The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-06-24


He WOULD REACH OUT TO DAD FOR
MORE MONEY, AND DAD WOULD
REACH INTO ANOTHER POCKET
| AND DID@IP ANOTHER ROLL.
a chance to raise more money. Dad
insisted that his partner should lose
a small bet once in awhile, 50 the bank
should not get on TO the fact that we
had d einch
After luncheon we entered the big
gambling room, in full-dress suits,
and, by gosh it was like a kings re-
eeption. There were hundreds of men
and women, dressed for a party, ana it
did not seem like a gambling hell, ex-
cept that there were piles Of gold as
big as stoves, on all the tables, and the
guests were provided with silver rakes,
with long handles, to rake IN the
money. Dad said in whisper to the
Dakota man: What is the use of
taking the trouble to run a gold mine
and get all dirtied up digging dirty
nuggets, when You can get nice, clean
gold, al coined, ready to spend, by
betting right?" And then dad turned
to me and he said: 'Hennery, don't
let the sight Of this wealth make you
avaricious. DONE be purse proud when
you find that your poor father, after
years of struggle against adversely, and
the Vaccinations of designing men, has.
got next to the Pierpont Morgan class.
and mas money to buy railroads. Don't
get excited when We begin to bag the
money, but just act as though it was
d regular thing with US to salt down
our gold for winter, the same as we do
our pork.
"A count, or a duke, gave us nice
seats, and rahes to haul in the money.
a countess, with a IoW-necIed dress.
winked at dad when he reached into
his pistol pocket and brought out a roll
Of bills and handed them to the Dakota
man, who bought $500 worth of red
chips, and when the man looked the
roulette table over and put about a pint
Of chips on the red, dad choked up SO
began to perspire SO had to wipe my
face with a handkerchief; the gambler
rolled the wheel and when the ball
stopped on the red. and dad did the
raking and raked IN a quart Of chips,
and dad shook hands with the Dakota
man and said: Pard, we have got EN-
on the run" and reached for his sack
to put in the first instaIlment IF ac-
quired wealth, and the IoW-necked
countess smiled a rayishlng smile ON
dad. and dad looked as though he
owned a brewery, and the Dakota man
twisted his chin Whiskers and acted
like he was sorry for the Monte Carlo
bank. + Just got so faint with JOY that
/ almost cried.
To think We had skinned along as
economically as possible all our lives,
and never made much money. and now,
through this Dakota genius. and this
Monte Carlo opportunity, we had
wealth raking in by the bushel, made
me feel great, and ! wondered why
more people had not found ont this far
away place, where people could become
rich and prosperous in day, If they
had the nerve. I tell you, old man, it
was great, and was going to cable
you to sell out your grocery for what
you could get at forced sale and come
here with the money, gamble and be-
come millionaire.
Monte Carlo (the next day}.-My
Dear Uncle Ezra: do not know how
to write YOU the. sequel to this tragedy.
After our Dakota partner, with the
Black Hills system Of beating a rou-
lette game, had won the first bet, he
never guessed the right color again,
and dad haRno more use for the rake.
Every time he bet and lost, he would
reach out TO dad for more money, and
dad would reach into another pocket
and dig up another roll, and the eoun-
less would laugh and dad had to act
IS though he enjoyed losing money.
1t was about dark when dad had
fshed up the last hundred dollars and
it was gone before dad could wink back
to the countess, then the Dakota man
looked at dad for more, and dad shook
his head and said it was al of, and
they looked at each other a minute,
and then We all three got up and went
out in the park to see the people who
had gone broke commit suicide, but
there was not a revolver shot and dad
and the Dakota man sat down on a
seat and e looked at the moon.
Dad looked at the Dakota man and
said: You started me in all right.
What happened 10 your system?' The
Dakota man was silent for a moment,
and then he pointed to me and said:
That imp Of yours crossed his fingers
every time i BET, except the first tine
Dad called me to him, ard he said:
'Hennery,s let this be lesson TO you.
Never to cross your fingers. You have
ruined your dad, I, and he turned his
pockets inside out. and hadn't change
for dollar note, and he gave me the
empty sack to carry, and we went to
cur suite Of rooms. knowing we would
be fired out into the cold world
& Il viii take a week 10 get money
from the states. and ne may be sent
% the work house. IS We are broke,
and haven't got the means even to
commit suicide. Don't tell ma.
Yours.
uENTS-EEsy