The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-05-07
BRILLIANT CAREER RUINED

story when put squarely to the ques-
tion, and thus he involuntariiy received
the name, or the stigInatism, Of being
the most distinguished of American
gamblers. One night. a year or so aft
er Wolcott came to Washington as a
senator. he decided TO have a look at
Jackson City, the huddle of gambling
shacks at the Virginia end of the Long
bridge. After dining at Welcker's he got
into a barouche alone, and was driven
across the bridge to Jackson City. He
took s.. 600 with him.
All of the Jackson City games were
then-as they remained until they were
CloSed-exclusively on the brace or
der. 1t is certain that Senator VOL
colt was aware of this, but he probably
calculated that the proprietor of the
Jackson City game he patrOnized would
TO divert himself with a little square
bank"
The proprietor of the faro bank VOL
colt pulled up at didn't recognize him,
and it may well be that it would have
made no difference if he had recognized
him.
The dealer dealt the cards out of the
tricky box just as he did for the other
good things" that drifted along. SEN
atOr Wolcott was quick to see the kind
of deal he was getting, but he did
not complain The brazen crOOkedness
of the dealer seemed rather to amuse
him. He watched the dealer working
the double slip-0ut OF him with cOnsid-
cradle curiosity, not unmixed with ad-
miration for the sheer nerve of the box
manipulation
Then WOlcOtt exhibited the strong
sense of hUmOr for which he was dis
tinguished. When he had dropped
81. 500 worth Of chips at the brace
game, with the not very exalted hope,
1t may be, that he might be able to
master the dealer system and beat him
out at it, he arose. yawned, stretched
his arms and then threw his remaining
$500 note on the table in front of the
dealer.
What's the use of working so hard2''
he inquired, with an amiable smile.
There isn't a doubt in life that the
bank needs the money" and he strOlled
out and stepped into his waiting bar
ouche, leaving the $500 note on the faro
table. WOlcott and Tom" Reed were
intimate personal friends. One summer
night. while the fight over the famous
Force bill'' was raging, and the ses-
sion of congress had been protracted
far into the warm weather, Reed went
to WOIcott's Washington house for a
chat after the house had adjourned
The two men repaired to WOlCOttS IL
brary for a smoke
''WolcOtt" said the noted speaker,
after they had Conversed for while,
you know lot about gambling. and
don't know anything about it. But
know something about luck, in the or
binary affairs of life, and 1t seems to
me that in every matter in which there
is an element of chance, the odds seem
to be against d fellow
"Elucidate," said WOlcott
Well" said Reed, Il see you have the
works of Shakespeare stacked up over
on that tabIe-which is what reminded
me of the subject. Now, do you know
that I have never gone to set oil
Shakespeare works, heaped up in a
pile like that, to look for a certain vol
ume-'Hamlet,' We'll say-that
haven't had to work my way almost "a
the bottom of the stack to get the book
I wanted? Never yet have I found my
Hamlet at the top of the pile, or any
where near the tOp-alWayS, IN TACT
down near the bottom, if not the very
last volume in the heap. wouldn't that
20 to prove that even in the little af-
fairs of life the chances are generally
against a fellow"
WoIcott was to experienced a gam
bier and had too acute q knowledge OF
the thing that is called the maturity OF
chance to be impressed by Reeds doc
trine.
Try your system out now" he said
well say. Go to that pile Of Shakes
peare-there are thiFty-eight volumes
and see how far you have to delve fol-
it"
The sneaker crossed over to where the
works of Shakespeare were hedped up
took the first volume off the top
glanced at the title of 1t. and laughed
It's Hamlet " he said to WolcOtt
That explodeS your theory at the
fyfu NA0trOff-
No, il doesn't said Reed. thought
fully. 1T proves it. There never was
a time when I was so anxious to have
Hamlet turn up at the bottom, or neal
the bottom as now. for l wanted 10 H.
Iustrate my theory. But the chance
was hopeless against me-the topmoS
book on the stack is Hamlet
You win" said Wolcott, with
smile.
Wolcott had an uncommon hatred to1
caro- cheats He was crossing to Eng
| land few years ago on one OF tb'
| American steamers. He did not VlSl
| the card room of the ship until the thlTt
| day out, and then only to look on fol
he never participated in a card gam'
I in nubIic. As soon as he entered th'
/ steamers card room he recognized
| PLAYING poker at one of the tables VIII
/ three other oyaEeTs, man OF tOrme
! standing in Colorado, who, now ever
/ had gone to the bad, and had finally
/ been driven out of Denver for cheatlns
! at cards, after which he had taken u
/ the transatlantic steamers as care
/ sharp.
! WoIcott signaled the man out Of th'
| card room with an uplifting of the eye
/ brOws, and the sharp joined the senator
on the promenade deck
! "How much are you ahead OF TIT
! game2" briefly inquired WOlcOtt of tn
/ shark.
1.-TWO thousand" replied the short
/ card man. knowing the uselessness o
! lying to WOlcott-
! Very well. Two thousand viii D.
/ vol,r contribution to the Seaman
fund" said WoIcott You'll make tina
| contribution anonymously, and your
refrain from further playing on TIM
| cruise
! Rather than be exposed. the PROBES
sionaI cheat put $1,000, his winnings
] into an envelope. with an unsigned not
/ to the effect that the money was 70
! the Seaman's fund, and the enVelop
! reached the purser without the latte
knowing whence it had come The chea
| himself told the story when he re
| formed, quit gambling, and started II
to rehabilitate himself a couple of year
| Iater.-Philadelphi Ledger
Style.