Year: 1874

hundred dollars were offered to him as
gift and all he has to do to obtain it is tc
place his money on the marked card


A professional faro gambler WAS one
day betting at thrce-card monte, when
the conductor came along and broke ur
the game. The professional was highly
incensed, ordered the conductor out OF
the car, and told him if he interfered
again he would get his brains blown out
This drunken fool" he said, "is going
to lose his money to some one, and I may
as well have it as somebody else" Five
minutes aftcrward the gambler had lost
every dollar he possessed, and the
drunken fool" was wearing his gold
watch and diamond ring.


Old CalifOrnians seem to be the most
gullible. Their experience, instead OF
protecting them, is a positive injury The
rules that apply in draw poker, or in
"fghting the tiger" have nothing to do
with three-card monte In those games
there seems to be about equal chances in
favor OF the two sides; but in this one all
the chances are apparently against the
poor simpleton who deals. The railway
officials do all in their power to prevent
passengers from being fleeced The con
ductors invariable go through the cars and
warn everybody against the danger of
betting. Frequently their kind admoni-
tions are met with scorn and insult. "Do
you think we have lived in California
twenty-five years for nothing?" asked one
man with a sneer. The conductor passed
through the car half an hour later and
the old forty y-niner was minus his watch
and sixty dollars.


One of the saddest cases in the history
OF the business is that of young clergy
man who was sent from one of the
Western States to attend to the affairs of
a deceased man. He came to California,
collected the accounts, disposed of the
property, and was carrying back the pro-
ceeds to the bereaved wife and children.
Slim Jim entered the car and commenced
to spell out the words of the warning ~
which is posted up on all the cars of the
Central Pacific Company In loud,
drawing tone of voice, and with much
hesitation, he read: Beware! Beware
of t-h-r-e-e-c-a-r-d-. Them's the very
fellows that robbed me-" he exclaimed
With well-feigned Indignation he told the
story of his woes to the preacher, taking
particular pains to show that he had
plenty of money left. Before he arose
from the seat he had explained so fully
that the preacher concluded to take care
OF Slim Jim's surplus cash in order to
prevent the monte-men from robbing him
again! He so far failed, however, as to
part with every cent of the poor widows
money, and to be compelled to pursue
his journey dead broke


These monte sharps base their chances
of success wholly upon the doctrine of
total depravity. They act so stupidity,
so ignorantly, SO utterly unacquainted
with their business, that people feel GER
tain of winning their money. No man
was ever yet beaten of cent who did
not deliberately attempt to rob the
dealer. They look at the card on the
sly, put marks on it's back and
sometimes even tear off a corner in
order to swindle the foolish country
clown out of his gold. How the dealer
manages to substitute another card for
the marked one, and how he completely
eludes detection, and defies the closest
scrutiny, is past finding out. He invari-
ably succeeds, but further dcponent
knowcth not.


Into the smoking car, near Winnemuc-
ca, one time stumbled drunken miner.
Any one who has ever seen the blue
shirt, slouched hat, muddy boots, un-
hempt hair, and unshorn beard of the
"honest miner" would at once recognize
the man as coming direct from the gold
region. He makes staggering attempt
at walking, but, catching his foot against
something, stumblcs heavily against a
German passenger. AS he falls, his purse
slides from his pocket, and the man is
fairly delugcd with shower of gold
The Teuton makes no attempt at resent
ing the insult, but helps pick up the
coins and assists the miner to a seat be-
side him. He pays the utmost attention
to his new-found friend. The miner sew
eral times attempted to 60 out on the
platform, but the man quickly restrained
him. mine Gott! mine friend!" he
would say, "you goes out dere you falls
right away off," and, casting longing
glance at the pocket containing the purse,
he would put his arms around the miner
and carry him back to his seat. At the
Humboldt House they took dinner, the
German inducing the drunken man to
agree to settle therefor. Prior to eating
they walked up to the bar to take drink.
The miner placed fivc-dollar gold piece
on the counter in payment. The other
watched his opportunity, slipped the
gold piece into his pocket, and placed a
half dollar in its stead. The drunken man
took no notice of the transaction. In
deed, he was SO far gone that he could
not sit down without assistance from
the accommodating Bavarian. After
supper another V was laid
on the counter, from which it
soon disappeared into the same pocket,
and silver half dollar took it's place
The drunken fellow seemed blissfully OBJ.
livious of the audacious robbery of
which he was being made the victim. In
the car he went to sleep. The German
made three several attempts to take
away the plethoric purse which projected
provokingly from the miners inner coat
pocket. The pressure of the mans folded
arms accidentally prevented. After en-.
joying good nap the fellow took out
three cards, and in slow, bungling man.
ner shutt1ed them about in his lap. A
tinely-dressed stranger, passing by, in.
quired the name of the game and the
rule by which it was governed. "Three.
card ante," was the reply. "Ante (hic)
all the time; this card Chic) wins, these
two chaps lose." Dealing away to an
imaginary opponent he turned up card
and fairly shouted with glee to find that
it was the right one The stranger Of
fered to take hand and try it SEC
worth. "Well, no (hic); got plenty o1
money (hic); don't want no more" After
considerable parley, however, he relcnt
ed, and $500 was put up on side. The
stranger won and pocketed the cash
The Teuton was frantic. Evidently the
miner was going to lose all his treasures
Mein Got! mein FRIEND" he whispered
'you playsh nit desc bad fellars. and
dey shust robs you like anydinks," and
putting his finger alongside his nose ano
winking knowingly he added: "Bimeby
we has Won leetle game all by ourselves.