The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-08-01
HAM BAKER, FARO EXPERT.

VI any old shadow in mothers room.
| -Hnrner's Hohin0 Pe0nh
HAM BAKER, FARO EXPERT.
II see the newspapers report tn,
death of Hamilton Baker in New
Orleans" said Lucky" Baldwin a.
he sat beneath the shadows of al
orange tree at his Santa Anita ranch
recently. "Thirty years ago, Han
Baker was the greatest faro dealer
alive. At one time he had seven O
the greatest gambling houses il
America bidding for his services a
salaries ranging from S., 900 to So, 5oc
month. John Morrissey got him fol
four summers at the Saratoga Clut
for $40, 900, and he was required to
deal faro only six nights a week,
from 9 at night until o'clock in the
morning.
"But the time that knew Ham
Baker best was in Virginia City,
where for nine months in the year foi
six years he was dealer in the great
est faro games in the world. l be.
lieve his salary was $15o night and
he had IS per cent. of the profits Of
the house. His salary and share oi
the profits aggregated about SO, 900
year.
"But he died poor. He was in a
railroad wreck in Colorado along in
the 'oos, and the injuries he received
then untitled him for expert faro
dealing by causing creeping paralysis
of his right side.
"As I have said, the biggest faro
games ever known were in Virginia
City between 1869 and 1875. I have
known rough men to come down from
the gold country with $50, 900 in gold
dust and blow it all in at some faro
palace inside of two days, then with
out murmur borrow a grub stake
and flee away to the mountains, and
before year dig up another fortune
in gold.
"The finest gambling house there
was that of Gentry & Crittenden.
Many day I have seen Ham Baker
handle $50, 1000 in gold there between
where $I75, 900 went back and forth
across the table in one night. There
were two cashiers at the back of the
dealer, and 1 have seen half bushel
of twenty-dollar gold pieces on the
cashiers desk lots of times.
GA bettor did not ask if there was
a limit of the game. In October,
1873, a miner named John Bilson,
worth a million, came in from Utah.
He chatted an hour with Gov. Nye
and then sauntered into the faro
room.
"'Give me a stack of thousand
dollar fish, said Bilson.
Certainly, all you want replied
the suave Ham Baker.
Gone thousand went on the jack
and was lost. Bilson lost over $Io,'
900 without winning a bet. He
swore, and got outside of another
bottle of champagne.
"Luck changed, and at I O'CLOCK
in the morning the old miner wa:
$4,000 ahead of the game. Flush
ed with victory, he ordered case o.
wine for the house. But the geniu:
of faro is tickle. The old man made
a call with a 81 900 bill and pickec
up $4,000. Luck failed him from
that moment.
CAT break of day the miner, with
out handing in dollar, had blown ii
$4I,ooo. He was cross as beaI
with sore head, but tried to smile.
Gone thousand on the ace, h
said.
"It lost. Old Bilson rose and saiC
slowly, as if each word weighed
pound:
Baker, Ireckon I've had enough
fun for this one jamboree, and, afte
ordering a basket of wine for tn
house, he seated himself at the cash
ier's ebony desk, and cool as a cucum
Der, drew check on Mackay's banl
for $42 900. When the wine wa
opened Ham Baker, in soft voice
said: This game is now closed.
"I have seen several men bet IS, ,oo
and $4,000 on the ace in the far
room at Gentry & Crittenden's, and
without a change of expression, 81
putting a cigar until the equally calf
dealer turned the card out of the lii
tie silver box. 1 once saw r1c
San Francisco horseman come In, an
firing of piking along with fve-hur
dred-dollar bets on single card, b
nonchalantly tapped on the high car
with his pencil, and said:
"'Mr. Baker, I'll just go you o
the high card that brick store of mine
on Montgomery street near California
I've the deed here now for SIS, 900
whereupon he drew the documer
from his pocket and laid the dee
upon the ace.
Done said the dealer.
"The bank lost. The man wit
the brick house won $I8, 900.
"'How will you have the money
said Baker.
Check laconically answere
the lucky gambler.
"The dealers side partner file
out the check for the winner, whi
the gambler went on.
Zone evening, along in the sun
mer of 1875, Jim Sharon, a broth'
of United States Senator Villa
! Sharon, was in Gentrey & Crittel
den's palace. The game was runnir
light, as gamblers say, but was rul
ming toward the bank. Flushed vii
champagne, Jim Sharon edged ov
to Ham Baker and said:
| "'Say, Ham, this is sickly gam
with these hundred-dollar pike