Lake County

Research Resources

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Seventy Years in the Coal Mine

100 Years of Leadville Colorado

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