The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-29
De HARA.
Spanish Girl in New Mexico
a Gambler.
KNOWN ALL ALONG LINE
In Company with Husband
She Wins Lots of Money.

Needles, Cal, Nov. 2s-The most ornate
gambling place in this mining and rail-
road town On the California side of ths
| Rio Colorado has been crowded &c
week from early evening until dawn every
night.
Conception de Hara, professional femi-
nine faro player, is in town. Because sne
Is one of very few women anywhere who
make gambling profession, because OF
her unusual success about the green ia
BILE, her dignity in spite Of her environ
ulent and her attractive personality, she
is the most famous young woman be-
tween Ell Paso and Los Angeles.
Senorita de Hara $ stay in Needles has
been typical of that in all mining or cat
tie ranching camps she visits in her wan
derings about the territories. Cattlemen,
cowboys, miners and tinhorn gamblers
who had heard of her coming fiocked to
town from fifty and seyenty-five miles
away.
The senoritas gaming always draws
crowds The var receipts are swelled and
games of the resort take on renewed ac-
tivity.
Every evening at a little after seven
o'clock little Miss de Hara and her big,
dark skinned brother go from the station
hotel through the plaza. up Railroad
street. past a dozen saloons, stores and
little shops, to a two story red brick
building with lavish display of electric
lights. plate glass windows and gift signs.
Hiss de Hara and her brother go through
the open front doors into a large apart
ment where electric lamps sputter in the
ceiling and all sorts and conditions Of men
are engaged in gambling games.
The brother and sister are tactiturn.
With seldom a word to each other, they
go to the big faro table in the rear of the
room. The brother hands the sister
leather bag heavy with coin, and when
she seats herself he vanishes in the crowd
of men about the room.
Having made quick inventory of her
cash in hand, Senorita de Hara looks over
the game-always in progress-and waits
an opportunity to wager to the best adj
vantage Sometimes she plays listlessly
and with only small stakes; at other times
she seems absorbed and stacks up silver
and gold coin several inches high on three
or four cards at a time Several times,
few nights ago. she had $40 Cor $500 in diff
ferent wagers on the table.
She was born in the pueblo Of Saynia, in
the state of Jaiisco, Mexico. She is one of
eight children Her father. Mariana de
Hara. was Alcade in the old town for
years, and once was wealthy. When she
was about twelve years old the family
moved TO Guanajuato, where her father
came manager of a gambling house. Sew
eral years ago the Mexican congress re-
voIked all licenses for gambling houses
and the establishment was closed. Mari
anfo de Hara got a place in the Custom
House at Juarez. formerly FL Paso del
Norte. Just across the Rio Grande from
the American FL Paso.
The girl gambler is twenty-five and
beautiful with a serious face, large black
eyes, ard wealth of black hair She has
rosy cheeks, dimpled chin, and long
black eyeEashes Her chin and mouth
NAV be taken to denote earnestness; the
eyes. under the delicate arching eyebrows,
| betoken thoughfulness. In height she is
about We feet six inches Her complexion
/ is the soft brown OF fer race
She seldom smiles. and al faro table
she seems abstraction personnel. If she
speaks at all il is in monosyllables only
and to the dealer She pays no attention
to what occurs about her, and she is
everywhere respected. Her brother is her
invariable companion, accompanying her
TO and from the gambling rooms. She
asks no extra consideration for herself
as a faro player because of her sex
Whatever her views Of the environment
in which she lives may be she never
speaks of them.
I've been knocking around the terri
tories for a generation" sair Colonel Tom
Shields. q silver magnate at Chloride.
land Miss De tIara is the most interest
ing piece of humanity ever came across.
| saw her playing faro once in Dering
and again in Santa Fe. 1t was fasciuat-
ing
There sat that pretty little girl. dressed
like d queen and as dignied as Juno,
with q 500 or $3.50 stack of chips before
her making $40 bets on the turn of a card.
Her face was like a statue. no matter
whether she was ahead or behind the
game
Alongside her was As queer lot Of
men as ever gathered together in a from
tier town They crowded her 10 bet on
the cards as they came out Of the box.
but she always remained the lady. What's
more every mothers son OF them treated
her with the supremest consideration. I
don't believe she ever looked at them.
much less addressed any Of them.
In Deming a lot OF fellows got 10 fol-
lowing her plays because she had bsen
lucky for several days. She never said a
word Suddenly she pushed the stack
toward the dealer. cashed I'm the chips
put her money in her chateigine bak and
started for her hotel with her brother. -
Senorita De Hara has been profession
al faro gambler in Texas. New McKee,
md Arizona for about two years. She
has spent most % this time In the teri
tories. For several months she sat IN 2
game two evenings q week at q geHtle-
mans club at Las Vegas year ago
Sometimes she would play an hour or two.
sometimes aR night
once she sat in a game from sunset m
III the afternoon OF the next day. never
leaving her chair. and speaking scarcely
4 dozen words 10 suy one OF the talka-
tive and excited players al about her.
That night she quit the game $40 loser
Two days later she was back again.
Al Albuquerque. whore there are many
influential and wealthy Spanish families
she had u1slsual success. There her gam
bin. had been eonnod 10 games among
Spanish gentlemen and wealthy cattle
men. The game Is coEducted IN an elahor-
nteIy furnished apartment IA tn oid town
that S.ghe Mes.can part OF the oity
krr-,,...-.-.--.