The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-06
GOLD KENTUCK" RETIRES
BUSINESS HAD CEASED TO BE
PROFITABLE.
Changed Conditions On the Comstoek
Lode Cause a Thinning Out In
Players Ranks-Reminiscences Of
the Good Old Days When Every
body Took Chance.

| time in 50 years not a banking game
was running on the Comstock. Virginia
/ City is but a shadow in the dark of
her former self, writes a correspondent
of the Chicago Inter-O Ocean. Gone are
her mine whistles, throb of pumps,
great buildings full of life. and her
busy trade.
Since the earliest days faro has -four
ished in Virginia City, and some of
the best and biggest-hearted raen that
ever lived have amused themselves and
lost their sheckels "bucking the tiger.
The game as conducted there was
mostly high toned and legitimate al
though instances have been known
where a brace" or ''sure-thing" game
was run and the victim was 1eeced to
his last penny.
Peter Burke, the builder of the Nir-
ginia City court house, sand well known
to all the old-timers, once ran up
against such a layout, his pockets
lined with about $500, the gift of
Senator Jones. He began to buck the
tiger and never won a bet. y most
expert dealer known rs shorty was
manipulating the "bracer."
The games that attained fame in the
town, as well as out of it, for that mat
ter, were conducted tegitimateIy and
were patronized by men in all the
higher walks of life. Lawyers who
have argued some of the biggest mining
suits in the history of the country;
judges who decided these suits, and
whose decisions have established the
western mining laws of today; doctors
who have been paid the biggest fees on
this continent; journalists who have
since become famous men of brains
and heart played faro here and played
it hard.
The first game ever opened in the
town was operated by Johnny Newman
in a little stone house on A street in
1851. There are some who contend that
Put Robson dealt faro in 1860, and
they dub him the Father of Faro" on
the Comstock. Even as early as 1853 a
Mexican named Jesus Lopez, who died
a few years ago in Carson City, dealt
a small game. But the honor, if such
it may be called, of dealing the first
faro game in the town belongs to
Johnny Newman, in whose little cabin
fortunes were won and lost.
Shortly after Newman started his
layout Jim Barclay of Marysville
opened a big game on B street, near
Sutton avenue and in 1868 Put" Rob-
son, in partnership with Joe Stewart,
had a game at AZ South G. street, which
was fast becoming famous for it's faro
resorts. This layout, another at No. A.
run by Maugi & Sissa, and third at
No. 81, earned a quarter of million
apiece for the lucky owners inside of
six months during the winter of 1854.
The game at No. 43, later run by
Stewart and Abner Gentry, was the
most popular with the moneyed men
Of the time. The detailed history of
the place would make d most interest
ing volume. Some big winnings are
recorded, although the banks side of
the account is far the heavier by long
odds.
Long Brown we'll remembered on
the lode, once won $1,000 playing what
is known as progression" with half
dollar checks at the Palace, Cross &
Cavanaugh's place Even as late as
1878, after the big fire had put things
on a different basis, winnings of $4,000
or $4,000 were credited time and time
again to such players as Pete Boyce
and Joe Gavin.
Hearts are hearts the world over
and sentiment was by no means de.
in those rough times, and one Histories
winning turned on the players remem-
brdnce of his folks at home" This
lucky player, a famous bonanza kim,
now, had received an English sE''Is
in change at one of the stores, and no.
ticed that it bore the date of his fam
ily's arrival in America. So when he
LulIDlcQ IIe SlIdN COLI III his pocket
he thought of sister and brother and OF
soft, pink baby hands and gray hair
under a lace cap, and of words of love
and kindness stored up for him at
home. Finally the shilling became the
last coin in the shrinking pocket, and
the man, reduced to his last quarter,
decided to risk the shilling at faro.
Blessed hopel He bet on the tray-ten
and won $500 before he rose from the
fs,h
big fortune. Today it helps maintain
one of the finest homes in San Fran
cisco.
Eli Skaggs holds the record for the
biggest gains and losses at one sitting.
having once won $500 on two turns of
the cards. The sitting netted him 81, 000
Another evening he quietly lost $780,
But for losses that give a man a new
sensation perhaps one that occurred in
1879 should be recorded in which
Johnny Skae, the mine boss, lost $4,000
in ten turns to Joe Stewart.
George F. Jones, too, had reputa-
ton as a loser, dropping in all $50, 600 |
at faro. The aforesaid dollars, by the |
way, belonged not to Jones, but to one /
of the most economical, thrifty money |
getters that ever lived, millionaire
who can not bear to see stray nail
going to waste on the street.
Faro had not as many tragedies to
its account on the COmstock as poker !
games, for the reason that the faro |
player always loses to the bank"
which, in spite of the firm name and |
the flesh and blood dealer, las no in |
dividuality and never arouses the ami |
mostly which the gambler sometimes |
feels for his opponent at poker 1t is |
simply fate when one loses at faro and /
there is no use kicking.
AT the Cqr0a time tho 70 m nj !
the Comstock lode have turned the cur /
rent of many life, and one instance |
just at hand is truly pathetic. There |
came to the ComStock one day fine !
old gentleman ''f'om the south, subj" !
one of the blue bloods of that aristo- |
cratic locality, and its manners and |
traditions innate with him. Accomoa-
nying him was his beautiful daughter !
and her husband, a rank northener. |
and their four charming children. They |
prosuered on the Comstock and lived |
in the hospitable fashion of southern |
people, but faro held out her seductive |
hand and both the men became her |
victims. A considerable bank account !
went first. then the home was mort |
gagged, and one day the husband died /
very suddenly. He carried large life |
insurance, so the death certificate read
heart failure but the wife and some /
others knew that his last agony was
from laudanum poisoning. The old |
gentleman could not b Ike off the fas-
cination of faro. and me large insur-
ance soon went the way of the large
A bullet through his brain
sent there by his own hand, saved him
the horrible 0angs of remorse. The
daughter did not long survive these |
and passed away, leaving
her children the legacy of HELPLESS
aristocracy and poverty The helpless
in their turn, We're broken
by misfortune
But the reign of faro on the Com
stock is over. In.ithe flush times, when +