The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-09

Charleston. S. C.-'The crusade OF
the Charleston minister who visited the
gambling houses the other day to
preach about sin reminds me Of how a
young minister who we viii L,-,i Daw-
son fell from grace by tinks~ing with
the games, said an old fan0 dealer
last night The young minister found
the town was in was slow end he decid-
ed TO wake up his church by preaching
about what he saw during a visit to
the gambling rooms.
He was new in the city When ne
nrSt arrived. strangers who saw him
Sambied that he was either a DrOfes-
slonal poker player or minister They
could not tell which. He was not
known personally TO the men who fire.
quented the gambling houses and 50
not much notice was taken of him
when, in search OF material for his ser
mon, he walked in alone on Monday
night and glanced nerYOusly around a
rom where a dozen men were play
ing different games Il seemed famil-
lar 10 him. for in his younger and
wilder days he had gambled himself
The manager spied him and put him
down al once as a slick professional.
who was there on a tiger bucking eX-
petition. He spoke to him and learn
ed his name
" Dawson he repeated, Say, are you
old Bill Dawson who used to run the
faro bank in Memphis when I was
there ten years ago? No? Well, you
are welcome, for you look ike a dead
game article and If you can beat me.
why then all we'll and good
Mr. Dawson did not know how TO
explain He had an mixing that he
would be sent away if he said he was
Dawson, the minister, so he said moth
ing. He walked about aimlesSly. The
proprietor wanted to see him play.
Dawson was not looking for anything
like this and hesitated. The proprietor
pushed him. There was a 81 game. he
said, just starting IN the next room and
they needed another player The rat
Ting of the chips and the calls of the
gamblers. with the big money in sight
oszed Dawson and he allowed himself
10 be pushed into the poker room. Be
fore he really knew what was up the
proprietor had showed him TO a chair.
Here's a good player. boys ne
said. and I want to see what ne can
do He is Mr.. Dawson and he is all
right
of course the players were glad to
see Mr.. Dawson. but gladder to see the
color of his money
You look like you could deal the
cards in the pulpit said a big man at
the table. and Dawson cOlored. He
| laughed il away. The proprietor came
up and Dawson, like man in a dream,
took out some money and bought a
stack Of chips.
Seems as if the new player is
! dOpy' commented a hitherto silent
! player, and Dawson brseed himself.
( He saw that he was in for il and he
had to play his way out. If ne could
/ lose, he thought. and then get away,
nobody would suspect that he was the
parsOn and all would be serene.
The game opened slow. There was
no good hands running and the bet
I ting was quiet, so Dawson had more
! time TO think. He was the last man
to deal and he took the cards nervous
I y. but the feel of the pasteboards
seemed to give him more confidence in
| himself and he shuhled them ike a
| veteran. Everything was jack pot, and
I the first man to say opened for a cOu-
/ pie Of dollars Two others stayed, a
I third raised and Dawson came in
! There was more betting. When the
/ cards were called the opener stood pat