Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1913-02-05

I(LA)N n ference.
v Not 90 long ago. however the cry OF the
roulette man and the click of the ball could
be heard In the Hobbies OF many Of the
principal hotels This was particularly true Y
OF FL Paso, Cripple Greek. Leadyille Gold
neld, Butte, the Occur d'Alene. and many
other sections. The practice prevailed to a /
greater or less extent in the larger towns.
4 Everybody has money In the early days OF nv
mining camp.
1t was an era Of speculation. The coun- ~
I try had not "been proven" and hence q a "
"dnd" in new section resulted in q great IT
rush to that locality. Property changed
hands at fabulous prices overnight The
5Sragged prospector Of today might be roll
Ing In wealth tomorrow. It has happened
1 10 many times. M
When there ID money to throw at the
I BIRDS the gamblers. like so many vultures
assemble at the point to which 1t is being cast
by the thoughtless and improvident possessors.
Games were played where the stakes ran into
the millions. A man wealthy in the morning
sometimes had to borrow money to avoid going
to bed hungry at night
= stockman in Colorado "sat into "a poker
game in Denver and by midnight had not only
lost all the cash he had with him. but had ex-
hausted large bank balance. Sf
81 He owned. on the range in Colorado, the neu.
trail strip mo Mans Land" now extreme west
+ ern Oklahoma), and in Texas ten thousand head
Of CATTLE worth twenty dollars q head or total
4 OF 5000. 600. "a
s He possessed land in three states and a hand
some residence In Denver. He made bet OF
q thousand steers-worth twenty thousand dollars
and lost. He continued this until the herd Of
ten thousand head Of stock belonged to another
man. Day dawned and he was still playing.
Breakfast was sent in from restaurant main
tanned 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
kooy, fhopn will MIA vOYI NV
u He lost that. Then followed the Colorado
ranch. finally the residence in Denver together
4 with the furniture his horses. his watch and
chain. At eight o'clock at Neutrality-suspicious.
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 dollars IN /
4 twenty-four hours II # 4-.55
s5s win you obge me by taking on your shoes 2"
asked load agent politely, while he held re-
volver menacingly in the face Of a passenger
4 who stood up In 4 line With others.
The hold.up man hadSstopped the stage going
Into Leadville to collect toll" He had just pur
chased the road he said, and needed the money
4zs He passed down the line and. by means OF
pa1g.ger whom he forced into service gathered
i upA 4 the money and jewelry. until he came to
8 the last man in the line. Then he asked the man
20 take on his shoes. He found four thousand
dollars under the inner soles!
Several nights later the man who had been out
4Mitted by the ilold.up was sitting in the
dealers chair Of faro game in the CLOUD City"
g LeadviNe il called Before him sat man
who lost money steadily. The gambler "raked
i'm, the money 4carelessly and with the utmost
concern The player lost something like Ave
thousand dollars and then pushed back his chair
g "Ali in ?. asked the gambler. archins his
brows az p
"Yep-you've cleaned me out" SsS E 81
Then we are even for that little incident the
4 other night when you collected your road tax
from me- an Y
St" sft 3ss -,t
Eyes, you!" 45
Y The hod-up man knocked down half dozen
loiterers in his rush to reach the door and escape
A wellknown mining man. who was noted for
his Judgment in knowing hole In the ground
when he looked into it. had just made purchase
in Cripple Creek. He had money, and he was will
4 ing to spend it for anything that looked good.
After having tramped over the hills all of, one
day he "sat into" a poker game in the lobby
OF the principal hotel that night, and engaged in
friendly game with a number Of acquaintance.
They were playing for twenty-five cents cor
nerE While the game was In progress ragged
prospector appeared and attempted to inject him
self into the company The mining man explain
ed that 1t was simply private game between
friends-outsiders, and particularly strangers.
were not wanted.
II have money that has never been spent
1--WE don't know you = IA ~
"Oh, that's It! Then let me introduce my
self"
There was no way to get rid Of him appar
emily Then like an inspiration, and in an an
noyed manner the operator said:
How much money have you?"
Eight hundred dollars"
"sit down, and II show you how to play
poker" z s5
In less than fifteen minutes the prospector
withdrew. @Sss ~
Shortly after he returned with thousand dol
lars more This was interesting. He lost it.
Il Then he lost a diamond pin, following it with
watch and his "cayuse." II
When he pushed back his chair the operator
asked:
Are you broke now Z"
S"I have claim over on the HILL .3 8
What do you value 1t att"
81 "One hundred thousand dollars" 3& n
This staggered the mining man for moment