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Seventy Years in the Coal Mine
100 Years of Leadville Colorado
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LEADVILLE LUCK
I got to be tolerably prosperous. I had $800 in cash, a three-hundred dollar horse, a gold watch and chain, a good pack mule, a rifle, two revolvers, a dog and a Meerschaum pipe. One day I came into town and drew all my money, in order to pay for part of a claim which I wanted to buy. I met a couple of fellows I knew just after I got my cash, and we resolved to have a little game of poker. Well, sir, I never struck of lead of bad luck since I was born as I did that afternoon. It was a square game, but if anybody won anything they naturally intended to keep it. Men don't have much pity for each other out in that country.
After I'd been out around Leadville for several
months, says a Pittsburgh youth, giving his
experience, Well. the first thing I did was to
lose $500.00 on four queens. In less than an
hour I lost every cent I had, then I lost my
horse, then my mule, then my rifle, my
revolvers, and my dog. I didn't have money
enough left to buy a cigar. I went out of the
place and resolved to borrow a revolver and
shoot myself. I walked off out of the edge of
the town, and without thinking of what I was
doing I put my hand in my hip pocket to take out
my revolver. There was no revolver there, of
course, but my Meerschaum pipe was there,
looking like a piece of shiny coal, it had been
colored so prettily.
As soon as I felt the pipe I gave a yell of
delight and started off on a run for the house
where the boys had won my money. They were still
there. I got twenty dollars on my pipe and sat
down to play again. I won a little money and
then I got my dog back, then my revolver, then
my rifle, my mule, my watch and my horse. It
seemed as though there was a perfect revolution
in my luck. At last I won $1,200 on one hand.
The fellow who was betting me had an ace, king,
queen, eight and four spot flush. and I had an
ace, king, queen, jack and five spot flush. When
I got up from the table it was daylight in the
morning, and I had $4,800 in cash, besides the
money and things I had started with. I went down
to the hotel, borrowed the land lady's Bible,
and swore I'd never gamble again as long as I
lived, and I never have since, and never will.
The Indiana Progress
17 Jun 1879,
Page 3
Indiana Pennsylvania
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