The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-12-23

Not many OF the old.t1me gamblers
Of Montana who flourished in those
times when gambling was licensed
business and ran wide open, settled
down to be farmers. Missoula has .
resident who did this, however, and
after years Of the come-easy, go-easy
life Of the green table, the faro lay
out and the clicking roulette wheel,
where fortune smiled and frowned ON
the devotees Of the palaces Of chance,
he spent thirty years tilling the soil.
Now he has retired with . comfort
able fortune, won from the fertile
coil Of the Bitter Root valley, and
with his wife, whom he says has been
Z mighty good partner" expects to
spend the evening Of life In ease and
comfort.
L. Young u the name Of this old
timer. who in the long ago was one
Of the best known faro dealers OF
western Montana and who then BE-
came one Of the states successful
farmers. Last week he paid . visit
to Anaconda, which he knew - Z
frontier town 3S years ago and had
not seen for that many years.
Dealt Zig Games
II have dealt some OF the biggest
poker and faro games that were evel
played In Montana" Young asserted
when asked about the early day in.
door sport. Gambling was - com.
mon In those days with the mining
and smelter pioneers - the very ali
they breathed. Nobody stopped L
discuss It. They Just gambled, thu
~nn~ n~ <h~ n,st~SAn hAnaw.A <ho1
loved It, the men on the inside be
cause they had the surest money
making proposition that has evel
been attempted"
Standing out in his memory o
those arduous days are names o
many of the men who were especial.
proficient at the green table. Frencl
Levy Of Butte, man named Grandi
Of Deer Lodge, are two of those will
whom he has held encounters witt
the cards for long hours. JOHNNIE
Crockett, who ran the first drug stor
in Anaconda, was another Of the IA
nous plungers Of his day.
Three times in brief space o
years Crockett was $1,000 ahead Q
the game, but each time he continues
to play to his ruin. 1t was the limi
Of his luck. He not only lost hi
winnings, but the wealth which rep
resented his business. Finally h
became q county charge and to tn
almshouse one day came the new
that he had inherited a good, roun
sum Of money. This time he did nc
return to the gambling table but use
his substance to take him to his oil
home and friends in the east, wher
he spent his declining years.
In Days Saloon
It was in 1883 that Young bega
dealing faro and poker in Tom Daily
saloon third door from the depo
west side of Main street. There
NO use to look for the saloon by thes
directions now. The saloon We
housed in a low frame structure. on
Of row that lined Main street l
1888. These have long since bee
replaced with substantial brick stru'
lures and the block has changed frol
one typically western to that of tt
common American business stree
The old wooden buildings burne
many years ago.
To-day It IL not uncommon to he,
some one kicking because q legit
mate storekeeper is making from
to 20 per cent profit on his goods
unused the story teller. when An
conda was young the profession
gambler eventually took It all, al
there was no kick. It was truly
mint. It was not uncommon for OF
dealer, who understood. his busine
and had even luck. to make $3.50