The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-02-01

EOATES4tH the few portions where II is
k8SKZH&2M still followed it is carried
(Z/lEN~ on under cover and in
SII(N\S slant dread of police inter
FGO ference.
Not so 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
OF Ell Paso, Cripple Creek, Leadville. Gold
field, Butte, the Occur d'Alene and many
other sections The practice prevailed to
greater or less extent in the larger towns
Everybody has money in the early days of An
q mining camp. "
1t was of speculation The coun- ~
try had not been proven" and hence
find" in a section resulted in great
rush to that locality. Property changed
hands at fabulous prices overnight The
ragged prospector of today might be roll
ing in wealth tomorrow. 1t has happened
20 many times
When there is money to throw at the
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. wealthy in the morning
sometimes had to borrow money to avoid going
to bed hungry at night
A 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 a large bank balance
He owned, on the range in Colorado the neu-
tral strip Ono Mans Land" now extreme west.
srn Oklahoma and in Texas ten thousand head
of cattle, worth twenty dollars head, or total
Of 100000
He possessed land in three states and hand.
some residence in Denver He made a bet OF
Q thousand steers-worth twenty thousand dollars
and lost. He continued this until the herd of
d.. h4o
man. Day dawned, and/ he still playing.
Breakfast sent In from a 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
keep them. I will play you my Texas ranch"
He lost that. Then followed the Colorado
ranch. finally the residence in Denver together
with the furniture. his horses, his watch and
chain. At eight o'clock at night-twenty-four
hours later-he was pennless, and started for
the Rio Grande country Of Texas where he found
employment hauling logs to a sawmill He had
lost more than quarter of a million dollars in
twenty-four hours!
~Will you oblige me by taking off your shoes?"
asked road agent politely. while he held a re-
volver menacingly in the face of a passenger
who stood up In line with others
The hold-up man had stopped the stage going
into Leadville to collect toll" He had Just pdr
chased the road he said and needed the money
He passed down the line and, by means of
passenger whom he forced into service, gathered
up all the money and jewelry, until he came to
the last man In the line. Then he asked the man
70 take OF his shoes. He found four thousand
dollars under the inner soles!
Several nights later the man who had been out
witted by the hold-up man was sitting in the
dealers chair Of faro game In the CLOUD CITY,"
as Leadville IL called. Before him sat a man
IN 1oat
IN" the money carelessly and with the utmost un-
concern. The player lost something like five
thousand dollars and then pushed back his chair
All in?" asked the gambler arching his
brows.
'Yep-you've cleaned me out"
Then we are even for that little incident the
other night. when you collected your road tax
from me-"
Z"
Yes, you!"
\ The holdup man knocked down half a dozen
ioiterers In his rush to reach the door and escape
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
Ing to spend 1t 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 number of acouaintances
They were playing for twenty-five cents a cor.
ner. While the game was in progress a ragged
prospector appeared and attempted to inject him.
self Into the company. The mining man explain.
ca that 1t was simply a private game between
n1ends-outsiders. and particularly strangers.
were not wanted.
have money that has never been spent"
We don't know you"
oh, that's It! Then let me Introduce NV
self" my
There was no way to get rid OF him annar
entiy Then like an inspiration and in an an.
noyed manner the operator said:
How much money have your"
Eight hundred dollars"
Sit down, and II show you how IN n,av
poker" p'''
In less than fifteen minutes the nrosnoc,or
withdrew. p''i
Shortly after he returned with thousand dol.
lars more. This was interesting. He lost =,
Then he lost diamond PIN following II with .
watch and his "cayuse"
When he pushed back his chair the generator
asked:
Are you broke now?"
I have claim over on the hill"
What do you value II att"
"One hundred thousand dollars"
This staggered the mining man for 4 moment
ANCJENT AMI nanDI