Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-08-07
He NTED no LOSE.
BUT THE sENAToRWoN THOUSANDS
AGAINST HIS WILL.

GUT THE sENAToRW WON THO usANDs
AGAINST HIS WILL.
An Interesting story OF Comedy
Enhcted In Pringle's Famous Gam.
bling Estnblishment In Ws.shtnE-
ton In Antcbellun, Days.
came here with the first senator
from Minnesota after the territory was
admitted as state said Colonel Cole
Martin to group Of listeners one even
ing.
Henry n. Rice served one term as
United Stntes senator, and |, being res
ident Of st. Paul when he was elected by
the legislature and taking part in the
fight, concluded to come on to Washing
ton, as in those days, 1858, Washington
was wide open town, and faro was as
free then as beer lunch is now. OF
course had an acquaintance among the
sports, and shortly after | erected my
tepee in the capital the senator invited
me to visit him
while making the rounds one after
noon we got hungry, and ! invited him
into Pringlc's. Pringles at this time was
the finest gambling house in Washington.
| The proprietor served three elegant meals
La day to his guests and patrons without
|charge. 1t was u rendezvous for I'LL
manner and kinds of men with money.
! You could meet there In groups foreign
cmDassador II United States senator,
! judges, generals and. of course. men, like
myself, who followed the green cloth as
profession.
was then in or at about my thirtieth
Year and thought no more Of win or lose
81, 600 than would now of single So
bill. There We're no 10 or % cent chips
1 in those days. The whites cost 81, the
very lowest price for them. Nobody
/ thought of buying stack of chips under
1 $50. and play was high. I was as high a
4 roller us the best Of them. for Just pre-
vious to my arrival in Washington i had
4 lost as banker in two nights over
4 100000.
Well, Senator Rice and myself enjoy
led Pringle's fine spread. introduced
i the senator, and, as he had never played
A n card, like old Matt Carpenter, he knew
4 nll the boys and was gracious and DEM
ocratic in his associations with them.
Il He felt embarrassed over ca. ing such an
8 elegant meal and not having to pay for it.
Passing faro layout in the next
Il room, he threw down a S5goldpiece on a
card expecting to lose it. To his surprise
4 and chagrin, however, he won. This
made the matter worse than ever, as he
did8not wantsto win. hut to lose the IS as
4 nm Indirect payment forsthe meal he had
Il eaten. While he was in quanIary j
j. bought a stack OF chips and soon becama
absorbed in the game.
s''Thc senator's bets were placed hap
hazard. he not knowing whether they
. We're placed right or not and not caring
!, except that he wanted to lose and get out
!, of tlie place. But lose he couldn't, and
:. soon dropped cut. being broke, to watch
g his play and marvel ut his ever increasing
q pile. lie soon had crowd around him
which added to his embarrassment, ant
he appealed to me to help him get broke
+ as he wanted to get out and did not wan
= to take any Of the banks money will
{ him.
We'll, this was the funniest snap
ever experienced in my life of over 4
years. There snt the senator and mysel
7 playing for all we were worth to reduc,
{ his winnings. and, play any way vi
Il chose, the piles Of chips increased.
+ who had been 50 unlucky, caught tn
e fever Of the senator's luck, and won i
i n streak.
"
4 his shirt, ard lie was as scared man {,
i ever saw in my life. But the play wen
on. and owing to the fact that Mt thl
time there was no limit Mt Pringle's I'll.
Q bets We're so high that the modern .
s cent chip player would get the grip If
3 should mention the8size of the bets.
i "I'inally Mr.. Prinsle called ne to on
S side and told me that his partners OF
jected to the game without limit. IL
i was willing himself to play the han
] without it. but he was compelled to lefr
! to the wishes of his partners and woul
. place the limit Mt $3.50 bet.
4, 4 u e said it was all right to have N
/. play on. us he liked lne and all that. hi
s was the first man who ever forced hill
: to put Il limit on the game. When I n
turned to the bic. Iqliietly informed Ii
senator, and he looked distressed. as Ii
saw no chance. from his point Of view. j
getting rid of his winnings at 4 So
y limit
e We played until midnight. aud til
senator at last Yielded to fatigue and O
e dered me to cash in. When he counte
q the roll in his room, our joint winning
e We're just $4,000. of which sum i
y staked me as my share. to 10000. Sai
ia he when he gave me the money:
u Martin, ! never played a card in II
e life before this afternoon, and will ne
n or play another one as long as liv
g This money will do something wit
$, which shaii not Immediately benefit M
le self or my family.
llsE I visited st. Paul % years after til
= occurrence and met the senator True
If his word. Ne had never touched 4 cal,
\ and Ilnarfla1 fronl others who got wiz