The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-13
SILVER NELL.
Gambler, Hobo and Society Woman
Who Began Her Career in Mon


Superior, Wis. Special to Chicago
Tribune: Gambler hobo and society
woman-that is the record of Silver
Nell
When the Northwestern limited train
from the east pulled into the station at
superior last Thursday morning there
alighted from the platform of the
blind baggage" a woman plainly but
not shabbily dressed. carrying a small
travelling bag in one hand and news
paper in the other. There was a large
crowd at the station and scores of eyes
foiiowed her wonderingly as she walked
gracefully up the platform and entered
the waiting room. The brakeman
paused in his work TO scrutinize the
female who had dared to steal a ride
in genuine hobo style and the con-
dUctor fumbled with his watch chain
and stood watching the woman with
Amusement as she brushed past him
without sign of confusion.
The conductor followed her into the
depot, and after registering and obtain
Ing a clearance stopped to ask:
Where did you come from. what is
your name. and why did you not ride
In the coach instead of on the forward
ear PLATFORM"
The reply came in a clear feminine
voice:
7 boarded your train at Eau Claire.
sir
My name is Silver Nell. and rode
on the forward platform instead of in
rhe coach because had no money to
spare for railroad fare"
Then the girl tramp strobe business
like up To the ticket Office and INQUIRED
whether there was any other road in
the town going west. while the con-
ductor chew ed a piece off his pencil
and went outside roaring:
"All aboard,'
Silver Nell told the ticket agent that
she had come from New York City. and /
was on her way TO Butte. Mont. where |
she intended to go into the gambling I
business. She said she had lost over q 4
thousand dollars on the Corbett- Fitz-
simmons fight and was almost entirely /
without money. so that it was neces- 4
sary for her to travel "a Ia" hobo. She 4
remained several hours in Superior
Then she took a. street car for Duluth.
intending to catch the blind baggage
on the western bound Northern Pacific
limited in the evening.
Some Of the old-time gamblers of this
city had seen Silver Nell before and
others had heard OF her. but according
TO her own statement this was her first
trip through Wisconsin. though she had
visited Duluth. just across the bay.
nearly ten years ago.
Silver Nell is one of the strangest and
most interesting characters in the
country. For ten years she has travelled
on foot, by rail, by water. and by coach,
and has probably covered as much ter
ritory as any drummer in America. AS
an adventures she has had more
varied experiences than any other
woman Of modern times. and as a
society woman she has also enjoyed
She is a gambler by profession and as /
a side issue INDUCES frequently in
speculation on the outcome of sporting
events OF all kinds. She is called Silver s
Nell because she invariably uses silver
dollars insteod of poker chips when I
playing poker. a
She has never been known by any S
other name-at least during the last I
10 or Is years-and she claims to pos I
sess no other. She has spent most of s
her time in the west during the last 5
ten years. but nearly every town of 7
any size in the east has been honored
~ her presence, and the sporting man.
.ast or west. who has not heard of
Silver Nell must necessarily be a new a
'ecruit. f
She is what the ordinary judge of f;
eminine beauty would call a good S
ooking girl. Her complexion is clear. "
Ter features large, but well shaped. N
nd her black eyes sparkle beneath e.
leavy brows. She claims to be only u