Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-07-16

The result of the previous season must
have been far from satisfying. for when
1910 came around he announced that the
experiment OF running a restaurant with
out the gaming accompaniment was not
a success. The place was for sale, said
the master gambler, and with It all that
had for so many years charmed visitors
from all parts OF the country.
Cathollcity Of taste had been displayed
in the furnishing OF the place and it was
supposed that there would be eager COM
petition for the many beautiful things
that were housed within the big square
building. which resembled museum
more than anything else. Naturally there
was surprise expressed when It became
known last week that the purchase price
OF $4,000 given by the village OF Sara
toga for the property included the furni-
ture and fittings OF the place.
Tools of the Trade.
OF course the tools Of the trade pursued
by Garfield and his kind had been re-
moved quietly long before and mayhap
the self-same roulette wheels are purring
lnsidiously, seductvely. somewhere else
in response to the craving for action on
the part of those who must take joust
at fortune ever so often in the course of
twelve-month. The white faced. deft
fingered dealers at the faro tables are
scattered-so in Havana, some in
Mexico. and perhaps some not so far
away as either city-and the fact that
they leave home in the evening and re-
urn in the early morning would indicate
hat they are not members Of the stock
exchange.
There has been some high play in that
big square room, which will perhaps
house a convention OF the religiously
inclined under the new conditions. Sew
eral men have won and lost upward OF
500 900 there at one sitting and exciting
scenes have been enacted there
For instance there was the warm night
in August in the early sos when Prince
Won Hatfield lost 5000 and asked for an
additional amount of credit which was
granted. when that had been expended he
wanted more and upon being told that 1t
would not be forthcoming he upset the
table and scattered the cards, checks and
currency over the polished floor.
There was the southern racing man with
big stable OF thoroughbreds and a big
manufacturing business to help pay The
feed bill when the horses ran too slowly
to annex any Of the big stakes and purses.
He wandered into Canfield's one evening
and started to play.
Ordinarily this man would not have bet
1000 on anything beyond a matter OF the
speed OF a horse, but before he had fin
ished with Garfield, he had parted with
all the cash he had and had given a check
much in excess Of $4,000
Then there was the shrewd, hard-headed
New Yorker, who wouldn't bet more than
$500 that the sun would come up on the
morrow who got inoculated with the virus
OF play one night and never halted until
he owed more than $4,000. He sat down
with O steady hand and drew a check for
the amount, registering at the same time
an oath that he was through for good.
And he kept II.
Dropping of Mig Roll.
Everybody who was at Saratoga the year
the big, handsome politician lost $4,000 at
a single sitting will recall the incidents
leading up to and succeeding that event
There were dozens of other circumstances
equally as interesting from a psychological
point of view.
There were Instances OF men playing
all night, all the next day and the following
night, placing bets with one hand while
they nibbled sandwich out OF the other
There were instances OF men being $1,000
OF more ahead and continuing blindy in
the hope that they could exhaust the bank,
only to lose their winnings and not infre-
quently large sum In addition as well
1t was remarkable how often the man
who had struck losing streak wanted the
limit taken off. the most welcome request
a player could voice, for when luck turns
the logical thing TO do is to curtail opera
lions, and II fortune eludes persistently, the A.,
only way to escape bankruptcy is to dis
continue operations entirely is what the
expert says Those who have made a
study of such matters aver, however that
In a majority OF instances players persist
in bucking hard luck instead OF withdraw
ing until the goddess OF chance Is In a
more amiable mood That Is where the
gambler has an additional shade besides
that contributed by the percentage which |
the game affords naturally
There were thousands OF men who PLAYED
at Canfield's during the twenty years he
was master there, and tall tales we're told
Of the amount Of his winnings during
the period he controlled the big game In
the red brick casino. There were other
games in town conducted by other men
who claimed New York as their home, and |
there was Chicago syndicate headed by |
men who had the reputation OF dealing a !
limit las high as the blue sky" as one
nervous looking. chalky faced player put /
II one evening when discussing Cy Jaynes |
Curt Gum and the other individuals who |
came out Of the breezy west TO dispute |
with the king OF gamblers from Little |
Rhody.
1t was Garfield, however, who got the |
bulk OF the play. He knew how to appeal /
TO the senses and the man who came TO
dine remained 10 play. Any evening dur
ing August there could be seen the biggest /
men in America walking about, hszarding |