The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-19

I
out of his $4,000. He was found frozen
stiff on the south bank of the Snake
river the next winter
Tom Vanbrugh, who, in the late '7GS,
ran the two biggest layouts on the Pa
cific coast, one in San Francisco and
the other in Portland, and who died
only three or four years ago in Mel
bourne, Australia, was another splendid
loser. His rival in San Francisco was
Byron McGregor. McGregor had a big
faro layout on Kearney street The two
men didn't particularly fancy each
other. McGregor went up to Portland
in the summer of rs and bucked Van
brugh's bank there to a StandStill. Van
brugh closed the Portland place. Then
McGregor brought his winnings down
to Vanbrugh's San Francisco bank,
and, with an almost unprecedented run
of luck, lasting for more than a week,
he closed Vanbrugh out Vanbrugh
realized $4,000 on his California invest
ments and took the bunch to McGreg-
or's Kearney street place. McGregor
dealt himself. Vanbrugh's luck seemed
to have deserted him and he lost every
dollar of his money. He was broke.
'Vanbrugh.' said McGregor TO him,
after the last turn of the box, I'll give
you $4,000 a year and a percentage II
you'll run a No. game here for me-
Much Obliged said Vanbrugh. but
I've worked too long for myself to be
tractable in another mans employ. I'm
going TO take a sail, anyhow
Would $4,000, say, be of any use TO
you to make start?' McGregor asked
him. The two men, as l say, weren't
particularly fond of each other, but
they were very square and generous
chaps.
Mot giving you a short answer,
Mac, we haven't been on good enough
terms for that replied Vanbrugh, and
he walked out An hour later he was
the most genial and collected man in
his party out at the Cliff House. A lot
of his friends offered to start him go
ing again in San Francisco, but he
smilingiy asked them not to talk bust
ness during hours of diversion The
next day he was on board the steamer
bound for Australia, and he never re-
turned to San Francisco. His estate
was inventoried at half a million when
he died.
Then l recall the game lose made by
an Irish coal miner named Larkin, in
Leavenworth in 1881. He had been
making 81 a day in the mines and was
unmarried He wasn't drinking man.
When he knocked off work on summer
evenings he would bat a bali around a
lot for the young fellows until dark
ness came on. Some relative of his was
killed in a railway accident in Ireland,
and New York lawyer came along one
day and handed Larkin $1,000. Larllin
washed up and took the money over to
one of the priests. The priest told him
he'd better bank the money, and the
two started downtown for a bank. On
the way down a hItIe girl hurried up
to the priest and told him her mother
was very i'll and asking for her con-
fessor. The priest told Larkin to keep
right ahead to the bank and to put
the money therein Immediately not
stopping by the wayside for any pur-
pose. Larkin got inside the bank and
there was a big line of depositors before
the window of the receiving teller. In
stead of taking his place in line he
waited at the door. Across the street
he saw the attractive window of Col
onel Jamison's bon ton gambling lay
out, which was wide open at that time
He drifted across to look on for a
while until the line at the receiving
somewhat. He dropped the whole SO, 600
at a stud game in less than an hour.
and he walked back to his boarding
house whistling The Rakes o. Mallow.'
He finished out the afternoon batting
the ball around the lot for the young
sters, and the next morning. with his
tin lamp in his hat and his dinner
bucket, he set out for the coal mine.
still whistling merrily. He succeeded
in lodging the priest for a couple of
weeks, but the priest finally corralled
him and gave him the calling down of
his life.
Sure, OF didn't want tn money !
explained Larkin. Me firms wud have /
bin lookin' tn Dyes out O. me till it all !
whit
"A man who at one time owned the |
finest saloon and restaurant in Denver I
is now a conductor on the Oregon Short 1
Line He lost his establishment on a /
bet. He was an ardent Republican and
an enthusiastic admirer Of James G.
Blaine. When Blaine was running for /
president he felt positive that the |
man from Maine would be elected. He
had many a fierce argument over the
probable result with a wholesale grocer
Of Denver. a Democrat, and finally he
offered to bet his saloon and restaurant
against his friends wholesale grocery
that Baine would win out The grocer
took the bet. and the morning after the
election he offered to take the LOSERS
longtime notes for half the value OF
the saloon and restaurant and cali the
bet square.
You'll be sticking two-karat dia-
nonds in every bar of yellow soap you
sell when you get a tintype of me en-
gagged in the act of doing the BABY
.urn' said the Blaine man, and he
cleaned out the drawers of his desk In
he restaurant and walked out. He
vent to work as a conductor on the
Midland two weeks later, and he has
been a conductor ever since.
ssThe hardest loser l ever ran up
against was Joe Hill, who ran a road
rouse, and pretty profitable one, not
ar from Omaha Joe lost $4,000 one
week at poker. That didn't break him,