The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-30
Romantic and Stirring Tales From
the Tigers Haunts.
CAREER OF BENBROOKS
WENT BROKE AND AMAssED A
FORTUNE.
Late Tragedy Had No Effect On Their
Business-Gibson the Richest
Gambler In Salt Lake-Big Win
nings and Losses-Wonderfu
Luck of Kid Dean.

The tragedy enacted in Salt Lake two
weeks ago, in which Burton c. Norris
and John H. Benbrook, the latter being
ohe of the proprietors of the Sheep
Ranch gambling house, were the princi-
pals, has aroused public interest in
the ways and methods of the sporting
element, particularly in gambling, its
effect and the life in which this class
lives. Especially is a study of the
Sheep Ranch interesting. 1t has eX-
cellent quarters on Commercial street
at the present time, and its prOprietors
are among the most popular men of
the class in the west. No gambling
house in Salt Lake is better patronized
than that of the Benbrooks. Their
trade is not confined TO the "profesh.r
on the contrary, the heaviest winnings
of the house are. said To have come
from men of good Standing in the COM
munity.
There is no noticeable falling away
I'm the Sheep Ranch's patronage since
The killing of Morris, nor yet curious
crowd that might be prompted to see
the haunts and property of man ac-
cuSed of murder 'Smithy" BenbrOok,
as usual, deals faro. and the same faces
are seen in and about the resort. With
the same freedom the drinks are or
dered. and just as cheerfully are checks
: stacked up. Some one has said the
Merchants cafe would eventually close
its doors-though its present business
does not justify the assertiOn-but how
ever that may be, it is certain that SO
long as the Benbrooks retain their share
of the patronage. as at present, the
Ranch viii continue to raise green
feed. Gamblers will go through hell
for one another. il is said. and they all
are with John Benbrook in his trouble.
History of Sheep Ranch.
The career of the Sheep Ranch has
been romantic 1t was opened over
Jake Ats saloon. below Godbe-Pitts'
corner, by the Benbrooks several years
ago, under circumstances not of the
most encouraging. The house had "a
run for its money" The receipts didn't
begin to compare with the eXpendi- |
lures or losses. and finally things came /
TO show down. The bank went broke. 4
But the PenbroOks secured a credit /
and were but beginning TO recuperate |
lost fortunes when Chief Pratt ordered |
everything closed. The wheels were /
silent and the lights turned low Gam |
blers sought the poker rooms and the |
Benbrooks had even thought of leav-t
ing town, when the second order came |
permitting an opening on Commercial |
street.
In order to fit up their present place
Il was necessary to run the old Joint !
on the quiet, which was done. Finally |
this expense was paid. small capital
had been raised, and the new Sheep /
Ranch club was on in earnest.
Made a Pile.
Fortune smiled upon the brothers and
they are now reputed by their friends
20 be worth no less than 49, 000
Whether such an estimate is correct or
not, they have the reputation among
other houses of being the "luckiest' on
m sir
ty, a prominent merchant of the city
Is said to have lost $500 in the Sheep
Ranch i'm one night. And this perform
ance is believed to have been often re-
peated. on the Saturday night before
she killing of Norris it is claimed
$1,000 was raked in at the club in small
sums, and on another night the losses
footed $500. But there is no question
that the houses prosper.
Gibson Has Money.
Gibson of the Wasatch club is I'M
doubtedly the wealthiest gambling
house proprietor in the city. One of his
friends has said that $4,000 cash in
each of three leading banks of the city.
which would be $150000 is only a part
of his fortune. The Wasatch operates
a larger variety of games than any
other and caters 20 a wider class of
patronage. The Chinese (all faro fiends)
are much in evidence at the Wasatch
and three dealers are kept busy the
greater part of the day and night.
Luck of Kid Dean
one dealer is Kid Dean, who liter !
ally holds an AK by thread over his ! !
employers head. Kid is lucky and un-
lucky in streaks, but when luck is with
him he stands the proprietor's hair on
end. At least, he did SO until recently
In the course of ten days Kid cleaned
up no less than $1,000 at faro. or {
small stake procured from one of~the /
men who knew what he could do. some
Zines. The house. after Kids first few /
winnings, expected. Of course, TO re- !
cover all of il, but the time didn't
come fast enough. Where he once |
owed for meal ticket his credit was 7
good for anything, and as the nights {
went by, his winnings contirAed to in 4
crease. Finally, the proprietO went to ;
his unwelcome customer and said: See I
here. Kid. you go ahead and deal Saw J
sff on the bank" and Kid did so. He .
works for wages now and the house o
remains intact. a
Some People Lose
Tales Of losses often reach the ears n
of the police. Three nights ago a well c
dressed man approached an officer on "
his beat with the following: Il went I
up there last night to win enough .
money to buy me a good straw hat I
H.
The result is that tonight / am out I
300, and if l had any more, I'd still be
playing" l
The next night a young sport stag c
gered down the stairway and TO the a
same officer remarked: well. I've lost r
a hundred dollars and now I'm going TO n
quit"
Are you broke?'' was asked.
Sure. If / wasn't, I'd go back"
Thus men become infatuated with o
the cards and dice. Give man $40. c
and if le loses it, he viii try the rest +
of the night TO borrow a second $40, and c
80 on. n
Saved By a Dime. T. T.
But occasionally the game proves e,
anything but a curse TO the unfortu- p
nate. An instance is in mind of an IS lie
year-old boy who after beating his ii
way here from San Francisco, had a d
single dime in his possession. On that Il
stake and playing haphazard at the
roulette wheel, he cashed in ss5 He y
knew when to quit. With the money
be purchased a new suit of clothes
placing $50 in the bank. and renting V
the remainder to his mother. His ap- 7.
pearance improved, the young man ri
vent to work in tie Kenyon hotel, and cy