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About The Hardin Tribune-Herald (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973 | View This Issue
The Hardin Tribune-Herald (Hardin, Mont.), 06 Nov. 1925, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn86075229/1925-11-06/ed-1/seq-5/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
4.0 THE HARDIN TRIBUNE -HERALD • Pagt Five - Ira EEZEDL is 'rdr'A.MBLIN1 n G IN MONTANA'S EARLY DAYS A COMMON PASTIME; STAKES RAN HIGH WHEN BIG PLUNGERS BUCKED THE TIGER (By DAN It. CONWAY) 0 NH evening during August last, we guests at the Lewis Glacier hotel on Lake McDonald, in Glacier National park, were informed that a certain three Blackfeet chiefs would entertain in the lobby that night, chanting their songs and giv- ing several of their sYmbelic dances. At the close of their singing and dancing number-, which proved quite entertaining, especially to those easterners present 'who had never witnessed a like demonstration, one Chief Ettgle Bibs, was called upon let . explain to the guests- a . gambling ,. game common los the Black feet In- dians. • . The old oilier squatted opposite to DAN R. CONWAY Who has been actively connected with the newspaper business in Mon- tana for a period covering more than 11 years, his opponent, Chief Big Bear and the wierd game was soon in progress. Ten small sticks were placed on the floor midway between to the two contestants. One of the old warriors took two quite small sticks, one short one in one hand and a longer one in the other. Placing both hands be- hind his back, he began to chant a wierd song which lasted for a few minutes, and then both of his hands were held out from him in front and about a foot apart. His opponent in the game was then given the oppor- tunity to guess in which hand was the longer of the two small sticks. If he guessed right, he was allowed to rake in one of the sticks in the pile on the floor. If he failed, his contender for honors took a stick and he was expected to place one in the pile if he had already won any. This procedure was kept up until all of the sticks were in the hands of one player. Chief Eagle Ribs, through his interpreter, explained that this -was one of the old tradi- tional gambling games of his tribe and it was often in the olden days played by members of different In- dian warrior societies, to deCide which of these secret organizations possessed the most powerful \medi- cine.\ Seeking the favor ot the goddes!.3 called \Chance\ has been common among all classes and ratt.s of \people almost since the beginning of time, if historians have served us truth- fully. And, our no tale red brothers, the first inhabitants of this great west, were not alone in their inclina- tions toward gambling. Gambling Flourished in Montana Today there are many men who can recall those eventful days when every saloon in Montana bore a sign over the door, announcing. \licensed gambling\. That was many years ago, and that particular phase of the now ontlawed saloon business is Di years ago. Its last anpearance was made in the late '90s. Down through the shifting drama of Montana's history, games with big stakes have been played, but the tiger reached its full growth and popularity in the early '90s, when, it is stated, the big gambling houses of Butte and. Helena were on a par with those of the Nevada qud Cali- fornia geld. mining . camps in the earlier days. • Of the gamblers of that day, one Of the most noted was known , us \ 4 ewOde Sam\ who was a resident of Butte. His game was operated at one of the Butte hotels; 'and it - as there quit thy. big pokea players, of the state were a/custbited' eie'sit in all-, night. sesshens: -if IS sa14 thig hun- dreds of thousands of 'dollars have changed hanhs when a hlgs game was' on, and that It wasnot an uncommon event to see $26,000 lü a single-not. Money Was Plentiful. During these early days of Butte and Helena, and the other centers in the 'state, great fortunes were made overnight - in the development of prospects into rich mines, and money was spent like water in most cases. fluidic gambling was the rule, and was not looked upon with such an abhorrence as in the present day, for it was licensed and, although it was an unelevating practice as a pastime, it was, nevertheless, lawful. It must be rememnerea that in those days Butte was just Coming in- to Its own as the greatest -mining camp in the world, and it was conse- quently the congregating spot for professional gamblers, adventurers, and the class ef people most appealed to by the tables of chance and all practices of a shady nature. Helena was the capital and the center of all of the state's official business, ind, with transportation facilities limited, there were always large numbers of about -the -state visitors there who made longer stays than at present. Many of these found their source of entertainment at the games of chance. Gambling De Luxe. One Butte man conceived the idea of an exclusive gambling house somewhat on the order ef those then to be found in London, Paris and the other European centers. He therefore leased a richly furnished building on Granite street. Here he was accustomed to entertain the so- ciety folk of the mammoth camp and the highest rollers of the mining world at elaborate dinners. He is said to have imported a French chef, to whom he paid a salary of $500 a month. The rarest of French and Italian wines were served, and the finest liquors that money could buy. His guests smoked Havana cigars at a cost of $1 apiece. In the reception rooms of this sa- lon, there was no evidence of the gambling paraphernalia, but after the dinner had been served and the diners were then in the mood for an El El —trn C=3 HE story of pioneer days in Montana is * story of the time 0;1 beroes—dass in the west alien men were men, and the story of dreamers and builders. The fact that these men who were lasing a sound feundatipa for the state's future, were in so many instances patrons at the throne of \chanceeaund the fees that gam- bling was quite a common practice in tiw early dupe does not in the least. detract from the glory or the eld West. A few decades ago, our Montana cities sillil toWits that then existed, 1veee for the most pert boom camps which attracted teen from every , walk tit life. With life in cares* of this Maitre% the gambling house WAS always a part, and - -sinee . the loci, of a gamble seems to elteuet . be a ante o/ human nature, it is little wonder . that. gambling flourished for some time. • • • Al41 1 . t • •. . '': \ • • ,•-rf 1,.. the politlelaase became the scene 'of , .many a battle royal across' the'green cloth, and stiff poker games were el - ten - played by .nlen who -could. sign ,their checks ..for milljoas• • •' . Possibly one of the fnost famous taie,Crowell rose from the board a 1 gembliete places be It/pewits, was the winner bY several 'thousand dollars. house in Butte operated' by a -man by Perhaps the - thought of' the perils the name ot Morehouse and his part- 'they were About to face tended. to ner whose -more fandifar name was umke the officers reckless, but It has the ,batelefield; now the navy, as re- - 1 • Al) Profesefittial Players. , , •••• • presented by (_:'aPlain'Marsh, sweet! \Among Mein were Joe Goddard. `Ikfore Ittit•in'the 'end, - -the I Mike Conoley, Bill Ayers .and .Uas- steady ; ploddi»g infantry was, left in! pard ,LeCouer, who came from New' sole possessipie of the field and cap- Orleans. They were theroaghbreds; and•lenewn all over the • %Vela as nervy men. . . • \Le Veuer had come from geed people, . but he' was a black sheee and his folks wouidn'l have anythtfrg \WHAT'S IN THE HOLE?\—Modeled by Charles M. Russell. Back in those romantic Montana range days of the 'S0s, a poker game similar to the one herewith shown in caricature was common enough, and there were never three more natural types of gambler than the Indian, the Chinaman and the cowpuncher. ,In the game depicted above, the Indian has his pipe in the pot with his rifle held in reserve, the cowboy is about \cleaned\ and the crafty Celestial, with a stack in the pot. and chitin left, is taking a look at, his \hole card.\ There is a companion model to the one shown here which shows the Chinaman caught in the act of cheating, and the alert puncher has him covered with his trusty six-shooter. In the early days, many a cowpuncher has been set afoot by a chance game on the prairie, losing not only his cash, but his horse, saddle and bridle. \Dutch Henry.\ Their place occupied been said by Captain Marsh that the a building on Main street adjoiningipoker game on the eve of the Little the Clark bank, and covered ground I Big Horn campaign was one of the space now occupied by several bini- stiffest ev2r played on the rivers, and ness institutions. There wre often in his time he witnessed games where 2,000 or more playing the various fortunes were won and lost games at the same time. On the days Poker Game in a Stagecoach. that the big mines paid off their men An interesting and somewhat tra- several hundreds of thous , inds if dol- gic story has been told by F. B. lars would change hands here in a Warren, having come, he states, from single night. A Histeric Poker Game. According to stories handed down by old-timers of the state, one of the most famous poker games that has ever been played in Montana the reminfseences of an old-timer by the name of Bill Craves who' was one of the first stage drivers to - make the trip through the winding fastnesses of the little Ruby (or Passamaril river in the early mining days. Tile to do with him. But, as far as man- ners and education went, there were few who came west who could equal him. He was about the nerviest member of the party; and he was great dandy, too—in them days 11 gamblers were dandies. \He was as soft and elegant in ,his manner as a preacher, but if there was a call for a fight he was all there. Ile was a womanish -looking chap, but he had fought five or six duels, and had a record of killing three men with a knife in a rough- and-tumble fight at one sitting. ' \Goddard and Ayers had pretty good reputations as fighters, but Conoley was a man from down east somewheree and hadn't been in the west long. Consequently no one knew much about him. ' one another pretty well and there was nothing strange in their being sort of tuspiscious. Suspiseious of Conoley. \There was some close watching done the next time the deal came 'round to ebnoley, and as hard luck would have it, there were three pat hands out. Ayers wasn't in. it,. but li e Coeur had a flush, Goddard had a striglet. and Conoley•caughtatesmall full.. They. played.a eitrajght . ' in the West as long ago as The ea:fly mining days, - find it was the ruie : theit that straights were only counted )vhen an agreernent to that sifIeet had heen !made befOre':hand..\- - • - \There was some pf , etty : stiff bet- ting; and-. Conoley Cieaned• up e ebout $400;cin the hand. eettst about this tijbe - (though I am -not \asitaYing as there was anything crooked),. God- dard spoke up sort. ,of :nasty. and said: • _ • • • \t . appears to line - ilia - A you • A are getting pretty gootrand . strong . . on the deal.' . • \rintolee showed pretty quick whether he was a fighter or not. There was no one why knew whether or not' he was cheating, but - before Goddard - had quit talking, • Conoley had a gun pointed -square under his nose, and these were his words: \ 'I allow that you'll swallow those words and chew 'em up,' and Conoley's voice had just the softest purr that anyone eyer heard—just like stroking a cat the right way, be- fore a logwood fire. 'And I want to tell you quick that you beg my par- don or. I'll blow the top of your head off!' Three of Four Gamblers Shot. \It didn't seem like he would do it, for Goddard hadn't really charged him with cheating, although his con- ver ation was sure insulting, and an insu in them days was worse than a hlo anytime in the week. God- dard was urious, and being without fear he un ertook to 'jaw' back. I I don't reca what was said, but he started to a. y something ugly, and before Godd rd had stopped saying his little pie e, Conoley had pulled the trigger_ \Goddard fell over dead and the next minut Ayers and Conoley were blazing aw y at each other. Although they were near enough to each other in the b not to miss their aim, they di miss. I expect the struggle had go on their nerves and ruined their im. They fired seven or eight sho before either of them fell, and wen they did go down both of them were dead. \There was terrinee excitement. It all happened so quick that there was no chance for anyone leutel e e_Coeur to interfere, (if anyone had really wanted to). After it was all over, we were just driving into the Bully Cross trail and a few of the citizens dropped in on us to review the re- mains. The only man who was not In the least excited was Le Coeur. He had sat still during all of the fracas, simply looking on, but not making a single move. And, when the smoke of battle had cleared, he coolly remarked in his womanish voice: \They arranged to have one sitting \ 'Well, that seems to break up of poker before we got into Bannack. this game of poker completely. If We were due there about an hour you gentlmen care to •accept the of - after dark and the pier began about fer, will you all do. me the courtesy 10 o'clock in the morning. We all to line up at the bar, across the knew in advance that it was sure to street and have one on - me?' be a game of high stakes if the cards \But there was one thing I no - ran good. deed,\ said the veteran stage driver. \But high play didn't always make \When Le Coeur got .up from the a short game. The game ran along makeshift table in -the stage and until midday, without any startling they were cleaning up the scene of hands being passed over the table. battle, there wasn't any money what - All were playing monstrous cautious and laying for a good chance. The first one to get l it was Conoley. The jackpot Was sweetened up until there a hundreel - Conoley caught four sevens in the deal. He had dealt the cards him- self: Ayers opened the pot for a hun- dred right under the guns and Le Couer hoisted him another hundred. Goddard sat next, and he came in with $200 more, making it $400 for Conoley to draw cards. Ayers didn't have the cards to raise on, but he made good, and Le Coeur must have suspiscioned a crosscut' for he didn't raise any more, so all Goddard had to do was to sit back and wait. There was then $1700 in the pot and the draw to come. Big Stakes Develop. \Ayers took two cards and ' Le Coeur stood pat. Goddard studied his hand for a while and then al- lowed he'd take two. Then the dealer drew one. It was as sure a thing for - Conoley as anything I ev- er saw. Ayers threw in a white chip. (being one dollar), ahd Le Coeur put up his white chip and $1,000. God- dard threw down his band. He may have been bluffing and he may have had a geod hand. At any rate he -didn't:have good enough hand to bet $1,000 on. Whatever he had, he didn't make the mistake of laying it downi face up. \This gave Conoley his chance and he put up $.2,000 more. Ayers took to the woo& and Le Coeur was hard put. Naturally he hadn't any way of judging what Conoley was doing it on: since the latter had drawn only one card, but It looked as though he had made a full or a high flush. and, of course he might have 'fours'. At any rate, it made Le Coeur stud' sonic, but he had a 'King full', and, of course, he couldn't lay down. Most players would have hoisted it once more if they had the money, and Le Coeur always had plenty of cash. He looked at Coneley nilinstrous sharp. till he satisfied himself that there was no bluff abOut it, and then he called. \That gave Conoley over $400 winnings on one hand. The 'other players were sore at having missed their • - chance at the biggest hand in the morning game, but there was not a word said. \There was no proof of croaked play in the fact that Conoley had dealt a pat full out against fours in his -own hand, but them fellers knew A stage -coach outfit of the sort used by \Bill Graves\ in his daily trips to and from Renwick and Dile.... It might seem it physical impossibility to play at cards in a fast traveling jolty coach of the pioneer days, but it is, neverthless, a fact that many a stiff game' of poker was fought out over a makeshift table while the gam- blers were en route front one point of operation to another. More especially was this the order of the day, when there happened to be among the passengers, some \sucker\ who could be induced to take a hand. but a vague memory in the minds of evening's diversion, servants entered the old-timers. The roulette wheel, the faro board and the licensed gambling table fa- miliar to all, three decades ago, have disappeared with the buffalo, the trapper and the old-time cowbey. As appalling as it might seem to the younger generation, gambling of and deftly transformed what were in appearance library tables, into faro layouts and roulette wheels, while cards were produced and a poker game started for those who preferred to woo the goddess of chance by that method. One of the frequenters of this ex- alt kinds flourished in Montana for elusive gambling resort is said tte many, many years. The activities of have been Fritz Augustus 'Heinze. the gamester dates from the earliest then in the zenith of his career as fur trading days. when the white in- copper king, and quite a noted gam - habitants of what is now Montana bier in his time. ' There were also could easily be numbered, and the to- other kings and princes of the copper tal be but a small figure. Gambling world to be found there occasionally. followed on down through the gold Quite often, too. .magnates from mining days, the romantic cowboy New York,Limdoti and Paris. in era, until it finally came under the Butte on business, were ,introduced ban of law a little more than 25 at this place. The stakes often, ran into huge sums as the wine flowed and the players warmed up to -the spirit of the gaming. One evening, It is related. Marcus Daly and some of his wealthy friends were sitting in a quiet game at one of these more elite Butte institutions, when a salesman representing some big eastern house, sojourning in the Copper City, entered the room and saw the game in progress. Being pos- sessed of none too much knowledge of the world, or tact, he essayed to take a place in the game. Producing a one hundred dollar bill, he flour- ished it and seid. \Let me have a hundred dollars' worth of chips, please.\ Marcus Daly, looking up from his hand said to the man acting as the banker, \Give the gentlman a white chip.\ It was et fact that the white - chips had a value of $100 apiece. • Big Stakes at Helena. Back in the days when the politi- cal fight between the Daly and the Clark interests was at its bitterest height, and afterward when Heinle was fighting the Amalgamated, the legislative sessions at Ilelena devel- oped some big satmlping games in which many of the legislators, -the lobbyists and the lieutenants of the political contenders often took part. The several historical old haunts of CAPTAIN TOM ICUSTER One of the players in the historic poker game at the mouth of the Big Horn river in 1876. It I aboard who wanted to play. A few of them were to careful to lose much, or didn't have much to lose. I don't recall that any one of the gamblers had taken in a hundred dollars along the line of the camps: and in them days that wasn't the price of traveling expenses even. con- sidering the -way them tellers spent money. \Naturally they were peeved. and when they saw there aas nothiag , doing with the traveling public, they arranged, a game. emong e th,emseives to tee which on of theta would lose and thus help the ottierk out. • ! took place at the mouth of the Rose -tale can be best enjoyed when told in bud river in the cabin of the river what are said to be Graves' .own steamboat Far West the night be -!words: fore Custer and his ill-fated troopers; ':One of the worst mixups I ever set out on their disastrous march ,' saw in a game of poker, an' I have against the Sioux Indians. Through I seen a good many, was when four the small hours of the night of June ; gamblers played in my coach all of 24, 1876, Captain Tom Custer, Lieu- ! ene d a y during a trip from Dillon; tenant Calhoun, Captain, C;rowell of i up te Renwick. - the Sixth Infantry, Captain GrantI \In them days the gamblers used THE STEAMER FAR WEST which made its way up the Yellowstone river as far as the n ttttt th of the Big Horn river in 18741, carrying troops and ammunition for the ill-fated Little Big Horn campaign ngainQt the Sioux. It was On this river steamer that the historic poker game wits glitytel on the night of June 2141, 1870. Marsh of the Far West and others to make the trip with me as much sat over the cards, While General aN once a week, and they would us - Custer wrote letters in his tent on mill) , stop at all the mining camps the river bank close; by. It was a bat- along the line to Silver City and line tie between the different branches their pockets for the big game e in of the service, With fortune varying tore or thent at the end of the run. from one side to the other. No the It hailn't been a good trip for any cavalry leaped ahead, as if emulat- of them,• however, and it just hap - Leg the rush of squadrons ahead in pened that I hadn't any passengerq ever lying around loose. There had been a good deal while'the playing went on. but no one ever knew what became of it. _waazna_ thing _that this 66 fracas with the shooting irons taught me, and that was this. When gam- Mers of the olden days got into such games with no sucker holding a hand, they always agree amongst themselves that they play °a fair, straight game. The boast used to be that when a gambler gave his word to play fair, he did it; but I never took any stock in that.\ con- cluded Graves. Court by Telephone Justice was meted out by long dis- tance telephone from Kalispell, re- cently, when F. Wood of Libby, through hi S attorney, arranged by vrirtzeto pay a fine of $/5 -and costs amounting to $7.50 for violation of the game laws. Wood was charged ttith having killed a fool hen out of season and was' ariested at Kalis- pell at the request of Lincoln county officials. In order to •ftave. time and expense he pleaded guilty, by tele- phone. CAPTAIN GRANT MAltfiH Of the river steamer \Far West,\ who represente.1 the navy in the big game the night before the battle of the Little Big Horn. tit
