The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-15

the senator and he looked distressed, as
he saw no chance, from his point OF
view. in getting rid OF his winnings at a
$3.50 limit. We played until midnight. and
the senator at last yielded to fatigue,
and ordered me to cash in. When he
counted the roll in his room, our joint
winnings were just $31 800, OF which sum
he lstaked me. as my share, TO $4,000
Said he, when he gave me the money:
Martin, I never played a card in my
life before this afternoon, and will
never play another one as long as live
This money / will do something with,
which shall not Immediately benefit my
self or my family
IT visited St. Paul twenty years after
this occurrence and met the senator. True
to his word, he had never touched card,
and learned from others, who got wind
OF the play at Washington, that the SEN
ator's winnings were expended in helping
struggling young fellows to get a start in
life, accompanied in every case by the
condition that they should never play q
card in gaming house.
Il venture to say, that this Is the most
remarkable case on record Of mans IN
expected and undesired large winnings
turning him against gambling and card
playing, and soaring him almost to death
was then so reckless with money that
II made no sort OF difference to me wheth-
er l won or lost $4,000, so you can mag
inc how / regarded the senator's Squeam-
ishness But, you see, he was right after.
all, and took the proper view of the mat
ter, for money which comes easy in a
winning at faro. goes easy the same way:
in a week 1 had lost the $4,000, and
thought no more of 1t than I do now of
losing $40 bill.
BROKE IN ST. PAUL.
Previous to my removal to Washing
ton. in 1858, I lived in st. Paul, and ran
one Of the biggest places in that then
frontier city If had kept the real estate
1 took in payment of small gambling
debts, I would today be millionaire ten
times over. Indeed, one piece I turned
over to Senator Rice for a small loan
could not be purchased today for a quar-
ter of a million dollars, yet lifted only
1,6OO on 1t, and thought 1 made good
deal. Thirty thousand dollars was the
amount of my last bank role in st. Paul.
1t was great game. l dealt for Louis
Robere, Frenchman, who had five Indi-
an agencies, and more money than he
knew what to do with. Louis was great
friend and admirer Of mine, and on his
return to St. Paul, from his visits to his
agencies, he always went against my
bank. The game in which he broke me
occurred in the early part Of 1858, and
lasted forty-eight hours The bank was
at one period of the game $4,000 to the
better of Louis role, but the Frenchman
was game, and played to my finish
"a few days after he had broke me,
he called around and ordered me to open
UP, giving me credit at the State bank
for $4,000, without note or security Of any
kind.
when in 1858 I finally determined to
leave st. Paul, Louis called on me, and
offered to put me in charge of his In
dian agencies at handsome salary with
a fine opportunity to make money on the
side. / hesitated, and he urged me to
accept. He went over the whole gamut
of the gamblers ups and downs, and I'M
certainties and predicted my finish at
penniless old age II lived long enough. I
finally refused the good, old fellows Of
fer. and, in 1852. the man who took the
position I declined, lost his life in the
terrible Indian massacre of that year.
1.-THE Sioux and Winnebagoes massacred
over 5000 men, women and children in
Minnesota in the year 1862 and every one
of my friend Louis Robere's agents fell
in the massacre. So that, after ALL
am ahead of the game thirty-e eight years,
and 1 have probably seen more In that
time and In this world than 1 could see
or probably care to experience in that
bourne to which the poor fellow went
who took the job I refused. Mr.. Ro-
here, I am glad to state, escaped the
massacre and died some years ago
millionaire. A good deal of the real
estate which made him so, was at one
time and another his and mine alter
nately, as the fortunes Of the cards de-
termined."