Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-11-01
HIGH RoLLERs DOWNFALL.
Fact That Hs Caused No Stir erok,
HE Heart.

| Fact That No Caused No Stir Broke
| His Heart.
or all the gay sports that made
| gambling joyous profession in thu
salad days of Cripple Creek there was
none SO Dlithe as Johnnie OBrien.
His cravats We're the loudest that
screamed, his diamonds the largest
| that dashed, and his laugh the hearth
est that echoed through the canyon
of the stream that gave its name to
the booming mining camp. His gamb-
ling place was the pride of the camp
as well as of johnnie himself; so
courteous and affahle was the dapper
little Irishman that many man was
wont to remark that he had rather
lose against Johnnie's game than win
frfrofn another. tf r., RS @'e ;
Many years III following boom
camps with his faro game had vested
Johnnie with much riches and he new
er failed to announce, no matter what
occasion for a bet might arise. that
he played no limit. No matter how
big a roll the other fellow flashed"
he was always ready to cover it.
f But much prosperity begetteth pride
and Johnnie waXed proud. His fame
as the biggest "high-roller" between
The River-all Westerners meaning
thereby tile Mississippi-a the Pa
cifc coast was wen established; but
even this honor began to pail upon the
king of mining camp sports. He long
ed to carry his name East, like Alex
ander of old. and. like this same Alex
ander, show the degenerate dwelitrs
there that they were not deuce high
when they stacked up alongside. john
ME O'Brien.
After much thought his plan OF
campaign was determined, and all the
house had many a farewell bottle on
him that night when he; took the east
bound Overland In search of new
worlds to conquer. 1t was not money
that Johnnie sought, bear in mind. It
was glory and fame AS the king OF
sports from coast to coast.
1t was a waste Of time fooling with
four-flush towns like Omaha and Den
yer, Johnnie had told his friends, 50
he struck straight for that home of big
things where, SO ran the legend, white
chips retailed at $40 apiece. For a week
his confident Cripple Creek friends
eagerly searched the daily papers for
two-column head stories Of some great
killing that Johnnie had made in
the city on the lake, but the wires
were silent. ".Johnnie's" work is
quiet. boys said the Cripple Creek
friends. Just wait while and you'll
hear"
One morning Johnnie got off the
train at Cripple Creek, went quietly
to q modest restaurant he had never
stopped to patronize before, and after
a mild meal that a fortnight ago he
would have sneered at for infants
food, betook himself to his palace of
chance. Unlike his usual breezy en-
try, he slid quietly through the door
and was in the middle of a circle of
astonshed friends almost before they
recognized him. And it was indeed
hard to recognize in the subdued little
man the clustering sport that had so
lately departed bent on conquest and
glory.
He was not changed-and yet he
was. There was the same noisy era
vet, but it made sound now like a
piano with the dumb pedal on. There
were the same diamonds. but instead
of their dazzling flash they emitted
there was the same voice, but all the
trombone had dropped out Of it. He
meekly shook hands all around With
out word. His friends. dumb with
astonishment .gazed on him aghast.
What had Chicago done to the pride
If tie Rockies? They did not have
long to wait ~ .-
Boys" said Johnnie. after slipping
,:rrt,t -
we'll Tess up. I thought I was some
big wien l sailed away the other
night. hut I've found out different
now I'm a four-fiusher. d piker. a
seven-sptt., neither high nor low.
picked oht Chicago. you know, to show
those pig-stickers a touch of high life.
ara the day ! got there l went to the
bank to get some drafts cashed into
FIVE $4,000 bills. #.
''This'n wake 'em up. I thought.
Then I inquired for the biggest fasp
game in the city, and after dinner l
blew IN there With my little bunch of
bills sticking carelcssly in my vest
.pt,cket. e-
..There were two or three tables rum
Ming, fairly. we'll filled up with players,
but off in one corner was a table with
nobody doing business. ) The dealer
was sitting there, siouched down in
his chair with his hat pulled over his
eyes, talking to the. lookout.
III make that mutt sit up and
take notice. thinks to myself. When
I get through with him he'll count
things from tonight like the folks
down South count from 'befo' dc wah.'
So l saunters mp. peels off a $4,000
bill and carelessiy filings it over on
the high card 80.
Chips says the dealer, reaching
for it, without looking up.
no l snaps, let her go as she
lays for just one bet on the high card
Do you think I'm = little High school
cadet playing -wfnks?'
THE dealer doesn't say a word. but
just turns the cards. They come
queen-si which sends that bill into
the dealers till. In a second ] sets
another of the bills over on the high
Garland it don't have time t. settle
down before that dealer turns me out
OF 1t.
"Then slaps down another right