The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18
UPS AND DOWNS OF PAT sHEEDT.
Tho Gambler Gives Ills own Experience ia
show That CLAIMING Doesn't Pay.

ouu" hhht Nrh"tuk E"S'
In a recent conversation with a Sun reporter
Pat Shcody, the famous gambler, relieved his
mind concerning u matter which has been a
source of aEgravation and n matter or wonder
to him for many years.
You cannot" said Shecdy, "disabuse the
average mind of tho idea that tho gambler is a
man of money. Nothing will convince people
that his purse is not always full, and that he
docs not live on the fat of the land. Whore peo-
pie get this idea. and why, in the face Of over
whel:ning evidence to the contrary, they retain
1t when they do get 1t. is one of the mysteries
that yours truly. Pat Shccdy, has tried In vain
to solve for years. 1t is n mistaken great big
mistake. 1t would almost DO q joke, IL being
broke wasn't one of tho saddest conditions a
gambler can find himself In.
81 do not like to talk nbout myself. Mover In
all my long career have l sought notoriety. All
of my gambling has been done in an open way,
and frequently incidents have occurred which
newspaper men have regarded as interesting
enough to print. Just TO show you what n fall
lacy this belief about gamblers is, however. l am
going to talk about myself for n moment.
"In this country I an hold as a successful
gambler. As gamblers go I am n success. May
be l am n little moro successful than my fellows.
That simply means. IL 1t Is truo, that my periods
Of prosperity are a little longer than those of
some vi my fellows WHO nave, ike
myself. given their lives to gaming. But
does 1t mean that 1 am always prosperousi
Does 1t mean that l am always well supplied
with money. that | never want for clothes or
any OF the iuXuries Of life No; no! 1t doesn't
lieve that Pat Sheedy has been at tho bottom of
the hill ms many times as he has been at the top.
was sol Not a dozen. ri warrant YOU tI"' Why.
people would laugh; They. think that Pat
lille concern IA he'd show over hia dinnnr Ia n
man with unlimited resources. Let me tell you.
though. that, Pat, Shcedy is a very ordinary
as he's been credited with. and he's seen as many
bad days as any other business man.
" call myself a business man because gam
bling is my business. l regard myself as n good
business man because l am a good gambler.
more assiduously to their work than l have to
mine. But the best Of us fail ut times. and the
faro banks have broken me as many times or
more than ! have broken them. Everybody who
knows me knows that when l sit down at the
table. and the fever comes over me. l will not
It has got all of mine. have gone into a gam.
bling house Il rich man and come out penniless.
wea hIhS gophs have IN eoh poor for AND Weeks eem Si,b out
money enough to buy, me a square meal.
There's Pat shecdy,. the lucky dog!' when
didn't have the price Of a shave in my pocket. I
ancc, because i always buy plenty Of. clothes
when I've got money. That's something you
can I Rainolo away, ana us mighty handy
that you can't. I've gone into a gambling house
on a shoe string, run II up into the thousands,
and then lost II. Next day the papers have pub
lishcd accounts OF my having been done up. A
week later ] have won a measly &c, 900, and the
same papers have printed long articles headed,
Pat Sheedy Breaks Another Bank Sometimes
1t worries me. sometimes 1t makes me angry, but
more often than anything else, it amuses mo.
Now. II the gamblers have got all the money.
where is til Show me a gambler with n bank
account: show me one with n bit of real estate.
You can't do it. Pat Sheedy. the successful
gambler. hasn't got any Of it. II no had, would
he be leaving this. Gods own country, all the
timel Would he be chasing around the most
obscure corners of the earth No. sir. can't
gamble here, and ] must gamble to live. mako
my living at 1t, and a poor living 1t Is. II had
money ! wouldn't scour the earth for Rames to
play. I'd stay right here in New York.
Don't ever believe It, my friend. The gam
bier has a harder time than any other business
man. Once in a while he gets what slow.goinE,
%plodding people might call a great deal OF
money. But 1t never lasts him long. More often
he is Obliged to borrow the means to 1.-Two on
from his friends.
This general idea about gamblers. as said
before. / cannot understand. Maybe 1t comes
from tho fact that when we have money wo arc
conspicuous. while when We are broke we are
rarely seen. ! can't attempt to explain 1t, but
some time when you're writing about these
things Just insert n fow lines about what Pat
Sheedy has said to-day