The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 12, 1900, Page 20

20 ' THE SUNDAY CALL. sz Romanee of the First Billiard Table in Oregon Was Carried ip on a ,/ Mule’s Back and Ghen Had a . Town Built Around It, | Ao 11 held stakes. The gambler le ith four pointsy Bil 1 50 to 150—no $600 more. The gambler shot and $600 more hold Yowy y JE7 Lowns o ’ ro Others. was n but Broke A YO Yoo ron tuous dandy and or- jer him out of other Yooked at him with a steely sa nbler!” 1 ht fed t s a gam- he replied sternness n her Jim wandered down to W the billiard table flou fshed. There was his rival in the midst of the crowd, ‘‘setting them up.” “Just ‘in time, Andrews,” he sald “Have a drink.” “I choose my company when I drink,™ returned the young miner, hot! +As you will charming courtesy, and when rest had drank, he said: “Andrews, you're not treating me f: 1ly. It is true we are rivals I woule t mention that, but the camp knows it, and y we are all friends in this little comm: man who had employed him. He demand- He played remarkably lucky one night of the miners beating the devil's tattoo nity. Let us gamble for t t ri ed recompense for Anita. The man de- with a big miner who had played some and put their heads in a whirl. Dollle ;.33 cqq the lady and may the best man manded his table. There were not strong billlards back East. It cost him a hun- Deane was her name, and it leaked out 7Y Q"/ < FOVE =07 ) % N vy er with he and the e drinks win.” men enough !n the country to carry the dred dollars to learn that he could not that she wafa correspondent for an East- “mporo were murmurs of satisfaction The ga table over to Althouse and nobody want- piay much billiards out West. The miner ern magazine. Srom: the crowd, Andrew ed to buy it. got mad and made a swipe at the lad Very circumspect was Dollie, and while *“All life's a gamble,” Dollie had said. “Well “I never gamble,” said Jim, stifly, a you W own f When Martinez recovered from his grief with his cue. Before he could follow UD all gentleness itself, one or two of the his business head got into motion again” the attack Jim Andrews, one of the best rough characters hfmmd th:thrum\lmrlt) - S N {] y: . art and great re- it dArop 1t fell not on “Anita’s He buried Anita and then set up the table fellows in fhe camp, caught the cue. bred contempt on her par: 1 e k. The “,:- ?Am kit Bl sidestepped. @5 @ monument to the faithful animal's “None of that, Jack Arnold,” said Jim, speet for her on theirs. Dnllmh seotm'd ¢ might, they could not get it memory. It was not long before a shanty Jooking him in the eye. to take a fancy to Billy from the start, nights thinking how to best “hey 1et 1al to the occasion. Weu the ald he; “I bar no- X yu stood in to rob me.” but no mule ever fooled Was run up over the table and it re- The men glared at cach other, and but everybody looked \|§-:\t:1 l;ull:; a\s flnsgzg ered a volce at Jim's ared Jim A WS, = - rtinez lonz. He rigged up a Qquired only a few & more to Eet everyhody gathered around, looking for Of a guidepost. He might “‘»:m;:_‘ i . the game billiards.” Schem block and tackle and with the aid of a enough whi to dignify thé shanty wWith trouble. Jim was a popular fellow. He he might have been some years 3 stout limb hauled the table into the air, the name of saloon. Far and wide Mar- 1500 about 5 feet 10, and was well and he was only a boy. | 3 was backed under the table tinez spread the news that there was t0 myuscularly built. He had the reputa- Jim Andrews, of the men, apparently ¥ be an opening on Saturday’ night in hONOr tion" of being fearless. Jack Arnold was found most favor in the eyes of pretty » pack worked to a of the only bililard tabie in Southern Ore- known to be quick and handy with his Dollie. So much so that “there was table was removed gon. gun, and had made the boast that he talk,” as there is bound to be in all reloaded. On the ‘And what an opening was there! There was afraid of no man. But they said that small communities. Some had their no- n stopped at Rattle- were music and dancing, and singing and he was not a bad sort of fellow. His tlons, and some talked of a wedgln}?. 1_w;‘; mile from Waldo. drinking, and a “punching of the iVOr- heart was all right. He neyer flinched haps. Whatever Jim had to say, he sal stampeded—all except Anita. jes.” The other saloons in the neighbor- Anita would keep hood had to close down for the :mght. he left her to her The table became the “proper thing” le he joined his men in the diggings, and there was a line of up of the runaways. players every night waiting for a chance s found when two to get a cue. At length a saloonman took > train arrived at Waldo. the table and shanty off Martinez’ hands > hours failed to find her. and gave lessons in billiards. His most the philosophical Mar- apt pupil was a lad to whom he had given > with her load,” and employment. He learned like sixty. ng him to take up the chailenge. A feeling of shame came over him. Then the thought of what Dollle had said struck home once more. “By —! I'll do it!" he fairly hissed. ‘And T'll name Billy, this boy here.” '‘And the game?’ queried the gambler, before the other man's gaze. For a mo- it to Dollie. with a mocking smile. ment there was fire in his eye, then his All went on ,well until a man came “Billiards,” said Jim, now calm. look softened and a smile fliumined his one day—a dashing, handsome chap, No wonder his rival smiled again. He not unhandsome face. with pearly teeth and a drooping mous- had amused himself with the bumpkin “You're right, Jim; he beat me square. tache; a fellow of the world, who had several times. Once or twice he had al- Billy, excuse me. Come, boys, have one roughed it and made his. way. lowed him to beat him. He grew quite s BHY, with ‘me.” “Gambler!” said the knowing ones. But jubflant and treated the house. About 5 o'clock the Then there was a cheer, and while he spent his money like a prince, and He won the first shot. Before he shot who was st drinks' were being served Billy stole up they said he was “square.”” But he got he laid $500 on the cloth. divide packer in d a mule Anything’that 4 t find its way he readily made 3 the table over the divide as far as Saflors Diggings at Wal- to Waldo ources whi e sight of the queer looking package . ed the packer, but he reflectea that it would not s r Anita, and if not all would be we he ripped out a string of Spanish oaths to help the thing sles re to Andrews and said simply: his money all back. They played his “‘Anybody like to bet on this game?” he dear Jim—Dollie is my q wa en he got his men and sixty odd he.rolled /his blankets. By and by the young man could di§- “Thank you, Jim.” game and lost to him cheertully. said blandly. *“No? Five hundred to have gone away. line, for he was the director of They found her next morning elghtmiles count his preceptor; but he never boast- Jim Andrews had one of the best 2lalms And then he met pretty Dollie Deane, @ great pack train. away from $400—going, going—$300. Well, whll, must Jow last nigh !do. She had slept with her ed of his art. He was awkward and shy, in the diggings. He liked to see every- and Jim Andrews and peace were strang- think I'm a winner. Make it $200." till sleeping. IFor a matter was this lad, but somehow he rarely lost body happy, and he enjoyed himself in ers. He always gave way when Jim “T'll take that myself!” When they his own way. He drank very little and came, but he seemed to-have the knack It was Billy who spoke, and as. his put one of the les was never known to gamble. Some of being in Dollie’s vicinity when Jim money was laid on the table there was and that's sloping gro months before the above occurrence there was not around. What Jim sald to Dol- tremendous cheering. to the roll of the balls in to know that It was golng to be no snap cursed himself; he cursed the mule, then one belicve that he could play; it was had come into the- diggings a pretty, lle, only he and she knew. She answered ‘Want any more?” asked the g0od na- you can make a fortun to Jug that thing acrcss the mountains. - apologized to the memory of Anita and that awkward and shy way he had about black-eyed girl, beautiful of form and him sweetly, but her answer made him tured gambler, did. Dollie sends love. G Eight men elevated the table, but when wept over to Althouse Creek to curse the him. * ‘ " " with a ravishing smile that set the hearts . deelare that he would seek the presump- “Go on, and play,” sald Billy, his face ¢ He joaded up a miscellaneous lot of load: she on his mules and then it came Ani- of fact, she had carricd her last burden; a game—never when big stakes ‘were ta’s turn. Now the gentle Anita had never she was quite dead. posted. And the strangest thing' ahout scen a billiard table, but was wise enough Martinez's anguish knew no bounds. He him was that he could never make any