Of
the drawer" Tho limit In most houses ls
si2.5o but somc proprlrtors allow their
patrons or Victims TO bet Ms high 90 they
Wish. From dawn to dawn tho clicking Of
tho chips ia hoard; therc Ia hardly any ecsaA-
ton. butte IA essentially an all.night town.
II is day all day In the daytime and there is
no night In Butte.
Lot me descflbe lie in Butte rs have
found IL. II is eleven O'Clock, on beautiful
starlit night The street crowds have
gradually ebbod away aud tho life OF tho
camp is Indoors. step from Main street intn
a prominent resort. On tho lcf. as one
entcrs. is the drinking bar. Facing 1t. at two
gambling tables by tho opposite wall. sit tho
dealers; by each a kccn.eycd lookou, in a
high spiral chair. Around these tables some.
times two OF three deep and playing over
each others shoulders aud undor each
others arms, are young mon, middle aged
men, miners working for sia day. and mine
owners who may make cool 100000 out Of
tho year'e output Prom the faro tables TO
tho bar, back and forth. the playerA circulate
as they please, the whito chips OF the game
eeing each good for twenty-five cent drink
the chcapost sold--to the whlteapronod aud
gmye-looking bartender, Hack OF tho iarc
tables aro poker tables on either side Of tho
room. Further back still at tho other cnd OF
tho long apartment, Is rcfreahmcnt counter
mud au olion Hire At which onc may have n
etoak, or chop. or an omelet cooked bciorc
ones eyes, with small dining tables scattered
opposite. There arc no deadly weapons Wei.
BILE, Sayo now and than the gllmpee Of pistol
In the dealers drawer, and general good
order pruyala Further down tho hill,
around tho corner on Park street, arc the
variety thcatrcs--long wooden buildings,
with wooden chnlrs downstairs aud boxes
upstairs communicating generally with the
stage. Some OF tho bee, variety troupcs In tho
country play IN Butte. The audience smokes
aud drinks IA II ohooscs, and pays excellent
attention. A particularly taking act will
otton bring down u shower OF silver quarters
and halves from tho boxes 10 the stage,
grat,ilty not at all unwolcomo to many
song and dance artist Excellent perform
ancos arc gwen prolonged sometimes tiil
after midnight, Us they begin late nut there
are none Of the low concert anlo0ns or dance
houses which once diagneed tho Michigan
timber peninsula, and oven tho pretty waiter
girl saioona ara fow and far between.
white the scenes hnye described are
being enacted IN tho mining camp proper,
dozens Of quartz mills aro pounding away
with coasolesa roar and scores Of ameltors arc
holching forth thick volumes Of smoke. The
day shiil OF minurs is at play. but tho night
shift Ia at work hundreds Of foot below tho
suriaca VI tho shait-houso. digging. hauling
and blasting for silver and copper. The
minors " Butte nro mover NJ rest save Tor
clean.up or repairs al long intervals. Physi.
cally they arc q lno body OF mon. made up OF
all olcmonla The English, Welsh aud
Irish predominant, but thoro arc nany
lthllana aud not few representatives from |
the Slavic provinces OH Austro-Hungarian |
Empire, They gonerally dreBa Ia long boots,
SLOUGH hats wooden nhiris, and blue osofalls. |
II must he very cold day that induces |
miner 10 bother with such trlng 40 an
oyorcoat They arc th0mos, chrcless Of NOR
tails, and never take precautions against |
catching cold. They como out rocking with |
Precipitation from tho bowels OF tho Garth |
and bravo tho nipplng blast with bare breasts
and nocks. Pneumonia has been doing It's |
desdly work among thom since the Ad,ont OF |
tho grip four or five years ago, and tho past
season has boon no exception In the way Of |
mortality. The patient breathing thin and |
yiilnted air, has little hope Of shaking On |
pneumonia In Butte. and IN consequence tho |
average Of fatal caaos Is large. II is said that
mon who abstain from strong liquors suffer-
even more than those who drink heavily, and |
neprly an soein 10 agree that alcohol. IN some
form, Is an absolutely NODDED mode OF treat
mont under such condition. ~ eElai hero. My |
personal observation has boon that good
sized majority 81 the male -ltaizens Of Butis
soon 70 1.-Two la constant dread Of pneumonia,
and thoroughly bclloyo IN ior1ifying them
selyoa splritoualy. Il not spiritually, against
all evil chances. AZ tho sane time must
say that a more kindly disposed. pleasantly
boiaged community docs not oxist anywhere
Hospitality Ia municipal watohword In tho
mountain city, and nearly everybody goes
around wearing on expression Of "poAcs on
earth. 10 men good win" iiany man Of bad
will should, however, happen along he can
ind plenty Of accommodation Ia butte.
Ten thousand tons day ID nc unusual out.
put Of ore for the minos u Butte. The camp
lies on m easy slope Of tho mountains. with
mines above, below aud all around Il. Look
which way you may from tho heart Of tho
city, you will soc a shsft house. a stamp mill
OF a smolter. Aud Butia has hor fall eharo
81 mining roinancos There is tho Loripg-
ton. for which tho rreneh stockholders are
sald 10 have paid ss.0Oo.0oo % tho man who
purchased from the original locator Tor 81.
Tho laanagar IL coas-monthod, and nobody
can tel what the Lexington has prodnood.
But II must pay. for Tho orc Is stil coming