The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-05
GAMBLING FOR MINING STOCK.
Amount Won In One Pot. Turned Out
Later to y. forth $780, so


From W York Sun.
Speaking of poker games" said a
Westerner to party OF friends, II guess
1 sat, at least for short time, in as big
a poker game as was ever played in this
country; though, to tell the truth, the
players did not at that time have any
idea of the value of the chips they were
using so freely. sa.s
ut was in 1882 that the town of Carbon
ate Camp almost in a night, grew from
one cabin located at the point where the
Spearfish ditch crossed the sawmiil wagon
road, about fourteen miles west Of Dead
wood, to an enterprising city. The light
ming change was caused by the discovery
of high-grade ores carrying gold and sill
yer. The excitement became intense and
town lots were surveyed for miles, while
log and frame houses were being built
every day.
"At that time many of the mines which
have since become famous We're merely
prospects, and the owners were trying to
raise money by stocking the enterprises.
So it came about that nearly every man
in camp had mining stock 20 burn, all
beautifully engraved and much more at
tIactive in external appearance than I'm
Gle Sans own bills. The snow that win
ter was unusually deep in the mountains.
and as the work in the new mines was
almost altogether on the surface, opera
lions were suspended until spring and oil
buoyanoy was taken out of the STOCK
much of il being looked on during the
winter as worth scarcely more than the
paper on which it was printed,
zone of the favorite recreations of the
miners was gambling, and as mining stock
was much more plentiful than currency
ii was largely used for stakes in the
games The most common stock of all
was perhaps that of the Rather Gold
Mining Company. In fact, everybody had
Rather stock and wanted no more.
zone night four men and myself started
a game of poker in the Lone Star saloon
We all had plenty of Rather stock, and
it supplied the stakes in lieu of money
The blind was 100 shares, and 1t took 200
shares to play. We were playing jack
pots. Rather Bill, one of the owners of
The NINE opened the pot for its full val
ue of 5000 shares. He had three Jacks
and sat to the left of the dealer. The next
man had a four-card flush and stayed
with a raise of 5000 additional / was the
next man, and, as my supply of Rather
stock was a little shy, / dropped out. The
next player. Norris WEIGH, saw both
raises, and Bill stayed in. making a total
of 80 600 shares before the draw. The fifth
player the dealer, dropped out
ION the deal Rather Bill drew two
cards and got another Jack. The second
player filed his flush, and Welch stood
pat on four kings. Rather Bill led the
play with modest bet of 5000. The sec
ond player saw tine 5000 without raising
Welch saw the bet and raised 1t 10000
Rather Bill sew the raise and raised t
20,O00 more. The second player dropped
out Welch saw Bits raise and made 1t
1000 more Bill saw the raise and called
The hands were laid down and Welch
raked In the pot.
Nothing was thought of the size Of
the game at the time by the other play
ers who had happened to be temporarily
short on Rather stock, as there was abb
solutely no market for IT. But within a
month the snow disappeared and work
was resumed with great activity. Strike
after strike was made in the Rather,
sending the stock bounding toward par
Within so days 1t had reached so cents.
and Rather Bills lucky companion sold
his stock. his winnings for the poker
game netting him s1s0,OO0."