The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-04
WHEN IT IS TINE TO QUIT.
DIFFICULTY AMONG GAMBLERS OF
HITHsTANDING PROsPERITE


Cases of Cold Feet at tho Right Time.
WARRINGTON. May 27.An old man whose
mind is s,ll alert. and the movements Of whose
tall some what stooped BODY are as free and spry
as those Of many man fifty years his junior
is Cole Martin. once the most famous faro
dealer in this country. He clipped the cards
out OF the box for the statesmen with q pen
chant for gaming who came to WASHINGTON
nifty. forty. and thirty years ago. when 1t was
deemed no disgrace for the strong men OF the
land to try an occasional buck OF the tiger.
openly and above board. Martin 10 now verg-
ing upon 30 years Of age. and even to the pres
ent generation OF Washingtonians his white
bearded couutenancs Is very familiar. His
age does not tell upon him. and his commerce
among men is about as wide now. he SAYS. as II
was back In the ffties. He had great deal Of
money at one time In his cateer. but most OF II
went by the board He had the caution to
purchase an annuity for himself good many
years ago. and upon this he livescomfortably.
He has passed most OF his life In Washington,
but before and after the war OF the rebellion
| he had adventures in many parts of the United
| States where gaming was at its highest. He Is
O mine OF curious. flret-hand information
| about the statesmen gamesters who we're
| great figures In the national lite OF the country
| before the war. and the local new papers have
! published many Of his "reminiscences OF this
| sort. lie is not garruous. but once he gets into
| his stride and the company is congeniai he
| talks we'll and entertainingly. He was sneak
| ing tho other afternoon OF the case OF the we'll
! known young American turf plunger who af-
! ter having beaten the English racing.game to
| the tune OF $4,000 fen. weeks ago. waied in
/ so reckessy that. only short time later he
| quit $4,000 to the bad
Another example OF tho chance taker Who
| TN .
was his way Of summing 1t up. THAT seems
! to he the most difficult point in the gambling
| business-to know Just the right time to quit
! Few men master It, l never did. myself. l
| wish | had. Any fool can 20 paying when
/ he Is away ahead Of his game. but 1t takes q
! man Of unusual strength Of character. percep-
| ton and foresight to knock Of whom. after
! riding a.high tide. he notices that it begins to
! ebb. The scientists. l believe. talk OF 'rsy
| Geological moment don't know Of any bust
ness in life in which the psychological m D.
| ment plays greater part than 1t does In gam.
bling. Most OF this country's old-time game.
| sters have died. as you know. very poor. or.
wolse poverty stricken. I never hear Of the
! death OF one OF them leaving not enough
money behind to have his body put into tho
| ground that | don't recall the time WIEN he
| had tens or hundreds OF thousands. Tho
! gambler by profession has many psychology
! ical moment in The course OF his career. but he
rarely takes advantage OF them. He goes on
| dabbling at u percentage that his common
| sense tells him is against him. and that he has
| only temporarily beaten. and after while he
! finds himself broke: then he asks himself re-
morsefully why he didn't break off when he
was OF. top OF the wave ! have known f W
| professional gamblers who know Just when to
quit. Some Of them are still alive. old men
! like myself. and they are well fixed Those Of
them who are dead left good sums OF money
| behind them.
81 once saw George Plantagenet. one OF the
hest known Of the New Orleans gamblers be-
fore The war. win $4,000 in an afternoon s
.ay at '@o 1n Inc Was in Wsmens He
returned with All OF the money and he began
to buck the king, He played it opsn every
lime and the kaE lost egh' straielt times i1
his Winnings. The lid had been taken off tho
game for him. hen the dealer, pulled out
| the eighth straight losing king PlantaGeDet
that he hal cold feet.
more or less of id fool, he said coolly. I
strive for the renutation OF KNOWN" when I've
S. enon ne eve; lime OF sHod 1ne bo1 "
only depicting me gradually but surely don't
doubt that Ia 60 until was q! un: but can
considerable a distance as nv neighbors. and
when I'm on TOP as am now. well and COM
selves against me on the left hand side Of the
layout. that's the kind Of a signal IN waiting
of Ses sha he 9n tns
OF the box wns. but no more faro:
Mn3in1 the nr"p Pen OF she lay
=" You are wise in your generation. George
said ne. Now. ii is about 10 to l shot
against the king losing again. Consequently
YOU can afford 70 me At enss t. on h Il
the king does lose the next time ou:
. Taken. said PlantaGsnet covering Woo;
TO wa he dealer the RE
was fully half out before king showed. and i
showed or, on Il The losing n, sidsI nj, straight.
" Which ] may remark said PlantoGe act
with the greatest. GOODNESS. that this ninth
consecutive loso % the King simply confirms
and makes good the bunch had TO quit when
It. iIst the eighth time but VIII 20 a, BIT j.
a rrsper and sensibIe one | will bet you
81 800 that | can buck yUIr bark now with
dummy chips re're-tnting all OF my winnings
aud the roll originally started With. a nd that.
although shall play as carefully and as eau
,tousv and as earnestly as | would did The
dummy chips really represent money. | shall
"llnntasenet and Weston 4, were old friends;
try to win with the dummy chips, even though
he weu d be $1,000 loser il he did,
ton and ieaer VIII" was e" or duty duty was called
upon to deal. Plantagcnet kent cnses hmsel!
ana PLAYED his own rarsuAT system VIII al
and saw that Plantagenet was playing hia
regular game. PIantugenets luck had de-
serted him and he lost two bets out of every
three. II seemed impossible FOL, him to get
down right, and lie lost steadily. He had
PLAYED in his last stack in an nour and forty
minutes and Wooton handed him the $1,000.
That's the way it would have been had
been playing with money said Plnntaeenst
and Wootun agreed with him Ilantagenei
was one OF the men who knew when to quit
and when he died. with his grandchildren
around him. in the early seventies. he left
more than S5OuOUU to be distributed among
his heirs.
Edmund Baker Of Louisville. who was not
a professional gambler. but who outdid most
OF tho famous professional gambl ers OF the
South in The late fiftes IN the heaviness OF his
play when he lelt in winning humor. was an
other man who knew when 10 quit | saw
him win S32,Ooo in one night at bank In the
rooms Of the old Crescent City Club, Then he
curled W all OF n sudden aud cashed In. He
wasn't Il gutter in the ungeneluus sense. but
he used to say that the little angel. suppos ed
by the Sal l"rs to sit uoft and watch out ioI
Jack Tar. had q habit ri informing him. when
he was bucking a@other mans game. Just the
proper time t. pass II up and quit. 1t was II
matter OF pura hunch with him. On this occa-
SOU Joe Ranloph, heavy player from r.
ginia. twtted Baker "A hit for not pre- sing hls
lurk-fDr quitting when he seemed to bo W in.