The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-20
STOLE CHIPS FROM CHINAMAN.
Hungry Sport Could Not Cash Them
Because They Were Yellow Edged.

Hungry Sport Could Not Cash Them
Because They Were Yellow Edged.
From the New Orleans Times-Democrat.
Never be dead certain that fellow is
honest until you've seen him tried when
he's broke and hungry" remarked a man
who follows the races and has tarried in
town since the winter meet II was in that
fix the only time in my life l ever took
anything that didn't belong to me- and I
got caught at 1t in rather a peculiar man.
her. 1t was at Laredo Tex, when they
were just finishing up the northern end
of the Mexican Railway. How l hap
pened 10 drift there is another story, but
the main point is that 1 landed in town
without cent, had nothing 10 soak and
didn't know a soul nearer than New Or
leans. Laredo was a pretty lively town
then and | hustled around for a couple
of days. hoping TO catch onto some kind
of a job, but II was no go. All that time
/ had nothing to eat but bite of cracker
and cheese that l picked UP I'm a raid on
a free lunch counter and l had reached a
stage where my conscientious scruples
were pretty weak in the knees, when /
wandered into a gambling house and
stopped in the crowd around one OF the
faro la bles. Several Cinnamon were
playing and one who was sitting right in
front of me had his lap full of white chips.
While 1 was standing there, thinking
about something 20 eat and feeling mighty
desperate, the chap in front of me leaned
over to place a bet, and before / realized
what l was doing l had five of the chips
in my hand. had picked them up by
sort of instinct, like drowning man gra b.
bling a straw. and for a moment 1 drew
back. shocked and frightened. Then
swallowed my scruples, slipped over to
the other end of the table and put two of
the bones on card. They won Al thot
| made several more small bets without a
loss and soon had a couple of stacks
worth IS apiece. That started the gambling
fever in me and took possession OF the
first vacant chair and began 10 play in
earnest, forgetting all about my hollow
insides. There were so many people at
the table that the dealer didn't notice me
particularly and paid my bets without
question.
within an hour I had run the two
stacks of whites UP to $500 and had blues
ard reds piled in front of me a foot high.
! saw all my troubles fade away, and was
as hsrpy as king.
Give me cash for this ivory" said I,
pushing the outfit across the table The
dealer looked al the chips and looked at
me: then he grinned.
you can get monty on those he said.
What's the matter with 'em?' ask
ed startled half out OF my boots.
u hey have yellow edges he replied.
and I'd advise you 10 skip. quick
Il heard a sort OF growl run through
the crowd, and. without knowing why,
realized that everybody was against me.
That. with my guilty conscience. took all
the fight out Of me in a twinkllng and
beat a retreat as fast as / could, feeling
ready to go and jump into the river.
didn't have to do it, however, because
met a friend inside of an hour who loaned
me $50 and put me on my feet, but 1t was
next day before | learned exactly what
had happened to me at he gambling
no, Sc X seem,d that they had had good
deal Of trouble with people who claimed
Chnamen's bets, and at last they laid in
a supply of yellow edged chips that they
used exclusively for the Chinese play.
When a white man presented chip OF
that kind for redemption they knew pos
lively that It belonged to some gentle
man with a queue, and always refused to
homer II. The chips l began paying with
were yellow edged. and naturally they
paid bets with the same variety the dta al.
er not noticing that l was Mclean man
until / attempted to cash In. ] have no
excuse to offer fer what / did but, up5n
my word. 1 believe | was sufficiently pun
ished when I had to give up that small
mountain OF ivory and walk out on an
empty stomach