"If yet you love game at so dear a rate,
Learn this, that hath old gamesters dearly cost;
Dost lose? rise up. Dost win? rise in that state.
Who strives to sit out losing hands are lost."
I left Cincinnati for St. Louis; and when I landed there, I had
just $40 left. I secured a boarding house, and started to take in
the town. I made inquiries for a faro bank, and at last found one;
and I bolted in as if I was an old sport. I stepped up to the
table, and asked the dealer for $40 worth of checks. I then
commenced to play, and won; and, pressing my good luck, in two
hours had $780 in checks in front of me. I told the dealer to cash
my checks, and I walked out.
The next day I was on my way to St. Paul, as at that time there
was a great emigration in that direction. I took passage on a
steamer that had nearly 300 people on board, going there to buy
homes, and, of course, they had plenty of money with them. After
the supper tables were cleared, a game of poker was commenced; then
another, then another, until there were five tables going. I sat
at one of the tables looking on for a long time, until at length
one of the gentlemen said to me, "Do you ever indulge?" I said,
"Hardly ever, but I do not care if I play a while." The bar was
open, and they all appeared to enjoy a good drink, but I never
cared for anything stronger than a lemonade. The result was that
they all got full, and I thought I might as well have some of their
money as to let the barkeeper have it, and I commenced to try some
of the tricks I had learned. I found they worked finely, and at
daybreak the bar and I had all the money. I got about $1,300,
which made me $2,000 strong.
When we arrived at St. Paul I struck another bank, and to my sorrow.
I found one conducted by Cole Martin and "King Cole," two old
sports, who soon relieved me of my $2,000. I then was without a
cent, and too game to let the gamblers know I was broke. After I
had been there about a week, one of them stopped me on the street,
and asked me why I did not come around and see them. He said: "I
don't ask you to play, but come and dine with us." I accepted his
invitation, and went around that evening, and had as fine a bird
supper as I ever sat down to.