The Springfield herald., 1897-06-11

| platform of the blind baggage" wo-
| man plainly but not shabbily dressed,
carrying a small travelling bag in one
hand and newspaper in the other.
There was large crowd at the sta
ten, and scores of eyes followed her
wonderingly as she walked gracefully
up the platform and entered the wait
ing room. The brakeman paused in
his work to scrutinize the female who
had dared to steal ride in genuine
hobo fashion, and the conductor fum-
bled with his watch chain and stood
watching the woman with amazement
as she brushed past him without sign
of confusion. The conductor followed
her into the depot and after register
ing and obtaining 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
car PLATFORM"
The reply came in a clear, feminine
voice:
81 boarded your train at Eau Claire.
air. My name is Silver Nell. and rode
on the forward platform instead of In
the coach because | had no money to
spare for railroad fare
Then the girl tramp strode business
like up to the ticket window and in
quired whether there was any other
road in the town going west, while the
conductor chewed n piece off his pen
ell and went outside roaring: "All
aboard" Silver Nell told the ticket
hot oh hoA
York city and was on her way to
Butte, Mont, where she intended to go
into the gambling business. She said
she had lost over thousand dollars
on the Corbett-Fitzsimmons fight and
was almost entirely without money, SO
that 1t was now necessary for her to
travel "a la" hobo. She remained sew
eral 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 gam
blers of the city had seen Silver Nell
before and others had heard OF her,
but, according to her own statement.
this was her first trip through Wis
consin, 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 trav-
eled afoot, by rail, by water and by
coach. and has probably covered as
much ground as any drummer in
america AS an adventures she has
had more varied and trying expe-
riences than any other woman Of mod
ern times. and as a society woman
she has also enjoyed popularity.
She is a gambler by profession and
as side Issue INDUCES frequently in
speculation on the outcome of sport
ing events of all kinds. She is called
Silver Nell because she invariably uses
silver dollars instead Of poker chips
when playing poker. She has never
been known by any other name-at
least not during the last ten or fifteen
years-and she claims to possess no
other She has spent most of her time
in the west during the last ten years,
but nearly every town of any size in
the east has been honored with her
presence, and the sporting man, east
Nell must necessarily be a new re-
cruit.
She is what the ordinary Judge of
feminine beauty would call good
looking girl. Her complexion is clear;
her features large, but well shaped.
and her black eyes sparkle beneath
heavy brows. She claims to be only
2S years old. but looks trine older
She also claims to be of French de-
scent, but there is Just a faint sug-
gestion Of the Irish In her speech.
Silver Nell began her career as
gambler in Helena, Mont, ten years
ago. Her father, whose only name
known to the community was Faro
Pete, had opened a gambling house
and the girl was installed as lookout"