The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-15
minnesota Senator NQjns a
fortune ,Ngaimsf Bis NDM.

|
Il came here with the first senator
from Minnesota after the territory was
ADMITTED as a state. said Col. Cole Mar
tin to group OF listeners, one of whom
was Washington Post reporter, one
evening the past week.
'HenrygSs Rice served one term as
United statesE senator, and I. being res
loent OF St Paul when he was elected by
the Legislature. and taking part In the
ilgnt. concluded to come on to Wash
lngton, asin those days 1858. Washington
| was wide-open town, and faro was as
Tree then as beer lunch Is now. OF
course, L had an acquaintance among the
| sportS' and shortly after I erected my te-
pee IN thesCapital the senator invited me
to visit him. While making the rounds
one afternoon we got hungry, and I In
vited him into Pringles'. Pringles' at this
time was the finest gambling house in
Washingtpn.s The proprietor served three
elegant meals a day to his guests and
patrons without charge. 1t was rendez-
Vous Tor all manner and kinds of men
with money. You could meet there in
groups a foreign ambassador, a United
states senator, Judges, generals, and, of
course men like myself, who followed the
green cloth as profession. 1 was then
IN or about my thirtieth year, and
thought no more of win or lose SIS, 900
than would now of a single SIS bill.
There were no 10 or 25-cent chips in those
days The whites cost 81, the very
lowest price for them. Nobody thought
OF buying stack of chips under $50
and play was high. I was, you may be
sure, as high roller as any of them, for
just previous to my arrival in Washing
ton had lost, as banker in two nights
over $50, 000
WAS STJRPRTSED AT yK7rNrNrTN,r,
We'll Senator Rice and myself enjoyed
Prlnsles' fine spread. I introduced the
senator, and as he had never played a
card. Ike old Matt Carpenter, he knew
all the boys and was gracious and dem
ocratlc in his associations with them: he
Ielt embarrassed over eating such an ele-
giant meal, and not having to pay for 1t.
Passing faro layout In the next
room, he threw down SIS gold piece on a
caro- expecting to lose 1t. To his sur
prise and chagrin, however he won This
mace the matter worse than ever, as he
did not want to win, but to lose the SIS
as an indirect payment for the meal
ne mad eaten. While he was in a GUAM
dary, bought a stack of chips and soon
became absorbed in the game
The senator's bets were placed haphaz-
ara, he not knowing whether they were
placed right or not, and not caring, ex-
cept that he wanted to lose, and get out
OF the place. But lose he couldn't, and
soon dropped out, being broke. to watch
MS play and marvel at his ever-increas-
ing pile. He soon had a crowd around
MIN, Which added to his embarrassment.
ana he appealed to me to help him get
broke as he wanted to get out, and did
not want to take any Of the banks mon
ey with him. Well, this was the funniest
snap have ever experienced in my life
OF over seventy years. There sat the
senator and myself playing for all we
were worth. to reduce his winnings and
play any way we chose the piles of chips
increased. 1. who had been so unlueky.
caught the fever of the senator's good
luck and / won In a streak Ga
81 enc senator's face was as white as his
shirt, and he was as scared a mani az
ever l saw in my life. But the play went
on, and owing TO the fact that at that
time there was no limit at Pringles. the
bets We're 50 high, that theamodern TWEEN
ty-fve-cent chip-p1ayer would get the
grippe If Should mention the size of the
bets. a.
" LIMTF PUT ON THE GAME,
Finally. Mr.; Pringle called. me to one
! side, and told me- that his partners OBJ
Jected to the game without limit. He
| was willing himself to play the bank
without 1t, but he was compelled to defer
| to the wishes OF his partners, and would
| place the limit at $3.50 a bet
| He said it was all right to have me
| play on, as he liked me and all that, but
| I was the first man who ever forced him
| to put q limit on the game. When T re-
turned to the table, 1 quietly Informed