The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-19
GOOD LOSERS THESE
Gamblers Whom Misfortune Couldn't
FeaZe.
SMILING, LOST FORTUNE
SOME TALES OF DISASTER ON
THE GREEN CLOTH.
Colorado Mayor Tells Interesting
"reminiscences of Weak Men Who
Showed Courage and Strong Men
That Went to Pieces - Pocatello
Sheepherder Who Was Dead Game
New York SUM-

NEW 1OTh oun.J
There's no way of telling in advance
how man is going to take his COM
plete wiping out in a game of chance
said the ex-mayor of Colorado CITY
when the talk at the club dritted
around TO the subject of hard losers
and the other kind. There's no rule
about it. I've seen men of long-testeo
gameness go all to pieces after big los
ines: seen them suddenly struck
speechless. as weak as children, with
their lips trembling like those OF wom-
en- who are about to cry. On the other
hand. I've seen chaps with low Tore
heads and weak chins. and regulations
for crawfishing and backing water IN
tight places, stand four square to the
finishing wrenches of long runs OF dew
ilish luck and take their bitter medlclne
with hearts apparently as brave as
their faces were weak. Probably the
best educated and the most highly Or
ganiZed men are the hardest losers.
American men do not often kill them
selves over gambling losses, as they
appear to do on the other side in con-
siderable numbers, if there is any truth
in the warns that we get from Monte
Carlo and such places. The hard loser
out in the western country is liable 10
stun himself with drink for a While
after being damned to the wall on the
turn of the cards or the whlrl OF the
wheel. but he doesn't often walk out
into the night air and blow his mead OH
over his obliteration.
THE gamest loser l ever saw was a
sheepherder who didn't look to have
enough character to him to stuff Snat
pelt. He was punching sheep on the
Idaho sage ranges for S25 month and
his grub when an aunt in Connecticut
whom he had scarcely ever heard or,
much less seen, died and left him SlS,-
900. He didn't have to come east to
get the money; a lawyer handed it to
him in a bundle in Pocatello. He went
TO Jim Hosford's faro bank and told
Jim that he wanted TO make lew
thousand dollar bets. Hosford told him
that he'd better hang onto his money
The herder told Jim that he wanted
action on his money, and that II he
couldn't get it at Hosford's layout,
why. there were others. So Hosford
dealt them from the box himself, with
a 81 900 limit. l saw the whole play.
1t only lasted forty-five minutes. The
herder wasn't in it at any stage OF the
game. Coppered or open, he couldn't
land right. 1t was the fiercest run of
evil luck l ever saw a man have at
faro When the herder had lost $4,000
Hosford said to him:
ing s., eco, Ombrey; give yourself a
chance
You hand me out another boxful,'
replied the herder. When l got
enough I'll quit.
1.-The man was perfectly cool and col
lected, and he laid down his last five
one-thousand dollar bills without tre-
NOR He picked four straight losers.
By the time the box was out. and Hes
ford riff1ed 'em and started another
one The herder watched them slip
out for minute, and then he put his
last 81 600 on the high card That kind
of long-shot playing don't do for cinch
work. and the bet trimmed him out.
There wasn't a particle of contraction
to his features when he struck a match
and coolly lit a cigar. L think those
who saw the play felt a good deal sor
rier for him than he did for himself.
Bud said Hosford to the herder,
I'm no hog I'll just split the differ
ence with YOU and he began to count
put half of the money he had won from
the sheepman.
mo you WON'T replied the herder,
but you can give me drink and bot
tie to put in my pocket
Better take a couple thousand and
run to Frisco or Denver and have a |
vhirl out of 1t, anyhow persisted Hos
lord.
1--we had my whirl,' was the mans
-eply. He wasn't sulky at all. and he |
iidn't try to look abused. He was SIM
bly, all man and all game.
g Where are you bound for now"
asked Hosford, after settling for the |
thinks.
"'Back to the old G-S. said the herd
r. and he started for the ranch an hour
ater He had bought three blue flannel
shirts, a pair of top boots and poncho,
md he took these things along with
lin in a bundle. They were all he got /