The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-11-05
Some Leaves From the Life Of u
! ColorGd Gambler
WHO WORKED CALIFORNIA


city this afternoon, looking absent
mindcdly up and down Main street. lie
had just arrived In town and was evil
IDENTIFY expecting some one. Ills dress
attracted the attention OF every ono
who saw him and even tho street boys
came and looked In the big windows at
the man. lie wore garments Of the Ia
test fashion and finest 1T. Ills linen
was immaculate and tho light over
coat that hung on hls arm was OF most
expensive fabric. lie wore silk hat
and carried gold-hcadcd cane. Three
large diamonds blazcd from his shirt
bosom and two smaller diamonds We're
In rings on his fingers and stu larger
diamonds sparkled on his Gun buttons.
The man was James Stllman, better
known as the ,eBiack Prince" He Is
probably the richest negro gambler In
America and one OF the best-known
anu cleverest gamblers anywhere on
the Pacific coast. Thousands Of persons
In this part OF the union have heard Of
Sullman. the colored gambler. but have
never seen him. lie owns $4,000 worth
"a HSuSfS anu lpks Ill sui DltHO anu
has halt-interest with n white man In
n seashorc hotel at Santa Barbara,
worth Mt least $4,000. besides string
OF running horses that have made some
fine records at the Pacific coast races.
a conservative estimate OF the value OF
his real estate and horses Is sl35.Q00.
Wa, Horn to Gamble.
How did become a gambler" said
Stillman. as he took cigar from his
mouth and laughed. 81 guess l was
born to gamble. 1t came just as natural
10 me 10 gamble US 10 breathe. was
born on n plantation along the Ohio
river somewhere along about 1916 and |
can't remember when didn't do some
gambling. i remember when | could
not have been more than six years old
OF betting watermelOns with river
boatmen. used 10 match pennies with
the white youngsters and there | first
d!scovercdNny fortune in risks. Later |
became n cabin boy on q New Orleans
packet steamer. Everybody gambled ION
Mississippi river boats was no excep-
ton. Ny good fortune continued, and
when we reached Cincinnati On one OF
our trips foundSf.had $50 clenr. | left
the river and STATED small Eamb-
ling room for the benefit OF people OF
my own race. VAS getting along fine
~ until one day.d' man came In and
broke the faro bank. which meant 1900
10 me. Then l bushwhackcd about the
country for time. When could earn
dollar | played the bank Sometimes
had hundreds and occasionally tta0u-
sands, only 10 lose II all another day.
One night / cleared up Si,TOO In n
New Orleans bank. ] went TO Chitago.
In spite OF the prejudice against COL
ored man around n faro ia Bile, and de-
tcrmined 10 open an establishment for
myself. 4 crowd followed me up from
New Orleans 10 break me up | yot
Sl,OOO from a Cincinnati friend, now a
Detroit man. 60 help me out, We had IL
hot and heavy. but came out 5000
winner. | afterward started second
bank In Memphis. and both OF these
are running now"
How do you play?"
Only big limits $500. 500 or $500 to
cal! card. San Francisco banks play
S:o limits, but IL Is mere tomfoolery 10
play such 4 game. | have always made
1t principle to make or break-tha, is,
clean out the bank or myself, That's
the only true way 10 gamble. My ad-
vice to anyone who engages In Il Is to
stop forever,the minute he makes a de-
cent pile. p.
Have I ever broken banks? Yes,
about fourteen. have played the
highest game on this coast In the last
twenty years-call-card faro cop 81 900
crack. Remember. this was NOT n
combination arrangement: I played nv
money alone. My larges, clcanInrs
have been In Saratoga and Chicago. In
Saratoga few years ago ] broke a
bank for $4,000. That was the largest
Dank ever broke. though have made
more money than that at one sitting"
After long years OF experience In
EamollnS, what do you think OF such a
career?"
Nine out OF ten OF the gambling
men nave known have died poor. I
hnew man once In Portland. Oregon,
VINO In few weeks made several thou
sand dollars from $50 and dropped dead
with heart disease at the faro table. He
Is one of the persons who uul, away
ahead OF the game. But the fascination
oil the game is Irresistible and not five
persons In hundred can leave a career
Oh SainhllnE behind and 20 into another
pursuit II they had any money left.
Minstrel iin,inen Too Tame
u have been In the minstrel huvt,ces
-FOUR times and tried to occupy my mind
with the details OF the routes, the then
tres and the moving from town TO town
but l soon tired OF that life. I, Is no.
lively enough for me. I've got TO risk
something all the time. ] can't cat or
sleep unless | am either getting ahead
or losing oil the game. | have made
more money on the coast In the pas, two
years In betting on races than | have
made In playful; cards. The times arc
bad Tor the Kind or game like to plnv.
! nave found New Orleans the best CITY
In the south for men OF my business
but there are times when pile OF money
can be made with little rlak in Sea,,Is
and III PnsO. II all depends upIn tho
rules of the game OF the city you 70
into"
Where have you seen the best gam
blInE?"
THE most scientific and bus!ness-lIl;c
games | ever saw played In my lifetime
among gamblers were those on the MA
HsHlppi. Those men were the best
poker and faro players ever known.
Il remember one day In May, 1859. ]
was cabin boy on the famous Robert
Wurti-thc finest boat ever ,ioatcd on
the rivcr-and when We left New Orleans
there were aboard 200 OF the greatest faro
dealers. horse trnttcrs and all-around
gamblers In America. Every one had
money, for the racing season had n great
success. and every one OF the gamblers
was on his way TO Saratoga or 10 the
White Sulphur Springs for summer
with the New York and Philadelphia
blOpla. The Robert Ward had hardly
left the dock at New Orleans when word
was passed around the boat among the
sports that several OF the leading faro
dealing firms would open big game oil
board.
1.-THE games were opened n few hours