The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-22
STOLE CHIPS FRoMAc H1NAMAN
A sports Dfscomffture When CIaim-
fnE Cash en-. Them.

| SPORTS DfScOmntufe When Claim
| Ing Cash en-. Them.
(From the New Orleans Times .Democrat)
| Never be dead certain that fellow 4
honest until you've seen him tried wher
| hes broke and hungry, remarked mar
| town since the winter meet. Il was ir
thar fix the only time In my life 1 evel
took anything that didn't belong to me
and got caught at 1t in rather a peculiar
| manner. 1t was at Laredo. Tex, when
they were Just finishing up the northern
end OF the Mexican Railroad. How / hap
pened to drift there is another story, but
the main point Is that landed in town
without cent, had nothing to Soak and
didn't know soul nearer than New Or
leans. Laredo was pretty lively town
then, and / hustled around for couple
Of days. hoping to catch onto some kind
Of job, but it was no go. All that time
had nothing to eat but a bite of cracker
and cheese that picked up in a raid on a
free lunch counter, and l had reached a
stage where my conscientious scruples
were pretty weak in the knees, when l
wandered into a gambling house and
stopped in the crowd around one Of the
faro tables. Several Cinnamon were play
ing, and one who was sitting right in
front OF me had his lap full Of white
chips.
while l was standing there, thinking
about something to eat and feeling mighty
desperate, the chap in front Of me leaned
over to place bet, and before realized
what was doing had five Of the chips in
my hand. / had picked them up by sort
Of instinct. like drowning man grabbing
a straw, and for moment / drew back,
shocked and frightened. Then 1 swallowed
my scruples. slipped over to the other end
Of the table. and put two of the bones on
card. They won. At that / made several
more small bets without loss and soon
had a couple of stacks worth s. apiece.
That started the gambling fever in me, and
took possession Of the first vacant chair
and began to 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 / had run the two
stacks of whites up to $500 and had blues
and reds piled in front of me a foot high.
saw all my troubles fade away. and was
as happy as king.
Give me cash for this ivory said /,
pushing the outfit across the table. The
dealer looked at the chips and looked at
me; then he grinned.
You'll have to grow a pigtail before
you can get money on these he said.
What's the matter with 'em?' asked,
startled half out Of my boots.
:" They have yellow edges he replied,
and I'd advise you to skip, quick
Il heard a sort of growl run through the
crowd, and. without knowing why. real
lied that everybody was against me. That,
with my guilty conscience. took all the
fight out of me in a twinkling and beat
a retreat as fast as could, feeling ready
to go and jump into the river. I didn't
have to do 1t, however, because I met a
friend inside of an hour who loaned me
$50 and put me on my feet but 1t was
next day before l learned exactly what
had happened to me at the gambling
house. It seemed that they had had a
good deal of trouble with people who
claimed Chinamen's bets, and at last they
laid in supply Of yeriow4 edged chips
that they used exclusively. for the Chi
nese play. When white man presented
a chip Of that kind for redemption they
knew positively that it belonged to some
gentleman with a queue, and always re-
fused to honor 1t. The chips began play |
Ing with were yellow-edged, and naturally |
they paid bets with the same variety, |
the dealer not noticing that I was a |
Mclean man until l attempted to cash |
In. ! have no excuse to offer for what / |
lid, but. upon my word, believe was |
sufficiently punished when had to sive |
up that email mountain of ivory and walk 1
,ut on an empty stomach