The sun., 1903-10-18

of the Rio Colorado has been crowded for
q week from early evening until dawn
every night. Conception de Hara-pro-
fessional feminine faro player-is in town
Because she is ono Of very few women
anywhere who make gambling a profess
sion, because Of her unusual success about
the green table, her dignity in spite OF her
environment and her attractive person.
ality, she is the most famous young woman
between FL Paso and Los Angeles
Sefiorita de Hara's stay here in Needles
has been typical of that in all mining or
cattle ranching camps she visits IN her
professional wanderings about the Terri
tories Cattlemen, cowboys, miners and
tin horn gamblers who had heard OF her
coming flocked to town, even from nlty
and seventy-five miles away. The senor-
ita's gaming always draws crowds Inc
bar receipts are sweled and al! the rou-
lette, craps, poker and lottery games OF
the resort take on renewed activity.
Every evening at little after o'clock lit
tie Miss de Hara and her big, dark skinned
brother 70 from the depot hotel, through
the plaza, up Railroad street, past dozen
wide open saloons, several stores and
little shops, to two story red prlck pulld-
ing with lavish display Of electric lights
plate glass windows and gilt signs. Ihs
is the Mineral Palace-saloon, gambling
house and restaurant. Miss de Hara and
her brother 20 through the open front
doors into large apartment, where cleo
trio lamps sputter in tho ceiling and there
are all sorts and conditions of men en-
gagged In gambling games.
The brother and sister are taciturn.
With seldom word to each other, they
20 directly to the big faro table In the rear
of the room. The brother hands the sister
a leather bag. heavy with coin, and when
she seats herself vanishes In the crowd
of men about the room
Having made a quick inventory OF her
cash In hand Seforita de Hara looks over
the game-always in progress-and waits
an opportunity to wager to the best ad-
vantage. Sometimes she plays listessly
and with only small stakes. At other
times she seems absorbed in faro, and stacks
up silver and gold coin several Inches high
on three or four cards at time. Several
times few nights ago she had $500 or $500
In different wagers on the table.
She was born in the pueblo OF Saynia,
In the State of Jallsco, Mexico. She Is one
OF eight children. Her father. Mariana
de Hara, was Alcalde In the old town for
years, and once was wealthy. When she
was about ~ years old the family moved
to the city of Guanaj juata, where her father
became manager Of the elaborate gambling
house OF the Martel syndicate. Several
years ago the Mexican Congress revoked
all licenses for gambling houses. and Mar
tells establishments were closed. Mariana
do Eara got G Job Ia the custom house at
Juarez, formerly FL Paso del Norte-Just
across the Rio Grande from the American
Ell Paso.
The girl gambler is % and beautiful,
with serious face, large black eyes and
wealth of black hair. She has rosy cheeks.
dimpled chin and long black eyelashes.
Her chin and mouth may be taken to de-
note intense earnestness; the eyes, under
the delicate arching eyebrows, betoken
thoughtfulness. In height she Is about
feet inches. Her complexion Is the
soft brown of her race.
She seldom smiles. and at faro table
she seems abstraction and sadness person
fled. If she speaks at all it is In monosyl-
lables 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 faro player because OF her sex. What
ever her views of the environment In which
she lives may be she never speaks Of them.
-I've been knocking around the Ter
ritories for a generation" says Col. Tom
Shields, the silver mining magnate at Chol-
oride, "and this Miss de Hara is the most
interesting piece Of humanity l ever came
across. I saw her playing faro once in
Deming and again in Santa Fe. 1t wa 6
fascinating
"There sat that pretty little girl, dressed
like a queen and as dignifed as Juno, with
q $500 or $500 stack OF chips before her.
making $40 bets on the turn OF card
Her face was like 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 frontier
town They crowded her to bet on
the cards as they came out OF the
box, but she always remained the lady
treated her with the supremest consider.
alton I don't believe she ever locked at
them, much less addressed any OF them.
SIN Deming lot of fellows got to follow.
ing her plays because she had been lucky
for several days. She never said word
She suddenly pushed the stack toward
the dealer, cashed in the chips, put her
money in her chatelaine bag and started
for her hotel with her brother.
Sehorita de Hara has been professional
faro gambler in Texas, New Mexico and
Arizona for about two years. She has
spent most OF this time in the Territories
For several months she sat in a game two
evenings a week at a gentlemen's club at
Las Vegas a year ago. Sometimes she
would play an hour or two, sometimes al
night.
Once she sat in game from sunset until
the afternoon Of the next day, never leav-
ing her chair and speaking scarcely a dozen
words to any one Of the talkative and ex,
cited players all about her. That time she
quit the game somo 500 loser. Two days
later she was back again
At Albuquerque, where there are many
influential and wealthy Spanish families
she had unusual SUCCESS. There her gam
bling has been confined to games among
Spanish gentlemen and wealthy cattlemen
Tho game is conducted in an deliberately
furnished apartment in the old town that