Omaha daily bee., 1912-07-21
STATESMAN FROM TON0pAH
Nevada's Picturesque Contribution
to the United States Senate.
CAREER OF wINsFIELD
Lean of Cowboy Gambler from GAM
ing Table to Council Of State
The Carnegie of
Nevada.

The CarncgAe VI
Nevada.
That very dignified, somewhat sleepy
and altogether respectable body, the sen
ate of the United States, has new menl-
ber who will add much to it's picturesque
ness. He is George Wingfield, gambler
and gun man." who has been appointed
senator from Nevada by Governor oddie
To I'll out the unexpired term Of the late
Senator Nixon. The other senator from
Nevada is F. @, Newlands OF Reno VINO
Is a graduate Of Yale,
Wingfield is the leading gambler OF
the west He is the owner OF the Tono-
pah club where the biggest OF all the
Nevada tigers has its lair. The "hger
attains its largest growth in Nevada just
at present Wingfield is the pale, IRON
nerved type of man that once used TO
be common on the Mississippi river
steamboats, and in the dealers chair OF
western faro banks. but which now Is
fast disappearing. Though his reputation
as .'gun man" extends to the futhest
frontiers, he is said never to seek quar-
rel. When one Is thrust upon him, how
ever, none ever has been quicker on the
trigger than he. With the iethal
weapons used In the games or hlsn
finance he Is reputed to be equally SWIFT
and sure He Is Sc years old and his Tor =
tune is estimated at all the way from
s12, COO, 900 to three times that amount.
It is no especial wonder that Wingfte!d
was appointed to succeed Nixon. He ana
Nixon were partners for years in various
enterprises, and each amassed much
wealth. Together they practically con-
trolled the politics of Nevada. Up to not
long ago gambling was recognized ami
perfectly legal business or industry IN
Nevada. It was protected by law. 1t
no longer is legalized but 1t goes on Just
as of old Out in Nevada it is not con-
sidered anything against a man TO gam
bic or even to own a gambling house or
to conduct one.
size of His Pile.
Senator Wingfield is interested In min
J ing also and in a number of other things
that bring him in considerable wealth
The Tonopan club is said to yield him
an annual income Of some S2000Oo. How
much he derives from his other enter
prises Is not known. No one even haz
ards a guess at the amount, and wing
field. one of the most secretlve of men
never has given q hint
The rise of George Wingfield from al
impecunous cowboy gambler to the sen
ate of the United States Is remarkable Il
D its swiftness. There are various yer
sions as to how he got his start Th'
most widely accepted story and the on
, which Wingfield has never denied Is tina
he blew into Tonapah in 1901 with $lao
which he had borrowed from Nixon, tn
man he succeeds in the senate. In fact
! from that day until the time OF Nixon
death, recently. the careers OF the tw'
men ran along the same channel. Wing
field was born. some say, in Arkansas
others Oregon, and still others New Mex
leo. Until Senator wingfield's officia
biography Is printed in the Blue Book o
congress no one will be able to say wha
n state is entitled to the honor. AS
. youngster he became cowpuncher an
n later landed at Golconda, a mining cam
n near Winnemucca, New There he becam
: acquainted with Nixon. who, until hi
a election as senator In 1904, was presiden
= = Of a bank at Winnemucca. way static
u on the Southern Pacific. Nixon was ais
the state agent for that railway. A
:, Golconda and at Winnemucca Wingficl
u bet on the cards in the faro banks cor
= y sistently and carefully but with varyin
u fortunes, for then, as now and as Away
y a square game in merely a tradition
n He did a little cowpunching and littl
= = mining, but mostly he was a gamblin
N house hanger-on. Poker, faro and ken
had equal charms for Wingfield. FINAL
m m he went flat broke and got the histor
$3.50 stake from Nixon. Wingfield ha
. heard that the game at Tonopah we
u easy and decided to 60 thither ar
test It.
m Great Run of Luck.
m wingfield found Tonapah 'easier" tina
IN ne GXpeCI6u. he Hdu q SiC1t iuh va iSN
IN and pyramided and parlayed his winnint
until they reached several thousands
:. dollars Then, after he had repaid
= = $50 Nixon loan, he determined to gu
m bucking faro from the players side
n ~ the table, so he started the Tonapah ciu
N He had partner in this but 1t was n
- lcng until wingfields share as princip
:. owner in the enterprise was valued
ma m more than s1.oOc,00o.
m Up to 1905 Wingfield was not regard
's @ as being anything more than q "bos
.m gambler He attended strictly to b
~ ~ business at the Tonapah club and ma
money hand over fist. There was pien
~ Of money In circulation. The mines
that now famous district were yieldil
IN up their treasures at the rate Of mo
,m than s1,0oo,Oo0 a month, Goldfield had
% population of 1900 The towns bank
~ posits totaled s1500o,0O0 Real estate
'~ the main street was held at a,oOo fro
foot. Everyone had money. There we
,m plenty of saloons aud gambling hous'
~ Not many years before men had died
am thirst in the desert which was the
nm | xxr,.-.e,o, la xuas ms ktno hia n0ney