Omaha daily bee., 1912-07-21
Goldfieid consolidated, which was their
corporate creation.

Gotd1leld consouQ6teu, WiiSh was NA
corporate creation.
working the Easy Marks.
After that Wingfield's connection with
the Tonopah club did not take much or
his time. He was in the thick OF Things
at Goldfield, and was reputed to be the
power behind the market in mining
stocks. Once Nixon had been the digger
man; now wingfield was regarded as the
chief. and Nixon only a circumstance IN
the partnership, Wingfield belonged 10
the Goldfield Stock exchange and was
an active and conspicuous MEMBER
Even out on the curb. where there was
buying and selling far into the night, ne
always was in the thick OF the tray.
What he said-and he said httie-"as
telegraphed to the mining stock markets
Of the east as authoritative opinion. The
leading citizens Of the place used to con-
gregate at the Montezuma club. ana
there wingfield would remark cautiously
that such and such a stock would sell
at $40 before it would sell at $40. The
New York curb market would have the
news by the time it opened, ana the
Godfield Stock exchange would have a
lot Of fresh buying orders from the pub
lie by the time it began business next
morning, always at higher prices. Those
were golden days.
Wingfield just had turned his THIRTEEN
year then. He is described by one VINO
knew him we'll as being of meager frame.
His face showed an extreme pailor' that
might have come from i'll health, years
Of hardship or careless habits. This was
all the more striking because nearly
| everyone in ~Goldfield or Reno OF
Tonopah or anywhere else in Nevada Is
deeply sunburned. Only the dealers and
lookouts in the gambling houses are un-
tanned, even by the suns OF other years.
Wingfield's gaze never was steady.
continually shifted to and fro. perhaps
| matter of habit. A man who deals or
works as lookout In gambling mouse
has to keep a swiftly shifting eye on
every part of the board. Wingfield was
cold in manner and taciturn OF DISPOSE
ton He was noted for his secreuveness.
He was rated as cool, calculating. sell
fish. sure-thing mana gambler who had
turned man of affairs. He was infinitely
patient in waiting for things to come
his way, at the same time acceleratins
them as quietly and safely as he could.
But master of the mining stock market
and boss gambler that he was. he found
, his sole relaxation at playing stud poker
In this, the stiffest of all games to
ulay. he was a consistent winner. He was
famed all over Nevada for the half
cunning expression he was wont to as
suri,e, which deceived his opponents into
believing he was bluffing when he
wasn't. Many tried to initiate him In
this respect, but failed. There was only
one Wingfield. Like Napoleon. he was
unique.
| Handy with a Gun.
Wingfield's reputation as a gun man
seems to have been well deserved. 1t Is
reported that he went bad when ne
was Is. Whether the tales about his per-
sonal encounters and the many notches
on his gun are true or not, two Things
, are indisputable One is that In every
gambling house he ever has had anything
! to do with the most perfect order has
been maintained. They have been mucn
! less noisy than the United States senate.
, The other is the contemptuous courage
, that he showed at Goldfield in those
days Of the labor war.
The Tonopah club is a rather hand
: soma and imposing gambling house even
: for the far west where such things
] flourish. In elegance, Of course 1t could
I not be compared to Canfield's or some Of
I the other noted places that New YORK.
! has known but in size and quality
i OF its play even New York has nothing
, on 1t. The usual Nevada gambling house
Q Is q very business-like place. In kene
the principal games are on the stree
I along which the railroad track runs
2 They are on the ground floor. The reom'
. are about twenty feet wide and perhaps
: loo feet deep. The floor Is bare ant
covered with dust. The places run nigh
and day, and the men employed tner'
: work in three shifts Of eight hours each
y Every house has an automatic piano, ant
= one place has a set Of painted studies II
the nude. which local legends say cos
= $50 900. Those are the only aesthetic ap
;, peals in any of the gambling houses
: There are no chairs except for the far
! and stud poker players. One house ma
: a racing board and another keno game
: Crap and twenty-one also are played
Everything is as quiet as grocery stor
Ion a Saturday night. and much busier.-