The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-04-16
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went out there to selI goods when
was . very young man. being aboul
tne FIRST salesman to visit the region
~ course | travelled armed and kept
my money In money belt strapped
around my waist. was rather live.
y boy and not ayerse at times to q
small game while travelling. Indeed
carried pick Of cards and dice.
One evening was on stagecoach
that pulled up at tavern In small
town IN Kentucky on the Ohio river
had gone there to take the first
steamboat that would pass up to Gin
cinnati, where / could take a railroad
train for the east No one could ten
Just when boat would stop there. and
had the prospect of dreary time
snead Of me. In those days ia that re-
gion gambling was open on the boats
and In the taverns. During the even
Ing Of my arrival watched party OF
men shaking dice In the bar, which
was In the same room with the office.
The next day | spent my time watch
ing for steamboat A number OF
boats passed. but none OF them had
freight or passengers for that landing.
for they did not stop. In the evening
4 went In and watched the dice throw
ers.
Now, defy any young man OF or
binary spirit spending his time in such
q place watching game without long
ing to be In 1t. | resisted for some
time, for the men were a bad looking
lot, then pulled out some coins and call
ed for the dice box In my turn. L
played far into the night and when |
got up from the table had parted with
every cent OF money | had for my ex-
penses, some $780, / was not quite so
much OF a fool as this confession indl-
Gates, for / had noticed that my OPP
r3nents knew exactly how to roll the
dice so that the figures they wished.
should come up. Besides. | was not
especially timid When cleaned out
reached for the dice and put them in
my pocket. The men who had won
my money looked threatening. but
sale nothing To object would have
been to confess that they were load
ed | had no idea of recovering my
money by an exposure. / wished to
satisfy myself as to whether / had
been swindled.
Taking my candle. went upstairs
and to bed. Undressing, threw my
trousers on the back OF chair, not
thinking, since had lost all my mon
ey. to take any precautions for their
safety, but didn't care to lose the dice
fill after had chance to break them,
80 / took them from the pocket and re-
placed them with my own set: then
went TO bed and to sleep.
I was awakened during the night BY
some one tamperlng with my door
lay stili and presently heard the door
/ open ana d st9althy step In my room.
II A figure passed the window, and !
could hear 1t searching among my
clothes; then 1t went out got up,
felt In my trousers pocket for my dice,
and they were gone.
The next morning was not especial
II surprised to see some Of the men
who had my money still about the
place. Had they not. as they supposed,
secured the dice they would have got
out Of the way. After breakfast told
the landlord that suspected that !
had been swindIed with loaded dice.
ne professed to be very indignant and
gwore that If such were the case be
would make the men who had won MY
money disgorge. told him to call
them "a and would prove my charge
Thev came. and could see by their
assumed indignation that they were
confident that they bad their dice ana
/ could prove nothing
After they had expended sufficient /
verbal ammunition they called upon |
me ID give d reason for assuming that /
the dice they had played with were
loaded. asked fhe landlord for |
hammer. ana when he had produced It |
i nut my hand ID my pocket and pulled |
out the dice had kept under my pill
low.
Hold on said one Of them. Those
are not the dice.
why SOP asked
ssReeauxe''-- TIC stopped short He
couldn't own that / had been robbed
Or q set Of dice.
crark tenn, | said 70 the landlord
Reluctantly tie put one of them down
81 tile hearthstone and cracked u,
There was the lend plain enough.
The men and The landlord stared at
ora another, surprised. Meanwhile
bad backed to d safe position and had
4ny hand On nss pistol Hearing the
stroke Of steamboat BELLA signal TO
2sank fires--I knew that boat was
bout to land
aYou men produce my money
Id. aor III sec whit | can do when
at boat Iands.
The landlord was IN no meod for Inc
satatlon such charge would give
SIS Mace. and after a few words with
IS others he returned me my losings,
don't think | should have had the
snrage to demand my money had
81 heard that stroke Of steamboat
li It came In the nick Of time.
uffei the fusds into my pocket. ran
bstairs for my belongings and down
zeain. keeping sharp lookout and my
Nand on nv pistol. Then before going
s. the landing said: you've done
the right thing. Never fear that III
peach on YOU The men who had
disworeed looked very ugly, but as
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