The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-06-26
POKER CAME A LONG Ole
Stranger In Reno Had Run Of
Hard Luck, But Cleaned
Out Bank President With
Entire Town Watching
2 - i. - !. -

Entire Town Watching Z
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r he state OF Nevada. whose finances
we're in such shape several years ag0
that IL was with difficulty the an
auai expenditures Of the administration
could be met, IS now In "a prosperous con-
oition. and the mineral resources are be-
ing rapidly developed.
Nevada has long been noted for its
gambling, which Is conducted under
license issued hy the state, and from ems
source considerable revenue ls derlE 20, \
few years ago that state was in such DIRE
financial straits shat there was eonsilef-
able talk of annexation 20 California, nuL
now that prosperity has aEaiu sTucS thdL
section this discussion has ceased. \ rev
years ago many on tns mines t1lld t--~
state relies almost wholly upon the min
ing INDUSTRY for - supporg were f-os@
down, many Of them going INTO nallA-
ruBtcy. bat there have been rich strikes
Of gold al various places recently ana the
state Is on something Of a boom.
o. With the resumption OF activities ln JHe
mining industry gambling. winch nau pc
come almost a drug in the market ls
again lively. and the states revenues are
tn excess of its expenditure. PronADly
some Or the greatest poker games
recent history have been played 90 tnat
state. and one Of only few months ego
probably will go down into history as the
most unique contest with the cards ever
PLAYED in the west. AS The gambling
houses are licensed, the player SIS pro
teCted by the law, and l1 any cToohea
work is done in house The proprietor IS
held personally responsible and. upon
conviction must serve a term in states
prison. not being being given the option
Of a fine C. A. Dukes, OF Likes, cal,
who was in the CiLy isst week. stated that
Nevada was the gamblers El Dorado. and
that any thinE in the nature or CROOKED
work was unknown there. While DE never
plays ans game of chance and is resi-
dent Of am ao1oinlnB state. ne does con
siderable business IN mines IN NeEala,
ana when one tinls a prosperous hiiHllb
district there also he finds gambling. Ire
game in Nevada is played without limit,
AID naturally some big games are the re-
''The biggest stage game of recent
date said Mr.. Dukes at the 81, Charles
during his stay here, was iu Reno some
years ago when the whole country was
eavel0ped in a mantle Of SHOW. / had 70
go 60 Reno on business and was at the
hotel with several other cattlemen and
probably half a dozen miners. They were
all wealthy men, and frequently INDUCED
in game Of draw poker as a pastline,
though always playing for big stakes
While every one was lowering over The
fire trying 20 keep warm a little thin
cohsumpuve looking fellow came into the
Motel sat down, stretched his legs Tor
BIT and invited the crowd to take a drink
he was stranger ln those parts but
pleasant sort OF chap. and soon had every
one laughing al his 1ests, he related his
experiences OF the past Few days. OF now
his horse was frozen TO death and he had
Deem forced 10 foot 10 about saTeuty-IlNe
miles through the hills to reach Reno
came into the house, ordered drinks Tor
Lne crowd and proposed a game or poker,
rest of the crowd a s. spectators. The con
5umpttVe looking fellow was one of the
players. He had siege Of hard luck and
lost several thousand dollars before he
could pick a winning hand,
This game started about 30 o'clock on
a Friday morning ana the young Ieliow
luck on Friday, and hoped the game
would continue tiN after - that night. and
~ II did ne would regain his losses Lney
were playing taule stakes tor Slrua0
stack. which made DO a pretty good game.
Play continued throughout the Cav. and
at 10 o'clock that night was sCIll I'm pro-
gresS. Nearly all the party retired eE-
cepr those interested in the game. Ny
room was directly over the one In which
me game Was IN progress. but not
sound reached me. and l was soon snug
end warm In the arms Of the god Of rest,
some hours later / was awakened by a
Comm1tlou In the card room, but turned
over and tried 90 60 10 sleep again. While
I'm a d0ze I dreamed that was going
across the mountains and came across a
man In the snow baref0Oted and in his
shirt sleeves. just AT that time I was
aroused by someone rapping on my door.
sat up m Ded, anu sfasplng my re-
VOlyeT- called out 20 the intruder TO know
what he wanted. He asked me TO open
the door, as he wanted TO talk with me.
got up lighted the lamp and opened the
door, sitting up In bed with my revolver
ln hand. and in walked the stranger
president had cleaned up the gang, but
wanted 20 continue the play. None OF
the other players could get any money,
as they had borrowed an the landlord
had and were sitting around 90 see what
the next move would be-
"The young fellow, the stranger, came
into my room without hat. shoes OF coat.
went down into an inner recess or ms
clothes ana pulled OUT ron or United
States bonds. He asked me 10 let him
have some money as ne lelt t1aJ ms luck
would change. / gave him $500 in eN-
change for that much Of Uncle sam
paper anu he departed. turned over,
went TO sleep and did not again awake
tin the sun was peepIuB over the noun
tain top into my face The FIRST thing
that entered my mind was. How did the
game come QUIZ for though I did not
play myself I had become interested Do
Tie result -. tiaslliy p .il on nay
clothes, went DOWNSTAIRS, Out not "a
sound could I hear except my own FOOT
fails.
no sign OF life there, and then turned the
handle of the door TO The card room. but
it would not open / raped ON the door,
but got no answer. nor was there the
slightest SIR 10 indicate tndt there was
anyone inside. j came TO the conclusion
that the Young fellow had gone broke and
was sleeping so L went OUT 10 the ldtcnen
10 see about getting some breakfast but
there was not "a soul in sight. / then went
10 the landlord s. ROOM expecting 10 arouse
him and learn what this silence meant,
but upon Tapping az the door failed 10 get
a response. I opened the door and looked
in. but there was no one Ira sight. neither
the landlord nor his wife. BY This time
the situation began TO pail upon me. /
went downstairs ana threw the front door
open. expecting 90 see some one ON the
street but there was not soul in The
range of my vision and the hotel was In
h1ha prize pal street Of the town
II went 20 the telephone thinking TO
tau uD 4 friend but could yet lu answer
from central I hung up tne phone and
walked over 90 restaurant q CLOCK away.
as ! was getting very hungry by this
time. oBeued the door and walked IA.
bur there was not q soul lu the place I
then began go wonder t & was the ohtN
man i'm the town, and it began 90 look SO
when presently [ saw man coming up
tho street on white nurse. He dis
mounted az the hank and sent iu- I l1l-
lowed him into that institution the front
door of which was guarded Er on officer
whom j knew. aud went 20 the cashier g
window. but there was no one 60 trans
act any business Z could near EQ sound
ticking OF the clock. and walking back TO
from view from the front 4 had the
situation explained 90 me, for back Of
tne bank was collected the entire u0pu-
ldtIou of the CITY, ttlueinE I'M snow eight
cen inches deep. many Of them peerins
through the windows Becoming inter
c5te8. B Fastened back. expecting 20 find
"a corpse. g was amazed 10 find the presi-
dent of tla bank and the young stranger
sitting back iu their shirl sleeves. each
pulling away az hls pipe. playing freeze
oHt, lhr game mao been transferred
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