The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-09
CURED HIM OF GAMBLING.
uHr DRIFTER'S FRIEND JOHNSON
DOESN'T PLAY ARDS
nj. went Up Against Roulette and became =
Demuter-staLed SITS Fortune Against Fare
and HAD u close Cnii-His shooting scrnpe
80. Naa.a HaaaA IL. -.

VI N AA - A@ANNs
l. was no SLOUGH of an introduction that pre-.
coded. or rather accompanied, Col. Johnson's
entry in tho club where his friend Drifter put
hin NY.
"Grntlrmen,' said Dritter, my friend, the
Colonel. is one OF my kind. Like me, he was a
tcnderfoot of the tenderesf sort when he struck
tn frontier. Together we roughed 1t In the
logging camps up in Keewatin; We were chain.
men together on ono Of tho first surveys for tho
Canadian Pacific road, TO cross the Saskatch.
evan; we had both been millionaires In our
minds when tho gold fever broke out from Lake
Superior TO Lake Winnipeg, and we've been
hungry and thirsty in a pair at a time when
mining claims and mining stock wouldn't buy a
John Collins or a square meal. Yes. the Colonel
is a brck-H
Come Oft, Dritter." interrupted tho new
conner, e your friends are hungry, and tho soup
is getting cold. Don't speak OF mining claims
and bricks in the same breath, for i have no gold
bricks on hand at present"
In the conversation which attended tho sup
per Drliter's fellow mombcrs learned from the
Colorel's lips thut he had roved the continent
as widely as the now civilized Drifter, that he
had loated and punched cattle with the ranch
men OF the Texas Panhandle; had been one OF
the earliest boomers in tho wild rush for the
fertile plains Of the Cherokee Strip, and. as he
admitted over the coffee, had knocked about
quite a little" and was trying to " get used TO
Broadway with nothing in particular to do"
Later. when q game Of draw was proposed. the
Colonel asked to be excused. Although no COM
ment was made, Drifter, who is always aching
for q few rounds OF jackpot, noticed the sur
prise OF his fellow members and alphabetically
said:
Boys. suppose we shelve tho cards tonight
Ishould have told you that the Colonel never
plays nowadays. but I've seen him go up against
the stifest kind OF games to satisfy the gambling
instinct of a man. He's a total abstainer now;
aren't you, Colonel ="
The visitor bowed assent and it was not long
before the clubmeni induced him to own up that
he had still a sneaking regard for a square game
of chance.
n prejudice against gambling. or ignorance
Of the value Of a full hand. keeps me out Of a
game" said the man who, according TO his chum,
had been up against all kinds OF stiff games.
"Drifter. here. knows that there is a world Of
fascination to me in the rattle OF the chips and
the click OF the deal box In q stoutly fought faro
game. There Is sweet music to me In the roll OF
a roulette ball and the whirr OF the numbered
wheel. Ped and black, high or low, odd or even,
hazard, hearts, and baccarat alike have found
IN me q devotee in my wanderings over the coun-
try, and down South many a night I've fingered
by the hour watching the roustabouts from the
levee shooting craps. So. gentlemen, when a
caSe-harCeneQ CltlZen ike mySelr denies himself
the pleasure OF a friendly game OF poker, 1t must
be evident that, like the genuine Kelley gradu-
ate. he has taken tbs cure"
Drifter paved tho way for the Colonel's mar
rative by remArkiaxs 'Tes, you took the cure.
not only once, but o-~~er, and paid high for 1t,
too. We've locked the cards and chips up now,
Colonel. SO you're in for It. Tell the boys how
an inveterate gambler was reformed. Obi
there's no preaching in his experience, gentle
men. I'll vouch for that"
81 did backslide, that's the Gospel truth" said
the Colonel. YES, I took my medicine three
times, and in good, big doses. too, before ! was
cured. II you can stand the postponement OF
your poker game, I can tell you how / became
what Drifter delights In calling me. an example
of a reformed gambler.
1T doesn't make any difference how many
years ago took the first dose of anti-cambling
medicine. l was younger than any OF you are
now, and was headstrong and full OF warm
blood. travelled for a big Eastern wholesale
firm and made collections as well as sales. On
my return iron a trip West. that is, to Buffalo,
Hay over at Albany TO close up some overdue
accounts; That done, I had on hand a good
sized wad of money belonging to the firm and "A
little OF my own. was earning a pretty good
salary, and mp, to that time had never known
trouble OF the kind that eats holes in ones brain
and bigger holes in ones reputation. At the
pelayan some one proposed a run up to Saratoga.
was ready for q little outing, and l joined the
AT Saratoga" continued the Colonel. mus
roulette wheel; The Saratoga Club was in full
blast We had returned from the races. I had
name-ln a cup race, and had pulled out what
for for ne was quite nte, a pot Of money; We dined at
the main. gaming hall. 1 had never seen any IN:
thing so fascinating as roulette. My travelling
and went out. ! stayed, lost in wonder at the
eSoolness with which q little Cuban played and
lIost on some system which was al Crock to me.
i lnsenSlDly Ir1tted into mentally calling the
num6ers and then metaphorically kicked myself
Of c o sssAt there was f the ine vi PS S fesSIta
tried to act as an old-timer as I bought $50
q fSs chips mss,s and adj in my haste }, 70 get them on before
freshness and spllleda stack Of chip, on tie floor.
a. ca ITi 6 as e h Ro te1 F eie;rk ea aniIs 'Gs dsta!eri
nsS; In /, my yhl lsDo or r F"sr and ao.. haste so covered the
hands trembled and my teeth chartered. The
Sssl sip SHi,ssis q R EHlss anS Ssss ss s6iP' representing
in the w eaiifa s sPain 'h WIN RssF fcve ilfsls pl tg9Ey HHil
only desisted when the smooth gentleman be-
hind the table called out:
enough. the tickle hall had lodged in the niche
corresponding to the number to which some un.
richer this time by $3.50. "A bfyacer Of brandy Mfs
and soda at my elbow and one of the latest
the appearance Of a graduate of Monte Carlo.
played and Won and played and lost. The
AlpOEluEudulO Suuhll ouUNcu nuRcb taCKbO OF blue
chips on the red or tlack, disdaining the num-
bered squares TO which i confined myself.
1T seemed to me that / had been playin ing only
Afew moments when the dealer resigned his
place to another OF his fraternity, saying as he
did 80, You're in luck, sir; must be a couple of
thousand or more ahead OF the game And as
mechanically and amateurishly stacked up my
Cuban light another cigarette and cali for pen
and ink. A little figuring followed. The dealer
at roaIe tic sa.ae5. TheE Cuban my gn neil v sreW
check for 5000. his losses on The evenings
play IA. and r ssaunteEsd out; ! looked after him.
80 you needn't worry about him. He
pulled out seventeen thousand at this table last
night and is over forty thousand ahead on the
week. It's a great game, this little wheel Il,
when II comes your way. Drop In again. sir.
Good night
sleep and ] were strangers that night" con. |
tnGcd the Colonel. 1T was noon before could !
drive the SOUND OF the clicking ball and the cries
OF The dealer out OF my ears. You can readily
guess that ! did not return 10 Albany with my |
hc4uaintances. Oh. no. i was as game as u
IMhGn. j lhOmRhL 10 mYaelf na | saI aud annkea :