The herald., 1894-01-14
COLONEL JACK GANBILL,
A Frontier Journalists Trib-
ute to a Pioneer Sport.
From Poverty to Affiuence and Back
TO ItAgain in Old Age.
Tho story of Man Whose Fauit Lay In
His Profession and Whose
Many Merits We're All
Els Own.


men Colonel Andrew jackson Gambill,
born near Knoxville, Tenn, in 1915,
while the guns were roaring at Waterloo.
He died under the knife in St. Luke's
from rhe effects of surgical operation
for an ailment which he had borne for
seven years with the stoic iortitude OF
Choctaw warrior. He was the last sur
vivor OF race of sporting men that are
not again likely to find place in the
history of any state--the men who are
willing to ''give their money al even
chance" OF courae there are and will
be forever isolated exceptione
Colonel Jacks parents were poor peo-
pie and comparatively illiterate, He
learned to read after he was Is and to
write when he was past 80 de could
sign his name Is years before he could
write three consecutive sentences on any
given subject, but there was go much OF
the innate gentleman about him that
not one man IN twenty would have sus-
pected any detects in his earlier prepar-
alton for the great battle OF life. Cour-
teous always and often digniied to the
verge OF severity. he was one OF the most
remarkable men ! have ever met when
you come to consider the struggles OF
his earlier life.
He was farm drudge till he was
nearly 10, contented with new buck
skin suit once a year, for he was dead
shot with rifle and generally kept the
family in venison and himself in cloth
ing. OF ali the family he was the only
tall one, and majestic man he was till
the day they laid him to rest. At 10 he
went 10 Nashville, whore he was hired
as deck hand on a fatDoat that was
going to New Orleans with a load of
| Tennessee corn. He was a great awk-
ward boy, with an arm like a fail. and
could do days work that would almost
paralyze giant. He had never seen
percussion capped gun nos a lucifer
match up to that time.
The boat laid up at "Natchez under
the Hill" on her downward voyage and
remained over Sunday. Some gamblers
came on board and wanted to play
euchre, poker or anything else. The
parting injunction given to Jack by his
mother was never to gamble. Hence
Jack would not touch card. He stood
around decks and talked with the sports,
however, and at last one of them picked
up what looked to be splinter OF wood
|
| bet you $40 can rub that silver on my
pants and strike fire once in three
times"
Jack, who had never seen lucifer
match in HE iife, said: "I'll take the
bet.' The man drew the stick across
the seat OF his psnts and it burst into a
blaze. Jack, who was standing near
the rail, staggered back in astonish ment
and fell overheard. He was soon gotten
out, none the worse for his ducking, and
used to tell the story with the greatest
gusto. He rambled around the gulf
states for the next two years and finally
brought up as stage driver for W. B.
Reeside, on the old road leading from
Nashville to Montgomery. George +.
Thomas, who died at Walla Walla, 10
years ago, drove alongside of him. He
was one of the founders of the Cal Ifornia
Stage company, which was the most
powerful corporation in this state from
1850 to 1864.
About this time he became an expert
card PLAYER and was rated the best
square player at cribbage, poker. euchre
and seven up that was to be found in
Alabama. One night he attracted the
attention OF Virginian named John Q.
Cabaniss, who was interested in two or
three faro games in New Orleans and
Memphis. He persuaded Jack to go to
New Orleans with him, where they re-
manned till 1S49 when they came to
California. During the time they were
in New Orleans, they were prominent
members OF the Metairie Jockey club.
There first saw him at the fall meeting
of 1S4S, just after the canal to Lake
Ponchartrain WAS finished. My uncle,
who ran cotton ship between there
and New York, took me out for voy
age with him, and On the four-mile race
dsy we went to the TRACK. The entries
were as follows:
sewell I. Tsylor's (Kentucky) b. m.
Fannie King, by imp. Glencoe-Msry
Smith by Sir Richard, years, l07
pounds.
John Minor Bolts (Virginia) b. b.
Revenue, by imp. Trustee-Rosalie
Somers by Sir Charles, years, 100
pounds.
ID. f. Kenner's (Louisiana) ch.
Louis dor, by imp. rpedon-Pica-
yune by Medoc, years. 100 pounds.
Z. j. Wells lLouisians) gr. In. Ann
Dunn, bv imp. Sovereign by imp.
Glencoe years, lU7 puunas.
Louis dor won the first heat and Ann
Dunn pulled up lame and was with
drawn. Jack Gambill, who was distance
Judge, reported Fannie King outside the
flag in the second heat, won by Rsve-
nue.. Out OF this grew the biggest kind
of row. Some Irishman who had bet
on Fannie King, as against Revenue or
Louis d'Or (there WAS no pool selling in
those days) came over to the judges
stand. claiming the mares head was in
eide the flag. They were going to whip
Jack, but he placed his back against the
stand, SO they could not get behind
him, and then knocked them down,
right and left, as fast as they could get
up. Seven of them spent that night in
iail. in addition TO black eyes all around.
[ d,d not see him again till 1858, when |
found him at Crescent City, in Northern
California, running pack trains from
that place into Yreka and Jacksonville.
They had over 80 mules in their two
trains, and got to s cents per pound
for every bit of freight they carried.
Thew alec had saloon and ga.nlng
house in Crescent City, now kept BY
Darby & SavilIe, where there was ae
high as $40, 900 night changing owner
ship. By 1855, the Gold Beach bubble
had collapsed. and Co'onel Jack re-
turned to san Francisco. He had been
an equal owner in tue Arcade, on Clay
street, with Mr.. Csbanise, ever since
they landed there in lS49. In it were