Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1894-11-30
A FORTUNE AT CARDS
IT WAS WON BY JOHN SCOTT, THE
 "GENTLEMAN GAmBLER.D


 Most Precise Methods.
 Of all the gentlemen gamblers of the close of the eighteenth century in Eng land single one is noted for the i'm mensisy and the regularity of his win nings. This was John Scott, who, be- ginning as penniless captain, wound up his career as millionaire general. On the subject of the campaigns he con ducted history is silent but eontempo rary London was full of talk of his mar vicious luck with dice and cards, and the marital misfortunes of his later life gave more material for the gossips
 Writing to Richard Bentley, from Arlington street, on Feb. 25, 1755, Horace Walpole says:
 ''The great event is the catastrophe of Sir John Bland, who has fiirted away his whole fortune at hazard. He t'other night exceeded what was lost by the late Duke of Bedford, having at one pc riod of the night (though he recovered the greatest part of itl lost 932, 000 The citizens put OH their double chan neled pumps and trudge to St. James street in expectation of seeing judgment on Whites - angels, with flaming swords and devils flying away with diceboxes, like the prints ill Sadler's hermits. Sir John lost this immense sum to Captain Scott, who at present has nothing but few debts and his commission. "
 Sir John Bland, to conclude here the history of that luckless dicer, shot him. sel dead after losing the last of his for tune in Kippax park.
 Captain John Scott was of that branch of the numerous Scott family of which Sir Walter was member, and his an eestor ill the thirteenth century was that famous chemist, Michael Scott, who won the name of Wizard. A later Scott i distinguished himself in the time of Charles II by marrying, when he was 1 himself only II years old, lady who 1 was three years his junior The bride was Mary, countess of Buccleuch. ill her own right the richest heiress in Scot l land Tho marriage was a secret one, and none of the friends and few of her family were informed of it until the day after. The youthful bridegroom did not profit greatly by this match, for his bride died at 13. Her sister Anne, who succeeded to her titles and estates, made marriage with the pet son of Charles II, Monmouth, and had q numerous family.
 It was 60 years later, or about 1750, that young John Scott, son of the Laird of Scots Tarvet, entered King Georges army Two years later he was in Lon don and ill tho midst of the most reck- less set of spendthrifts, rakes and game sters that English society has ever known Sir John Bland was only one of thousand rich young Englishmen who threw away his fortune over the gaming table at Whites The one his torie loser of that era was Charles James Fox Pitts rival. Fox gambled away, all told. no less than So, 900, 900. Scott was the very antipodes of Fox. When he died, at ripe old age. he left for tune as great as that with which Fox had begun, and every penny of it had been won at the gaming table. Fox was ripe scholar Scott was almost i1lit- crate Fox said that losing was the next greatest pleasure to winning. Scott never lost, or so rarely that it did not affect the serenity of his career as a winner Fox would go home in the morning after night in which he had gambled away 910, 900 or e20, 600 and immediately lose himself in study of Sophocles or Aschylus. Scott, like the sensible fellow he was, would button his coat over the portemonnaie in which he carried away winnings of an equal or even greater amount and immediate 1 ly go to bed so as to be fresh for play i'll the evening.
 When Scott found himself ill London, and amid the wild young men of his era. he determined that gaming was his only chance of getting money. When he engaged himself to throw series of mains with Sir John Bland, he had, as Horace Walpole puts it, nothing .but few debts and his commission. His i shrewdness taught him that there was nothing ill dicing at which stupid man has as good chance as bright one, and so he speedily gave up hazard and applied himself to whist, at which l game heaven fights on tho S le of the skillfuI player. Never i'll the history of play did men gamble for such high stakes as Scott and his victims did at Whites between 1753 and 1780. Seott's system was an exceedingly simple one He gave himself the best of it i'll ev- cry possible way. He never went to the gaming table unless his head and his stomach were in the very best order. He never lost his composure or his good nature for an instant. He played per fectly fair and honorable game, and at first he made 1t a rule never to play for more than fixed Sum, which he could afford to lose He won so steadily that it wasn't long before he was prepared to risk any sum which even the wealth fest or the most reckless of his adver- saries would venture to propose.
 A story which illustrates capitally Scott's patience in the face of hard luck has been preserved. One night, while he was at the card table, news was brought to him that his wife, the first Mrs. Scott, had given birth to q girl
 "Ah, he said, II shall have to dou- ble my stakes to make fortune for this young lady"
 But i'll a few hours he was eS, 900 to the bad Retaining his invariable seren-