The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-30
NOTED "BLACK PRINCE.
JAMES STILLSON Is THE RICHEST
NEGRO GAMBLER IN AMERICA.
CaIifornia's Great Card Player Tells
How He Became Il Follower of
Chnnce-BiG Stakes In O1d-Time
Games on the Mississippi.

Chicago Record: Los Angeles, CAL
A negro stood in the lobby of the
Westminster hotel in this city recent
ly looking absent-mindedly up and
down Main street. He had just arrived
in town and was evidently expecting
someone. His dress attracted the at
tention of everyone who saw him, and
even the street boys came and looked
in the big windows at the man. He
wore garments of the latest fashion
and finest fit. His linen was immacu-
late and the light overcoat that hung
on his arm was of most expensive
fabric. He wore silk hat and carried
a gold-headed cane. Three large dia-
monds blazed from his shirt bosom
and two smaller diamonds were in
rings on his fingers and still larger
diamonds sparkled on his cuff bat
tons.
The man was James Stillson, better
known as the BLACK Prince" He is
probably the richest negro gambler in
America and one of the best known
and cleverest gamblers anywhere on
the Pacific coast Thousands of per-
sons in this part of the Union have
heard of Stillson. the colored gambler
but have never seen. him. He owns
$4,000 worth of houses and lots in San
Diego and has a half interest with a
white man in a seashore hotel at
Santa Barbara worth at least $4,000,
besides a string of running horses that
have made some fine records at the
Pacific coast races. A conservative es-
innate of the value of his real estate
and horses is S135, 900.
How did l become a gambler" said
Stillson as he took a cigar from his
mouth and laughed. 4 guess I was
born to gamble. 1t came Just as nat
ural to me to gamble as to breathe.
l was born on a plantation along the
Ohio river somewhere along about 1875
ard I can't remember when | didn't
do some gambling. 1 remember when
I could not have been more than 6
years old betting watermelons with
river bOatmen. l used to match pen
MES with youngsters, and there 1 first
discovered my fortune in risks. Later
1 became 2 cabin boy on the New Or
leans packet steamer. Everybody
gambled on Mississippi river boats. /
was no exception. My good fortune
continued and when we reached Gin
cinnati on one of our trips l found /
had $50 clear. I left the river and
started a small gambling room for the
benefit of people of my race ! was
getting along finely until one day q
man came in and broke the faro bank.
which meant 5000 to me. Then l BUSH
When ! could earn dollar l played
the bank. Sometimes l had hundreds
and occasionally thousands, only to
lose ii all another day.
"One night 1 cleared up 81, 200 in a
New Orleans bank. I went TO Chi
cago. in spite of the prejudice against
a colored man around a faro table, and
determined TO open an establishment |
for myself. A crowd followed me up |
from New Orleans to break me. l got |
$1,000 from Z Cincinnati friend. now a /
Detroit man. to help me out. We had |
it hot and heavy but 1 came out $4,000 /
winner. l afterwards started a second |
bank in Memphis, and both of these !
are running now
How do you playa"
"Only big limits-s1OO, 5000 or $500 |
to call a card San Francisco banks /
play $50 limits, but it is mere tom
foolery to play such a game. ] have |
always made it principle to make or
break-that is. clean out the bank or
myself. That's the only true way to |
gamble. My advice to anyone who en-
cages in it is to stop forever the min
ute he makes a decent pile,
Have l ever broken banks? Yes,
about IA. 1 have played the highest
game on this coast in the last 20
years-call-card faro for $1,000 q crack.
Remember, this was not a combination
arrangement; L played my money alone
My largest cleanings have been in
Saratoga and Chicago. In Saratoga a
few years ago l broke a bank for
SIS 600 That was the largest bank I
aver broke, though l have made more
money than that at one sitting"
After long years of experience in
gambling. what do you think of such
career?"
Nine out of ten of the gambling men
have known have died poor. 1 knew
l man once in Portland, Ore, who, in a
ew weeks, made several thousand dol
ars from $50 and dropped dead with
leart disease at the faro table. He is
me of the persons who quit away
lhead of the game. But the fascina-
ion of the game is irresistible, and not
i've persons in a hundred can leave a
,areer of gambling behind and go into
mother pursuit if they have any money
eft
Il have been in the minstrel business
our times and tried to occupy my mind
With the details of the routes, the-the-
tires and the moving from town TO
own. but soon / tired of that life. II
s not lively enough for me- I've got
o risk something all the time 1 can't
at or sleep unless 1 am either getting
head or losing on the game l have
made more money on the coast in the