The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-29
STORIES OF DENVER.
TOLD BY ONE WHO WAS A BOY WHEN
THAT CITY WAS YOUNG.

THAT CITY WAS YOUNG.
How = Soldier Taught the Youth q Les
son In Discretion--The Miner Who Lost
His All In the Gambling House - His
Trick With y Few Grains of Powder.
Emory N. Yard, recently mayor of Tron-
ton and ono OF Its most respected citizens,
has many "reminiscences of tho carly days
In Denver, whero he passed part Of his
boyhood.
~ was about 10 years old" no said,
"when entered tho general merchandise
store Of my uncle, the building being on
one of the principal streets. My relative
remarked to mo one day that it probably
would fall to my lot to SEQ some things
now and then that It would he we'll I
should not see. Tho wisdom Of this advice
was impressed upon mo some weeks later
when a soldier came into the store to buy
some tobacco. placed several pieces be-
fore him, noticing mt the saIpe time that
no was rough looking fellow. My uncle
was away and was alone. While the Gus
toner was handling the different pieces 1
saw him slip two of them into his pocket.
He fumbled the others for some minutes
and then said ne would not buy any that
day, but would call again.
"'Before you go, said !, Il want you
to pay for those two pieces you put In your
pocket.
"'Do you accuse mo of stealing your to-
baccop' he angrily asked.
II was young and impulsive and an
swered:
"'Thats what I'm saying. You've
stolen two pieces and must pay for them
or hand them back, and to give emphasis
to my words suggestively closed my I'm
gers around two pound weight.
"Well, don't think thero was square
inch of floor In that store over which that
soldier failed to drag me, and believe he
hammered down every nail with my head,
after which ne walked of with the to-
bacco.
"when my uncle returned, told him
my story and insisted that he should
bring the soldier to punishment. The old
man surveyed my battered countenanoe
and then remarked
"'Emory, you don't look quite SO pretty
as you did yesterday, but l think you
know little more and that was the end
Of 1t. comprehended then that 1t would
have been wiser for me not to have seen
the pilfering Of the tobacco.
"In those days fortunes were won and
lost in few hours, and sometimes fierce
encounters took place. Men would toll for
months to scrape a little gold together and
then come down to Denver and lose 1t all
in a single night. One afternoon miser-
able looking fellow drifted into town. His
buckskin suit was ragged, his shoes tied
to his feet with strings his hair long and
struggling and his beard untrimmed for
months. This man had been absent for
two years. He had been in the mountains,
where he had toiled half starved, fought
wild animals and still wilder red men
and finally succeeded in getting together
about $500 worth of gold dust. He saun-
tered into the gaming place, sat down mt
one of the tables and when he arose, less
than an hour later, had lost every cent he
had.
"His misfortune seemed to daze him.
He wandered aimlcssly around the room
for a few minutes and then without
word passed out into the storm and dark
ness. No one noticed or cared for him.
The next morning the vagrant sauntered
into the place again. He was the picture
of woe and wretchedness, but said nothing.
During the day few were present, and he
sat still most of the time signing, but re-
manning speechless. When night came
and the men began gathering, he eagerly
watched the play. in which he could take
no part.
"Tbis pantomime continued for several
days, until the attendant, who was always
present, grew nervous. He urged the man
to brace up, to go back to the mountains,
get more gold and try his luck again,
which was sure to improve, but the stran-
ger shook his head, muttered to himself
and gave the impression TINT his brain was
turned over his loss. The room in which
the gaming was done was long and mar
row, the tables being placed along the
sides. When 1t began to grow dark, the
attendant was accustomed to light up and
arrange the little pyramids of gold on each
table, ready for the players, who soon ap-
peared. Near the middle of the room was
large, old fashioned stove.
early one crisp evening, as the at
tendant began lighting tho place and ar
ranging the gold coin, tho woebegone
stranger shuffled through the open door.
without speaking, he walked to the stove,
reached bis thumb and forednger under
bis arm, took out pinch Of black grains
and flung them into the front Of the stove.
"A fash and puff Instantly followed. Ho
repeated the act and was about to do 1t
again, when the attendant who was
Watching him demanded:
"'What arc you doing there?'
"The man snatohed out large bladder
from under his ragged coat. It was capa-
pic of holding several pounds Of fspowder,
and 1t was from this bag that tho visitor
lad taken the grains that flashed and ex-
plodod when flung among the Goals through
the little oTAning In the door.
"'I've lost everything, and we may as
well go to hell together, he answered, and
as he did so he opened the door of tho stove
and jamned tho bug and its contents in
side.
"The terrified attendant emitted one
yell and WAS out of the front door at "A sin
gle bound. Hatless and ooatlcss, no dash
eel down the street for several blocks be-
fore he dared slaoken his pace Then no
paused to listen to the explosion and to SEQ
che establishment sail skyward, but every
thing remained as IL was, and no unusual
sound broke upon his ear. Ho stole tim
idly back and pecped through tho door.
Nntbip.x us far .,u hn sou1I st,e uno die