The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-04
Cool Martin Tells of Famous
Faro Bank Play Among High
Rollers in Virginia City.

one OF Martins boasts was that he had
conducted faro games in no less than
forty states Of the Union, and, although
he had seen dozens of men shot, he al
ways escaped without having to particl-
pate in any scenes of bloodshed. Here is
one of the stories he related for the well
known New Workers. benefit, says the
New York Telegraph:
My mind runs back to the days before
the war, when 1 had a game at the St.
Charles hotel in New Orleans, and when
Jack Wharton was in his glory. Poor
Jack. he ought to be alive now, for he
could tell the best story of any man
alive. and when he Won $l1, 900 at my
game one night he made many people
happy. Jack was more in love with the
mere fact Of living than any human be-
ing L ever met. He had fought many
duels, but when the war was ended Che
mas major in Texas regiment with Tom
Ochiltree7-what a pair to draw TOD he
took a solemn VOW in my presence never
to fight again, and he never did. A Con-
Federate major, and then a Federal off,
rer. and in Louisiana. too. he died with
put having an enemy on earth
NEVADA HOLDS THE CROWN.
81 have sampled all the states and
nearly all the territories" he continued,
Fbut my recollection of Nevada knocks
everything else out 1t is the greatest
source Of qualification to me that though
hearty three score and ten, never killed
my man. In Nevada in the toughest times
I never carried a pistol No man of gem
Rine courage needs to carry one.
1.-The center of all stirring events in Ne
Eada is Virginia City. During the war
money was abundant everywhere in the
West, and the lucky miners sometimes
BARRED fortunes on their persons as care
less.y as they would brace g. six-shooter.
There was no lurking or conceaIment
about big games of faro and roulette In
Virginia City, which occupied most of
The spare time of7cOwboys and statesmen.
Poker was much too slow for a ma
lority OF the Virginia City boys, although
mere was usually a quiet jackpot opened
sNery night at the two leading gambling
houses. Here such men as William Nye.
hIsl governor, and then United States
senator, with his attorney general and
sther leading politicians and mining can
II@Lsts' We're ever ready to sit in an all
9Ight poker game, usually with So limit.
Ihese games l have known to last two
gays and two nights the only refresh
plent being piece Of ham, bread and q
huge demijohn.
me most famous gambling house in
Nevada in those days was operate6 hv
Gentry & Crittenden. Gentry was
brother Of Dick Gentry, the Texas snort
hs man, gentlemanly gambler of the
East ana he was a near relative Of Mera
NTH +. Gentry, the great Wing orator in
tennessee, who, when Scott ran for pres
ldent stumped the state. The house OF
Gentry q Crittenden had a line Of credit
OF quarter of million in San Fran
cisco. This firm every month set aside
$4,000 for table expenses alone, for wine
uowed as freely as spring water at Sar-
atoga. 1t was frame house of splendid
interior, with four rooms. One was q
sleeping room, and next to that was a
poker room, for state officials and their
elite friends, for the presence of leading
men gave dignity and seml-ofiicIal char
acter to the best and biggest gambling
houses of the far West.
PLAYED, CEILING HIGH
'"fhe front room opened into the main
street Of Virginia City and was a bar
room. It's rough splendor with solid SILL
yer goblets and rarest cut glass decan-
tiers rivaled the Hoffman barroom of to-
day. The next room contained two faro
and two roulette gamesS and at D. m.
the poker room was transformed into
dining room, where cards of admission
We're needless, and where the rarest and
Costliest of wines graced the table
pettor did not ask If there was a
limit to the game. A sport who had
Band and cash enough might bet $4,000
on single card. The banks hackers
counted their millions as Eastern game
Bters count their thousands. In October.
1863, a burly ranchman, John Timber
Jake, worth a million. came up from New
Mexico, having heard Of the fame of Gen.
try q Crittenden's faro palace, for 1t was
known from British Columbia TO the
golden slope of the Pacific John Tim
berlake was known as a millionaire in
good standing with the San Francisco
banks and bankers Undertakes tele-
gram was good with Mackey, Flood &c
O'Brien for $500, 600. The old ranchman,
with his corduroy pantaloons tucked in
his boots and smoking stogy cigars,
was welcome guest anywhere in Ne
vada. He chatted an hour with Gov.
Nye, and, after getting two bottles Of
Pommery Sec inside Of him, he saun-
tered into the faro room.
Give me a stack of a thousand dol
lar fish (chips),' said Timberlalze.
suave Crittenden, a nephew of the once
Kentucky United States senator Of that
name.
UP IN THE THOUSANDS.
zone thousand went on the jack and
was lost Undertake lost $4,000 with
out winning a bet. He swore, and got
outside Of another bottle Of sec. Luck
changed, and at l a. m the old gentleman
was $4,000 ahead Of the game. Flushed
with victory, Timberlake ordered a case
of wine for the house.
''But the genius of faro is tickle. The
old man then made call with 1000 bill
and picked up 5000. Luck failed him
from that moment At break Of day the
burly ranchman, without handing in a
dollar had blown in just Sal, 900. He was
as cross as a bear with a sore head, but
tried to smile. One thousand on the
ace It lost. Old Timberlal1e rose and
said slowly, as If each word weighed a
pound: 'Crittenden, 1 reckon I've had
enough for this one Jamboree,' and, after
ordering basket of wine for the house,
he seated himself at Gentry's ebony desk.
and cool as a cucumber, drew a check on
Mackey's bank for $4,000. When the
wine was opened, the dealer, In a soft
voice. said: The game is now closed
"Those were great days." Martin said
sadly, and then added: Il wish Senator
Pettigrew Was here, and he would stake
me for 1900, and would go over the
Potomac and buck the tiger. Maybe I'd
bust the bank. Who knows"
Money Lost ON Horses.
According to tables made by sporting
men over $3.50, 900 IS lost on the turf