The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-07
dollar bills with rolling ball. After q quar-
ter Of an hours abstract gazing,
Two Mammoth Hands


Two Mammoth Hands
working together hindered one another in
the extraction of a half dollar from his waist
coat pocket. But the Scandinavian was in no
hurry.
II tank you for change-fve Dimes" he
said
He put one dime on the fve-dollar bill.
The little ball stopped on the 1ve, and he had
won 80 cents. Next he played the two-dollar
bill, and when the little ball stopped again
he had dollar. In ten minutes he had $50,
and had not failed to name the bill each
Of the sea of downy face as he put $40 on
the b0-to-1 shot. Fifty-to-one shots are not
expected to win. a rule.
When he saw where the ball had stopped
the dealer exclaimed unconsciously: Some
things the matter with the machinen
The hands of the Scandinavian no whit less
clumsy and nowise nervous, crammed the
$500 in his pocket.
II tank l 60 to the Klondike," he drawled,
as his great feet bore him lumberingly down
the stairs into the street.
"New Mexico Ned's"
is probably the most cosmopolitan and best
patronized of the gambling houses. 1t is
big room with dirty plastered walls. in
its day a variety theater. Tobacco smoke
does not destroy, but 1t may combine to
produce the prime odor which is obnoxious
ly human. and makes the gas Jets flicker In
of life to the proprietor, whose belief in
gambling as the gentlest of arts has not
been diminished by having had the notices
of seven vigilance committees served on him
in his time. His mustache is not waxed; he
wears no diamonds, and his clothes are OF
excellent cut and genteel pattern. He
speaks with feminine lisp. His soft blue
eye tells no tale of the wickedness it has
witnessed In score of towns.
The klondike's rush must be sending up
the wages of cooks and laundrymen.' he said
hn tr,1ye ho
flush. Both kinds are inveterate gamblers.
The John humble to themselves in the same
way and the Japs laugh in the same way
whether they win or lose. But Jap will
never lay his money on the same card as
John. John is the better player, though,
as everybody on the Pacific coast knows.
Both Always Play
the game that has the smallest percentage
against the player.
observe the gentleman at the fairy table
now. That end Chinaman looks as If he had
the leprosy He was the first customer to
come into the place. Stayed here sixty
hours, except for going out to get a glass Of
beer. All Chinks are gritty. This one was
out OF the common. He kept trying to re-
trieve himself until he had lost every cent he
had-S45O. Wouldn't think a washee could
save SO much, would you? After it was over
he went out, his hands hid in his sleeves,
mumbing to himself. Now he's back with
ms weeks wages. and he'll play until Mon
people realize what fine relaxation gambling
Is out of work hours But possibly you have
noticed that the Chinks are healthy and live
to old age. -
Judging by the scar, that Jap at the 9TH
er end of the table must have had his head
cut open with meat ak. The one next to
him has been stoker on South Sea pirate
steamer. Now he's going to the Klondike.
Got Niger king to grubstake him, he says.
Rather unpleasant mug his, don't you think?
And the next one, he's a beaut-quarter Ital-
ian, quarter Chinese, quarter Indian-and l
give up the other quarter. He's the luckiest
thing that comes here, and he's ahead of the
game. The fellow with the thick lips is an
Australian half-breed, / guess. The rest of
'em amt white, though they may look it.
It's the Chinks' table all through
Among the Pilgrims
to the gold fields by far the most popular
game is the old game of English hazard, re-
christened 'Klondike." 1t is fascinating to
them, principally because of its name and
partially because 1t seems to offer equal
chances of winning and losing. Thirteen fig
ures are printed on a semicircle on table,
to bet on the figures opposite him and the
dealer covers this Then the dealer throws
the dice and the players throw them in turn
Such players have a higher throw than
the dealers win and such as do not lose.
LAS long as they're bound to lose their
money, anyway" says New Mexico Ned, they
better lose it here. That saves them great
deal Of hardship and many of their lives.