Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1939-08-24
LADY LUCK
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Bv VIC YARDMAN
ASSOCIATED Newspapers.)
WNU Service.

Strangers are apt to get the idea
that Rufe was once quite a figure in
and about Lirio, and indeed he was.
His is rather sad story, yet Gu
rious, too. / will repeat it exactly
as it was told to me by Boris Avery,
Tirio's oldest inhabitant and Rufe's
one time closest friend.
Rufe Drake Doris began) was
gold prospector. And his luck in
6nding color was the most astound-
ing thing this side, of the Rio
Crande. He was old when he first
took to the desert, past sixty, and in
experienced. Yet five days after
he'd been out he struck it. He
came Flooding into town with his
samples and had them assayed.
Then he recorded his claim and
went over to the Silver Dollar to
spread the news.
Within a month a mushroom town
had sprung up near Rufe's strike.
That was the beginning of Lirio.
At first, of course, the settlement
was composed mostly Of tents and
few hastily constructed board
shacks. But presently a more SUBJ
stantial and permanent town began
to be erected, and one Of the first
all-wooden buildings Of any conse-
Quence was Nate Paxton's Ell AL
haja.
Ell Alhaja was a saloon and gam
bling den. The reason / mention
II Is because it was here that Rufe
Drake spent most Of his time.
There was a reckless streak in
Rufe, sort Of weakness, a quality,
Of abandon that was in direct con-
trast to the rest Of his character.
He loved gambling.
The element Of chance fascinated
and intrigued him. Perhaps you
can't understand or appreciate
what that means. Perhaps you've
never had the feeling. Well, let me
tell you it's worse aff1iction than
either the drug or liquor habit.
Anyway, a syndicate bought out
Rufe's claim.
They paid him $4,000 for it,
and incredible as it might seem,
the morning after the deal was con-
summated Rufe was broke. He'd
lost every cent in the gambling
rooms Of the Ell Alhaja.
Every one felt sorry for the old
boy, but Rufe would have none Of
their pity. He was old and didn't
take life as seriously as some folks.
And so with grubstake provided
by Nate Paxton Nate felt worse
than any one about Rufe's run Of
Ii luck and would have returned
some Of the money if Rufe would
have let him) he set out for the hills
once more. Three weeks later he
was back.
He'd struck color again, and this
new strike was even richer than the
first.
Well, another rush began, with
Lirio as its base.
Mates claim was appraised at
$4,000 and the same syndicate Of
fered him that amount of money.
He sold out and Immediately
headed for the Ell Alhaja.
There's no need to go into details
Of what happened. Rufe was as
mlucky with the goddess Of chance
as ne was lucky in finding color.
Two days later he was broke once
more and Nate Paxton was SIS.
richer.
You'd think this would have cured
him. But it didn't. It made him
worse.
He swore up and down that there
wasn't any reason why he couldn't
beat the games. The thing became
an obsession with him. But he was
broke again and there was nothing
left to do but hit for the hills once
more. A month passed and then
Rufus showed up in town one day
with his pockets bullying with SAM
Pies Of his new strike.
Well. it was hard to believe, be-
cause hundreds of other pros
pectors had travelled over the same
territory without unearthing a glim-
mer Of the wealth that Rufe re-
vealed.
1t was about this time that Rufe
and l became acquainted.
Twas married at the time and my
WIFE was i'll. We had three kids
and I'd had a tough break in in
VeSting in one Of the mines, and
was down and out. Rufe heard
about it and came over to see me-
ne insisted that take a couple of
thousand dollars to tide me over.
Med received 100000 for his new
claim. We got pretty friendly
after that and / urged him to give
Up he gambling habit. But he only
sfinned and curious CLINT came
INTO his eyes.
isaw that arguing wasn't any use,
80 l asked him why he didn't spend
sOme OF his wealth for a good pur-
pOse-such as donating it to public
Enterprises, before beginning his
usual session at the Ell Alhaja.
de thought this over and decided
was a good idea.
Llrio had grown tremendously in
We ana needed public benefactor.
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