The Saint Paul globe., 1903-06-29
Lucky Baldwin Tells Of
$780, Won ON Turn Of Gard

Los ANGELES, Cal, June 2S.-'I
see the newspapers report the death
of Hamilton Baker, in New Orleans"
said Lucky" Baldwin, as he sat be-
meath the shade of an orange tree at
his Santa Anita ranch the other day.
Thirty years ago Ham Baker was the
greatest faro dealer alive. At one time
he had seven Of the greatest gambling
houses in America bidding for his
services at salaries ranging from $4,000
to $4,000 a month. John Morrissey
got him for four summers at the Sara
toga club for $4,000, and he was re-
quired to deal faro only six nights a
week, from 9 at night until I O'clock in
the morning.
But the time that I knew Ham
Baker best was in Virginia City, where
for nine months in the year for six
years he was dealer In the greatest
faro games In the world, ! believe his
salary was $780, a night, and he had
Is per cent Of the profits OF the house.
His salary and share ofOthe profits ag-
gregated about $4,000 year.
"But he died poor. He was in a rail-
road wreck in Colorado in the '90s, and
the injuries he received then untitled
him for expert faro dealing by causing
creeping paralysis of his right side.
"As 1 have said, the biggest faro
games ever known were in Virginia
City between 1869 and 1875. / have
known rough men to come down from
the gold country with $4,000 in gold
dust and blow it. all in at some faro
palace inside of two days, then with
out a murmur borrow grub stake
and flee away to the mountains, and
before year dig up another fortune
in gold. DiuOw 'Vi1JIo4N u
$175,ooo5 on the Table,
''The finest gambling house there
was that of Gentry & Crittenden Many
a day have seen Ham, Baker handle
$80,000 in gold there between early
| evening and early morning. Once
saw him dealing in a game where
$175,000 went back and forth across
the table in one night. There were
two cashiers at the back of the dealer,
and l have seen half 81 bushel of
twenty-dollar gold pieces on the CASH
ier's desk lots of times.
"a bettor did not ask if there was a
limit to the game. In October, 1873,
a miner named John Bilson, worth
$1,0oo,00O, came in from Utah. He
chatted an hour with Gov. Nye, and
then sauntered into the faro room
Give me stack of thousand dollar
fish, said Bilson.
Certainly, all you want said the
suave Ham Baker.
One In0uSdnd went on the jack and
was lost. Bilson lost over $4,000
without winning a bet. He swore, and
got outside of another bottle of cham
! payne.
Luck changed, and at 1 o'clock in
the morning the old miner was $50, 900
ahead of the game. Flushed with vic
tory, he ordered a case of wine for the
house. But che genius of faro is tickle.
The old man made a call with a 81, 900
bill and picked up $4,000. Luck failed
him from that moment.
"At break of day the miner, without
handing in dollar, had blown in SAL
600. He was cross as a bear with a
sore head. but he tried to smile.
lone thousand more on the ace he
said.
1T lost. Old BiIson rose and said
slowly, as If each word weighed a
! pound:
Baker, I reckon I've had enough
| fun for this one jamboree.' and after
ordering basket of wine for the house
he seated himself on the cashiers
ebony desk, and cool as a cucumber
drew a check on Mackay's bank for
$4,000. When the wine was opened