Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-10-22

been suppressed by law. In the lie"
portions where it is still followed 1t 1:
carried on under cover and in con.
slant dread of police interference.
Not so long ago, however, the or!
of the roulette man and the click Of
the ball could be heard in the lobbies
Of many of the principal hotels. This
was particularly true Of Ell Paso, Grip
pie Creek, Leadville. Goldfield, Butte
the Occur d'Alene and many other
sections. The practice prevailed to
greater or less extent in the larger
towns. Everybody had money In the
early days Of mining camp.
1t was an era Of speculation. The
country had not been proven" and
hence q find" in a new section re-
suited in a great rush to that locality
Property changed hands at fabulous
prices overnight. The ragged pros
pector Of today might be rolling In
wealth tomorrow. 1t has happened Sc
many times.
When there is money to throw al
the birds, the gamblers. like so many
yultures, assemble at the point to
which 1t is being cast by the thought
less and improvident possessors.
Games were played where the stakes
ran into the millions. A man wealthy
In the morning sometimes had to bor-
row money to avoid going to bed hun
cry at night.
A stockman in Colorado 'sat into
poker game in Denver, and by mid
night had not only lost all the cash
he had with him, but had exhausted
a large bank balance.
He owned on the range in Colorado
the neutral strip Ono Mans Land
now extreme western Oklahoma). and
in Texas 10000 head Of cattle, worth
$50 a head, or a total Of 100000.
He possessed land in three states
and a handsome residence in Denver.
He made a bet Of 1000 steers-worth
$20,OOO-and lost. He continued this
until his herd Of 10000 head Of stock
belonged to another man. Day dawn
ed and he was still playing. Break
fast was sent in from restaurant
maintained at the end Of the gambling
hall for just such people.
Now" he said to the men who had
won his cattle, you have the critters
but no place to keep them. l Will play
YOU for my Texas ranch"
He lost that. Then followed the
Colorado ranch, finally the residence
in Denver, together with the furni-
ture, his horses, his watch and chain
At s o'clock at night-twenty-four
hours later-he was penniless, and
started for the Rio Grande country
of Texas, where he found employment
hauling logs to a sawmill. He had lost
more than a quarter Of million dol
lars in twenty-four hours!
"Will you oblige me by taking OF
your shoes?" asked a road agent po-
litely, while he held a revolver men
acingly in the face Of a passenger, VINO
stood up in a line Of others.
The hold-up man had stopped the
stage going into Leadville to collect
toll" He had just purchased the road,
he said, and needed the money.
He passed down the line and, by
means Of a passenger whom he forced
into service, gathered up all the mon
ey and jewelry, until he came to the
last man in the line. Then he asked
the man to take off his shoes. He
found $4,000 under the inner soles!
Several nights later the man who
had been outwitted by the hold-up
man was sitting in the dealers chair
Of a faro game in the CLOUD CITY, as
Leadville is called. Before him sat
man who lost money steadily. The
gambler "raked in" the money care
lessly and with the utmost unconcern
The player lost something like $4,000
and then pushed back his chair.
"All in?" asked the gambler. arch
ing his brows.
"Yep-you've cleaned me out"
Then we are even for that little in
cident the other night, when you col
lected your road tax from me-
"I?-"
"Yes, you!'
The hold-up man knocked dowr
half a dozen loiterers in his rush tc
reach the door and escape.
A well-known mining man, who was
noted for his judgment in KNOWING
a hole in the ground" when he look
ed into it, had just made a purchase
in Cripple Creek. He had money anc
he was willing to spend it for anything
that looked good. After having tramp
ed over the hills all Of one day he "sa'
into" a. poker game in the lobby Of the
principal hotel that night, and engag'
ed in a friendly game with number
of acquaintances.
They were playing for rs cents
corner. While the game was In pro
gress a ragged prospector appeared
and attempted to inject himself into
the company. The mining man ex'
planned that it was simply a private
game between friends-outsiders, ant
particularly strangers, were not want
ed.
'I have money that has never beer
spent"
I'VE don't know you"
"Oh, that's it! Then let me intro
duce myself"
There was no way to get rid OF hin
apparently. Then, like an inspiration
and in an annoyed manner, the opera
tor said:
How much money have you?"
Eight hundred dollars"
"Sit down and I'll show you how t
play poker"
In less than fifteen minutes tn
prospector withdrew.
Shortly after, he returned. will
$1,000 more. This was interesting
He lost 1t. Then he lost a diamond
pin, followed it with a watch ant
his "cayuse"
When he pushed back his chair tn
operator asked:
Are you broke now?"
"I have a claim over on the hill"
What do you value it at?"