The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 14, 1898, Page 21

- Jike ‘effect. 21 ran ets lined OC0000000 DSCO0000D A CARRIAGE THAT 15 FAMOUS IN JAPAN. Relic That Has Just Been Put on Exhibition at the Hopkins Institute of Art. Valuab'e up who on mining laws of to-day; doctors have been paid the biggest fees continent; journalists who h me famous men of irts, played faro here and played er opened in the ed by Johnny Newman > on A street in who contend that o in 1860, and “Father of Faro” on as early as 18| Lopez, who di ) on City, dealt t the honor, if such led, of dealing the first the town belongs to John- in whose little cabin for- h C str amous for its faro re- t “No. 45,” run nd a third at er of a m on lucky owners in- ring the winter ' later run by er. Gentry,. was most moneyed men of the er by long odds. ywn,” well remembered on the lo 1ce won $7000 playing what is QO000D HERE just been loaned the | was at a period that might be deslg—} A Institute of Art| Dated as the “dawn of commerce.” It 2. He t the old Was when the great nations of the ¢ Baron o Kamon | ¥orld were reaching out and looking a of Hikoni Castle, for other conquest than that of the 2 > = astic, | sword. ing som= relic will time. In apply n use the owner le the box and > the pole upon their nd so transported the occu- to place. nos were never in general account of th grea. exp: It cost a good deal of money to make one of them, but a good deal more 1o intain it, as the services of at least en were required to care for and use on trom place to place Anid the | soggtul, On a certain day Il Kamon no | men_had, of necessity, to be SUODZ. | Kami made a speech before the nobles well ‘trained and kept in the best of | in Tokio and a number were inclined | vondition. As the norl mono now stands in the | a:nly a )n rooms it is ce - of utilitarian art. of its kind in ide of Japan. d in the museum where are looked upon est mementos of old Japan. the carriage box of the nori is about three by five feet on the nd three and a half feet high. a little smaller than the atly add to the ex- It is the and brass. id timber, heavy and me is of heavy wood, The covering of the but a littie thick- This is not a solid form of slats, en each being filled vod lacquered and ornamented with gold. 5 entation even extends over producing a deiicate, film- As well as simple orna- the woodwork is also covered the personal crests of II Kamon Y mi, and also those of his wife's family They are outlined in the brightest gold and in slight relief. Both crests are somewhat similar in form, the Baron’s bearing a resemblance to a fleur de Ms. The door for entering or the gauz ~léaving the vehicle was of the sliding kind- and runs as smooth as possible. Just who made the norl mono and “.when does not appear to be a matter ‘of record. .poriance and became worthy of pres- _ervation through being the property of -Ii- Kamon no XKr i, It galued its historic im- and passing through -one of the most {mportant perfods in the history of Japan, As the story goes If Xamor no Kemi as the first Japanese to advocate mmunication with foreigners, This 4 existence at | A number of | 1i Kamon no ni had been outside of his own country and did not look upon all the other people of the world as devils. He advocated intercourse with them and an e ge of cour tesi at to gain ad- herents f travele all | over Japan, making the journeys in the w on exhibition at the ory show with poor In fact d rageous foreigners. The strongest opponent of octrine as intercourse with | progress | vas Prince Mito, a thoroughly old- | fashioned Japanese, who had the great- | est faith in the traditions of the past and who believed the idea of improve- | nent to he a curse. The slight success | hat 1i Kamon no Kami did gaid so | incensed him that he employed a squad | of ruffians to follow him wherever he went and inflame the people agalnst him. In this plan the wily Prince was suc- | | to listen to him, all of which only made Prince Mito more furious than ever. | What orde his hired | ruffians will never be known, but when If Kamon do Kam! was on his way home after making his speech a crowd | get upon him. He was riding in his | nori mono, but his carriers were over- powered and he was dragged out into the streat where the mob attacked him. Swords, spears, knives and even clubs were used on the unfortunate man 5o that in a few minutes he was simply | hacked to death. | In this awful assassination the nori | mono, strange to did not suffer. The Japanese and Chinese, as is well known, have a certain respect for prop- erty even when they have none for the owner. But in this instance the prop- | erty of Ii Kamon 10 Kaml received several deep scars. The carrying pole of the nori mono was hacked in several | places and a few of the small slats were broken. Even a good coat of | 1acquer has been unable to conceal these | injurfes and they can be plainly seen | to this day on the old nori mono as it | rests in its room at the Institute of Art. —_— e THE MARRIED MAN'S TIP. “It is strange that I can’t get my wife to mend my clothes,” remarked Mr. | Bridle, in a tone of disgust. “I asked | her to sew a button on this vest this morning, and she hasn't touched it.”, “You asked her!” said Mr. Norrls, with a slight shrug of his ghoulders. “Yes. What eise should I do?” “You haven’t been married very long, | mo perhaps youwll take a tip from me,” answered Mr, Norris, with a fatherly air, “Never ask o woman to mend any- thing, That's fatel” “Why, what do you mean?” “Do as I @0, When I want a shirt mended, for instance, I take It in my OOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO00000000000000000 band and hunt up my wifo, ‘Where's that rag-bag, Mrs, Norris?' I demand,) THE LAST CHIP WAS CASHED IN ONE WEEA AGO. ji gl AN i ([T TR P a5 F TIRS = 1t % SCENE IN VIRGINIA CITY A WEEK AGO WHEN THE LAST AND ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS GOING TO CLOSE FOR LACK DYING GASP OF BIG GAMBLING ON THE COMSTOCK. One night last week there was just one game running, Daniels, his partner, John McCauley, on the ‘“lookout,” in tHe rooms dyer the “Sawdu serted and the voice of a ‘vaudeville er at a wake. “Boys, this is the last game,” said “'Old Kentuck.” And then FARO BAnK CASHED artist singing forlornly in 4 saloon across the way & IT> CHIPS OF BUSINESS. IT MARKED THE better known as ‘‘Old Kentuck,” was dealing, with 1st° Corner.” Outside the strect was de- ounded like the wail of a mourn- he became reminiscent. known as “progre! lar checks at the anagh's place. Even different basis, alace, Cross & Cav- three thousand dollars as late as 1878, , in her most peremptory tone. d over the garment. ““Why, John Norris,’ she cries, with womanly triumph, ‘this is a perfectly good shirt. All it needs is —’ “And she mends it.” —_— e The expression, “the lottery of mar- she say stern voice. ‘What do you want a rag bag for?’ e says, suspiciously. ‘I want to throw this shirt away; in of Smolensk, Russ | there four times | prize is a young woman. b The sion” with half-dol- after the big fire had put things on 2 winnings of two or Pet riage,” is not figurative in the province Lotteries are held a year, at which the | price time and time again to such players as e Boyce and Joe Gavin. “Hearts are hearts the world over,” were credited CABIN WHERE THE FIRST GAME OF FARO WAS PLAYED ON THE COMSTOCK. % From a Photograph. and sentiment was by no means dead in those rough times, and one historical winning turned on the player's remem- brance of his “folks at home.” This lucky player, a famous bonanza king now, had rceived an English shilling in change at one of the stores and noticed that it bore the date of his family’s ar- rival in America. So when he fumbled strange coin in his pocket he thought of sister and brother and of soft pink baby hands and wavy gray hair under a lace cap, and of worlds of love and kindness stored up for him at home. Finally the shilling became the last coin left in the shrinking pocket, and the man, reduced to his last quarter, decided to risk the shilling at faro. Blessed hope! He bet on the tray-ten and won $1800 before he rose from the table. That was the beginning of a big fortune. To-day it helps maintain one of the finest homes in San Francisco. EHN Skaggs holds the record for the biggest gains and losses at one sitting, having onc won $800 on two turns of The sitting netted him §2000. evening he quietly lost $5600. But for losses that give a man a new sensation perhaps one that occurred in ’79 should be recorded in which Johnny Skae, the mine boss, lost $10,000 in ten turns to Joe Stewart. George F. Jones, too, had a reputa- tion as a loser, dropping in all $95,000 at faro. The aforesaid dollars, by the way, belonged not to Jones, but to one of the most economical, thrifty money- getters that ever lived, a millionaire who cannot bear to see a stray nail going to waste on the street. Faro had not as many tragedies to account on the Comstock as poker mes, for the reason that the faro player always loses to the ‘“bank,” which, in spite of the firm name and the flesh-and-blood dealer has no in- dividuality and never arouses the ani- ity which the gambler sometimes feels for his opponent at poker. It is simply fate when one loses at faro and there is no use kicking. At the same time the faro banks of the Comstock have turned the current of many a life and one .instance just 1t hand is truly pathetic. There came to the Comstock one day a fine old gentleman ‘“‘f'om the South, suh,” one of the blue bloods of that aristo tic locality and its manners and traditions it h him. ing him E beautiful er and her husband, a rank Northerner and their four charming children. They pros- pered on the Comstock and lived in the hospitable fashion of Southern people, but faro held out her seductive hand and both the men became her victims. A considerable bank account went first, then the home was mortgaged, and one day the husband died very suddenly. He carried a large life insurance, so the death certificate read “heart fail- ur but the wife and some others knew that his last agony was from laudanum poisoning. The old gentleman could not shake off the fascination of faro and the large insurance soon went.the way of the large competence. A bullet through his brain, sent there by his own hand, saved him the horribie pangs of re-’ morse. The daughter did not long sur- vive these mistortunes and passed away leaving her children the legacy helpless aristocracy and poverty. The hapless children in their turn were broken by misfortune. e . But thé reign of faro on the Com- stock is over. In the flush times when the dealers got §15 a shift and the bank turned in a big winning every night the county license of $100 per month cut no figure. But no money in the town meant no money in the faro banks and one by one the games failed to pay their licenses and were obliged to close. The dealer’'s wages ran the gamut from $15 a night to $10, to $7 50, down, down, almost to just’ *grub- 10ney. One night last week there was just one game running. Daniels, better known as"“Old Kentuck,” was dealing, with his partner, John McCauley, on the “lookout,” in the rooms over the “Sawdust Corner.” Outside the street was deserted and the voice of a vau- singing forlornly in a the way sounded like the wail of a mourner at a wake. Boys, this is the last game,” “Old Kentuck.” And then he became reminiscent. “I remember my start well,” he said. “I was about broke, but Johnny Pidge and I dug-up a dollar and a half between us and 1 won $300 in Gold Hill at one sitting. That was the beginning.” He sighed and fingered the card box fondly. “Do you remember ‘Farmer’ Peel?” asked an old ‘“‘check-guerrilla.” “Yes, he was a shooter from way back.” “How many in his graveyard?” “Tive here, and they say he'd dong some killin’, back East.. That man used to go out and shoot a feller to change his luck when he was losin’.” : “That so? That was an old trick of George Kirk's, too. What became of Kirk?” “‘Gone ‘below, by the vigilante route. They strung him up early one morn- ing, time encugh for him to get to the other place by the first call for break- fast.” The little group laughed mournfully. This dying business in old Virginia has had a depressing effect and their spirits were not as high as in '64. “And I wonder Wwhere Jack Willlams and Bill Brown and Jack Butler and Tom Peasley.are now?” ventured amn- other. “All planted,” piped up the old check- rilla We've come home free and merry From the peaceful cemetery” several times on théir account.” The guerrilla is addicted to the quot- ing habit and always spouts Shakes- peare when he is drunk. Poor devil! There are happy, long forgotten col- lege days way back in his history. “Well, boys, here's the turn,” broke in Kentuck. The bets were gravely ‘and carefully placed as wefitted the oceasion. The bank won. TN Two white checks and a red one—just 45 cents! “Here, Yank, take this and bring us a drink,” ordered Old Kentuck. Yank disappeared and presently came up with the glasses. Still the remnants of the old crowd hung around and ‘‘reminisced” a little longer, loth to leave the place and see it close up for good. 0ld Kentuck was silent—was deep in thought. Finally he said huskily: “Good-night, boys.” Then he reached up to turn off the electric lights. The little group flled out and Old Kentuck stood there in the dark a min- ute or two, then groped his way out and locked the door. And the days of faro on the Comstock were Over. said g OOO0000000000000000300000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000 TRICKS OF BOUNTY JUMPERS IN THE CIVIL WAR, in sufficient numbers, the draft was re- | localities, as men who were willing to \ At the outbreak of the civil war the | young men of the North exhibited their batriotism by enlisting for the defense of the Un.on as eagerly as they are coming forward to fight against Spain. No bountles were paid at first, and | nearly 1,000,000 men volunteered with all worn out,” I replv. )f a ticket is a ruble (about 80 cents), ‘Let me see,” she demands. | and there are 5000 tickets. The $:000 | no more pecuniary inducement than the ““But ] put the garment ind my | thus raised becomes practically the | regular army pay. back. 0, my dear,’ 1 answer. ‘There | marriage portion of the young woman| After a time, however, volunteering - | who officiates as the prize. The Win|jangujshed, and to stimulate enlist- n your attempting to do a >c it,’ she reiterates. “‘But it's all worn out, I tell you.’ “ ‘Now, John, you give me that shirt!’ ticket to a friend. are divided between them. THE BARON WAS DRAGGED FROM HIS CARRIAGE @ND KILLED BY THE MOB. ner has the right to give the successful If the young woman s to marry the winner the 5000 | tlon, ments bounties were offered by the na- the States and the citles and towns. sorted to. Drafted men were paid smaller bounties, or none at all, and this fact sent Into the service as vol- enlist wanted to be credited to the places that would give them the most | money. The procuring of men to serve as unteers many who were liable to con- | sypstitutes and to make up deficlent seription. Men who were drafted often, when land a very profitable one at paying | and | in great numbers all over the North, substitutes, able, procured then $300, at first $100, then $200, finally, as available su scarce, much larger amounts, touc in some instances $1600. Many foe and towns obtained the recruits needed | r the various |many abuses. to fill their quotas unde This not bringing forth recruits | calls for troops by enlistments in other | | 1 l l bstitutes grew | and they made | i $ | bounties as many as § | cach time clearing from $1000 upward. quotas grew into a business of itself, that. “Substitute brokers” quickly appeared enormous profits by agreeing to fill quotas at so much per cities | recruit. Out of this business naturally grew For example, a firm of substitute brokers in a New England THE CARRIAGE @S IT APPEARS IN THE ART INSTITUTE. State ascertained that a large number of men who enlisted, mostly in the navy, at Fort Monroe and other sta- tions on the Atlantic coast, at the be- ginning of the war, had not been cred- ited to the quota of any State. They contrived, in some way best known to themselves, to gain control of the list of these men, notwithstanding the fact that they had been in the service for several years, sold them in lots to sult the various cities and towns in the State referred to which were looking for recruits to fill their quotas. These cities and towns and the State were thus credited with having sent | into the service the requisite number of men under the President’s call, but the national Government, of course, was cheated out of just so many re- cruits. The substitute brokers who car- ried through this transaction, which was subsequently widely known as the “Paper Credits Fraud,” pocketed a great deal of money. One of the results of the payment of big bounties was the coming into exist- ence of a class known as “bountyjump- | ers.” The various bounties and gratu- ities, toward the end of the war, rarely aggregated less than $1000 per recruit, and a great many hard characters took advantage of this national, state and municipal liberality by enlisting, get- ting the money, and deserting at the first opportunity. It is on record that some of these men ‘‘jumped” thelr twenty times, Generally the desertions were effected at the State camps, where recruits were herded until called to the front. Some- times, however, the bounty jumpers did not get away until they had been sent: to regiments in the fleld.