The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-21
KING PATTEN
HATES GAMBLING
Man Who Made Fortune Specu-
lating in Wheat Turns
Preacher.
WARNS AMERICAN YOUTH
NOT TO PLAY CARDS
Yet Believes 1t Perfectly Proper
to Take Chances on Prices of
Stable Commodities.
By Leased Wire to The Tribune.

BY Leased Wire to The Tribune.
NEW YORK, Aug. 20.--Jamcs A.
Patten, the Chicago wheat king, who
arrived hero from Europe with
mighty crouch, after three card sharps
had tried nearly all the way across the
Atlantic ocean to engage him in game
of freeze-out poker, recovered from his
peeve sufficiently after landing to is
sue warning TO the American youths
against the seductive evils of poker
and sundry games Of chance with cards.
Mr., Patten is q deacon in his church,
O supporter of the Evanston, ILL.,, Y. M.
G. A. and a financial supporter of sew
eral charitable institutions in his home
town. He admits he speculated, but
as for gambling on the high seas
"Never play cards. said Mr.. Patten.
''That is, don t play cards for
money. 1t is an evil pastime and one
Men have had their fortunes swept
away and have died in disgrace through
the fascination of playing cards. 1t
seems to me that insufficient warning
is given to the youths Of tho land
against the seductive charms Of gam
bling.
Defends Speculation.
"Let boy win and the fever is up"
on him. a man may safely speculate
in substantial commodities and win
without harm, Stable business men
make fortunes in that way. A man
must give something in return for the
must give much thought to broad and
underlying conditions, which cause
prices to go up and down. He must
read and travel and learn the condi
tons that make the laws of supply and
demand.
"With card playing it is different
The boy or the man who plays cards
to win is attempting to get something.
for nothing. He is not working for
return he hopes to get,'
The three card sharps who tried to
inveigle Mr., Patten into a game OF
cards disappeared as soon as the ship
touched the docks. One of them was
identified as card sharp of inJerna-
tional renown, known as "Ace-in-t the
Hole" Harry, This man is a crook of
deceptive appearance and has long
been under surveillance by the secret
service bureau. In appearance he is
well groomed, with iron gray hair and
the height of fashion and is well known
at Monte Carlo and In certain sections
of Paris, London and Vienna.
Prince Among Sharpers.
In New York "Ace in the Hole 4"
Harry could easily be mistaken at the
Plaza or the Waldorf Astoria as a rich
broker or a retired business man. I'M
maculately attired, speaking English
and French faultlessly and distin-
guished in bearing, he finds it COM
paratively easy to mislead chance ac-
qualntances.
Whether "Ace-in.the. .Hole' Harry
and his pals were scared off by the
knowledge that Mr.. Patten was a dea-
con in the church or whether they were
suddenly appalled, when they learned
the identity of the man they Were try
ing to dupe, is not known. Sufficient
is it to say Mr.. Patten has recovered
from his crouch, which he brought in
duty free, and he is ready to 90 back
to Evanston and preach to the Illinois
youths against the evils of gambling,
for he has plenty of time, having given
up the wheat pit and the cotton game.