Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-11-08
INDIAN GAMBLERS.
ALWAYS READY TO RISK THEIR ALL
IN A GAME OF CHANCE.
Sometimes Whole Villages Are Impover-
ished by a Streak of Bad Luck-They
/ Rely Upon Charms and Their Ability to
| Cheat-They Are Good Losers.

Rely Upon Charms and Their Ability to
| Cheat-They Are Good Losers.
AS eagerly as a duck fops into the wa
ter does an Indian jump into game of
chance Unbounded belief in luck and
perhaps the natural deviltry OF the race
make Indians inveterate gamblers. There
is nothing in an Indians possession that
he will not readily. wager on game OF
chance Nearly every noble red man is
the possessor of an individual charm or
fetch which enables him to do things
that other Indians cannot do. This fetch
is Of value exclusively to the owner, and
according to their belief would be OF no
use or advantage to any other Indian. No
person besides the posesssor knows what
the fetch is and were it to become known
1t would Immediately lose its power for
good No Indian will knowingly steal
another Indians fetch. Such theft viii
ates the power of the thief's fetch and
casts over him a hoodoo
Having full faith in the ability of his
charm to bring luck to him, the Indian
never fails to place all his possessions in
the balance when there Is a bet on. Ii he
loses, he takes it phlosophically and at
tributes his bad luck to the greater power
of his adversary's charm. If he wins, he
has added faith in the power of his own
charm. Indians have been known to
wager all their earthly possessions, even
to their squaws and children and tepees,
on the fall of stick in one Of their games.
Indian villages have become pauperized
and dependent upon charity for months
because the inhabitants bet everything
they had on the result of games with other
villages. Such occurrences were common
several years ago, and were it not for the
restrictions of government regulations
would be so still
Gambling is not a secret vice among the
Indians 1t is INDUCED in by all the mem
bcrs of the tribe, and the moro expert the
gambler the higher he stands in the estl-
nation of his fellows. To have the fame
of being a successful gambler causes an
Indian to looked up to almost as much as
if he were successful warrior. There Is
no fear of shocking the morals of even the
highest chief by proposing a game with
HMM fact, the invitation pleases him.
One point of advantage held by the red
man over his white brother is in the fact
that when he loses everything he possesses
he is not much poorer than he was before,
and he can readily recoup himself by max
ing q raid upon some unfortunate white
snttler or unon , weaker tribe. The white
man NAV commit suicide. but the Indian
sim,ly lool,s for n victim and seldom fails
10 finI him
D. tho e,o,-ornr,ort +irb+enod tho
-, IT,, -, no Indions nrofeesional
III, ..a,,tIors ,,,oro ,,lontifnI Of late
,.nars +5oir number hos decreased ran.
;5,,, ri,a ,nns+ fop,ons indian gambler
'' .oaa,, H. Oncionah Comanche
ia. 80 10 ,T'an+a 10 &c ohnut 70
..au, sIa +oiI ana otroiobt With =, Thin
yorror ~ t,ce His eyos arc sunken like
,haso of consnnntive uo never smiles
.i1'o 49, VI q asp iI,o al indian ann.
ill.,, his drnss ;s rich in bright colors.
ut, r;dos ,,,hi+o nonvond ia at.
,a,a 'a1' H., t,.n Anacbo Indians both fa.
$50 e.. doods ~ nrorvoss lie travels
. iou' IN ". ,,ii,apa and fro,, trihe "a
.n;,a E,o.,,,rhoro ho 10 wnII known
WI, i,ie or,ro,cb e. nodo known tho
-, ,'.ait for him 10 ,nnear SAVING
LII ,,,orn,, 70 ,l,y With him for if is
I,;n 49, W +bot III, tbo c,mo If
on .,o .',,,, ~ ,,aroet I'D tho
," 49, 49, ,,1oaso ,,
Ono,a,,aI nnco onnoarcd ,t tho Cash
~ III Ia rala into tho VILLAGE
.hort,,, boforc rundown Ono of his com.
en- ". 49,, I,n;,rt. vol h1,rI-ot on
,a n,,na o,,o,onob tncIt before IL As
Wv NV attiaa 49,, ~, bis b,uncbos and
-. - ,,, dcol, of NIoxicon
oiousnS n 49, ,,o hIarI,ot wac surrounded
,no,tvo o"us o,,o th,oo and fonr doom
ny l'u,ao I,,diore onon,
anu ne'i, .'.,,r,it,. ~ ,,iar Tho ,ono
iol on oppo 80 s1 nmoionab shnti,od tho card
.:.t ..,,,,a,,,, r,,,iditr Tho intorcst in
WIN iiiii 'el ', al tt ,i,,,t ronod Can.
.,'o s'ino .'s,,,',''1 aa ,,ie,tt fall and ,yor,
uios WIZ 90 a;,,saa rroan tv,ios
las'1'eu III si,p
e'u,N ',' .l'e ai-,,',i' ,;,.,,+ Oro,onob conld
d! ' i'oii -, -, "a ,ool,otino
po secn pay mas ,.i' tcn1on ond
ms s.in' no,i,,5 hi',, on bic rie,bt and
paiher, no'i nion III, +,-n A nacho FOL.
on MS i.iV o,ouo".u ,' h.o,r.;nl, OnoIonab
lows Ao VOW "' r. la tritrod aIl
iooheu aoo u1 i,,i. nno Of them was q
save TWO iiui"n' @ da,,.,, stoo 20,
heaH! VIM -, o,.". n,oIon,b apnonnc.
caoi, Vi .noli ~ ,t H. trho n,rds Ieft
ou .l ~, ~ ""S '' ana tbo douco Roth In.
wotc '"o Iuuo ,, n'lu Tho denco won
uia',s i',u Vi, 'no w" ~; , Tho vii.
Suciepan pou , ,La IrdianS was nopni.