USA > California > Santa Barbara County > History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 20
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NEW ALLEGIANCE.
discussion continued until Saturday night, March 3d. Congress expired by limitation, March 4th. Some of the Senators, among whom was Senator Foot of Mississippi, denied that Congress was in session, and asserted that it had expired. that the members were only a mob without authority, but Congress adjourned to meet on Sunday. The appropriation bill and the bill for providing a Government for California had been tacked to each other; a method of legislation sometimes adopted to move a stubborn minority. On Sunday a taeit understanding was had, the meas- ures were separated, and both were passed. Ports of entry were provided for, and the boundaries of the territory were established.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
Not much was expected of Congress in view of the divergeney of the opinions of the members, and pub- lie meetings were held in different places to consider the necessity of a more thorough organization. Gov- ernor Riley issued a proclamation, as he said, by the advice of the President, calling for a Convention to be held at Monterey, September 1st. The number of delegates was fixed at thirty-seven, and the members were apportioned as well as circumstances would admit. The vote was exceedingly small, and the assumed name of "Territorial Convention" seemed a burlesque, but the members met according to the call. Many men, afterwards famous in the history of Cal- ifornia, were present, among whom where II. W. Halleck, John A. Sutter, Thomas O. Larkin, Charles T. Botts, John McDougal, General Covarrubias, Pablo de la Guerra, General Vallejo, and Dr. Gwin. W. E. P. Hartnell was made interpreter; J. Ross Brown, official reporter. Notwithstanding the multitude of orators, the business of the Convention went stead- ily on. To Mr. Shannon belongs the eredit of intro- ducing the artiele which was destined to keep Cali- fornia still longer out of the Union, and help bring on the great and inevitable struggle, which even then was looming up in the politieal horizon, which pro- vided that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servi- tude, except for the punishment of crime, shall ever be tolerated in this State." For once, in the world, this sentiment did not prodnee an angry debate, being passed in the committee of the whole unanimously, though a desperate effort was made to prohibit the immigration of free negroes. An effort was made, also, to make the proposed State inelnde what has since been incorporated into a half dozen States, including Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Ne- vada, as well as Utah, and New Mexico. This, it seems, was designed to prevent the agitation of slavery in Congress.
A day for an election was appointed, and the Con- stitution adopted by a vote of 12,064 for, and 811 against. This was a much smaller vote than was expected, and was accounted for by a drenehing rain, which kept the people away from the polls.
A month after the adoption of the Constitution,
the first Legislature met at San Jose, which was made the capital. On the third day of the session, the two houses met in joint convention to elect Sena- tors. Fremont was elected on the first ballot, and Wm. M. Gwin on the third ballot. In determining for the longer or shorter term, the latter fell to Fremont.
FIGIIT OVER THE ADMISSION.
Fremont and Gwin went to Washington, asking admittance for California into the family of States. The prohibition of slavery raised a contest which seemed for a while likely, not only to keep California out of the Union, but to dissolve that Union itself. Though the acquisition of territory was ostensibly made for the extension of the area of freedom, the real purpose was known to be the extension of slave territory, and the perpetuation of the pro-slavery dominion; hence the agitation which followed the defeat of their project. Never were the sources of power and the nature of our Government more ably discussed. In this discussion the nature of the Consti- tution, its relation to States, the relation of States to each other, the rights of citizens in States and Terri- tories, were found to be very differently considered by different portions of the Union, as each were inter- ested in the result. Congress spent four months wrangling over the question, and California was finally admitted by making a conditional compromise on several other bills, the opposition all coming from the slave-holding States. Little did the hundred thousand immigrants, who were coming to California by land and sea that summer, dream of the terrible strain the structure of our Ship of State was under- going. The storm passed over, and peace, for another decade, rested on the land.
ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA.
The boundaries, as determined at the first session of the Legislature, were :-
" Beginning on the sea coast at the mouth of the creek called Santa Maria, and running up the middle of said creek to its source; thence due northeast to the summit of the Coast Range, the farm of Santa Maria falling within Santa Barbara County; thence following the summit of the Coast Range to the northwest corner of Los Angeles County; thence along the northwestern boundary of said county to the ocean, and three English miles therein; and thenee in a northwesterly direction parallel with the coast, to a point due west of the month of Santa Maria Creek, which was the place of beginning, including the islands of Santa Barbara, San Nicolas, San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and all others in the vicinity. Santa Barbara shall be the county seat."
The machinery of the county government went into operation in August, 1850. Joaquin Carrillo was County Judge. The first matter before him as Judge of the Probate Court was the estate of James Scott, deceased, who was a partner of Captain Willson in trade. The will was approved, and Pablo de la
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HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.
Guerra and N. A. Den were appointed appraisers of the cstate. J. W. Burroughs acted as sheriff, county auditor, coroner, and justice of the peace.
Henry A. Tefft took his seat as Judge of the Sec- ond Judicial District, August 5, 1850. John M. Hud- dars acted as Clerk. Eugene Lies, of New York, was admitted to practice, and was sworn in as inter- preter and translator. A demand was made of the Alcalde, Joaquin de la Guerra, for the records of the Court of the First Instance, which was refused, for some reason, José de la Guerra y Noriega having heen the Judge. It is quite likely that the Castilian contempt for the new Court which was set up super- seding the old authorities, may have been the cause. N. A. Den was made foreman of the first Grand Jury, the names of which were not given. At a session held April 7, 1851, a better record was kept.
Grand Jury impanelled: Antonio Arrellanes, John Kays, Rafael Gonzales, Octaviano Gutierrez, Man- uel Cota, Raymundo Olivera, Esteban Ortega, Geo. Nidever, Augustus F. Hinchman, José Lorenzano, Juan Rodriguez, Cevero Encinas, Robert Parks, John Davis, Juan Rodriguez, Ygnacio Ortega, Antonio Maria Ortega, Simon B. Steere, Raymundo Carrillo, Juan Sanchez, Daniel A. Hill, Ramon Gonzales. Ex- cused from serving, Antonio Maria Ortega, Guillermoe Carrillo, Edward S. Hoar, A. F. Hinchman, José Car- rillo, Lewis T. Burton, Augustine Janssens, Joaquin Carrillo, Vicente Hill. The following persons were fined $25.00 for not answering to their names. An- tonio de la Guerra, Jose Antonio de la Guerra, Luis Carrillo, Antonio Rodriguez, Teodoro Arrellanes, Gas- par Oreña, José de Jesus Carrillo, and Juan Camarillo. In the case of the People vs. Francisco Romeo et. al. the defendants having escaped from custody the wit- nesses were discharged, and the sureties relieved. It is said that the jail was a most convenient affair. To get rid of a troublesome man it was only necessary to put him in jail for some little offense, when he would break and leave for good. The grand jury found indictments against Francisco Figueroa and Guadalupe Sanchez for murder, and made a present- ment or complaint of the jail as unfit for use, and adjourned.
Edward S. Hoar, brother of the famous Massachu- setts Senator, was appointed District Attorney. The records of this Court were kept for some months in a pocket memorandum, and were carried around in a coat pocket by the Clerk who fished and hunted abalone shells. In fact all of the county records were very badly kept for a time as the history will show.
The Court ordered a county seal described as fol- lows :-
" Around the margin the words, County Court of Santa Barbara County, with the following device in the center: A female figure holding in her right hand a balance, and in her left a rod of justice; above the figure a rising sun, and below, the letters CAL."
Pablo de la Guerra was the first State Senator, and J. M. Covarrubias and Henry Carnes the first Assem- blymen.
BUSINESS MATTERS.
Licenses for doing business were granted as fol- lows :-
No. 1. John A. Vidal & Co., August 23d, to retail liquors.
No. 2. Luis Burton, August 23d, merchandise and liquors.
No. 3. Francisco Caballero, August 23d, retail liquors.
No. 4. Francisco Leiba, August 23d, retail liquors.
No. 5. Pascal Bottilleas, August 24th, retail liquors.
No. 6. Isaac J. Sparks, August 24th, general mer- chandise.
No. 7. John Todd, August 24th, liquors.
No. 8. John Kays, August 24th, merchandise and liquors.
No. 9. José de la Guerra, August 26th, liquors
No. 10. W. A. Streeter, San Buenaventura, August 27th, merchandise and liquors.
No. 11. Ramon Valdez, August 27th, liquors.
No. 12. Juan Camarillo, August 28th, liquors.
No. 13. Francisco Badillo, September 2d, liquors.
No. 14. Miguel Unzuela, September 7th, circus
No. 15. Don Pablo Blancaste, September 10th, gen- eral merchandise.
No. 16. Circus Co., September 14th, Sunday exhi- bitions.
No. 17. Felipe Figueroa, September 17th, liquors.
No. 18. Circus Co., September 21st, exhibition.
No. 19. Juan Ruiz, September 29th, puppets (jitines).
No. 20. Circus Co., September 30, exhibition.
No. 21. Señora Sierra Jonseca, October 1st, mer- chandise.
No. 22. Señora Palty y Torres, October 14th, gen- eral merchandise.
No. 23. Garino Duarte, October 15th, general mer- chandise.
No. 24. Francisco Valdez, October 24th, general merchandise.
No. 25. Ignacio Ortega, October 25th, liquors.
No. 26. John A. Vidal, October 26, liquors.
No. 27. Francisco Valdez, November 1st, liquors.
No. 28. Victor Juanes, November 1st, general merchandise.
No. 29. Gaspar de Oreña November 5th, liquors.
No. 30. Francisco Pico, November 25th, liquors.
No. 31. Pascal Bottilleas November 25th, liquors.
No. 32. Francisco Leiba, November 25th, liquors.
No. 33. John Todd, November 25th, liquors.
No. 34. Domingo Sierra, December 1st, general merchandise.
No. 35. José Lorenzano, December 24, liquors.
No. 36. Juan Camarillo, December 24th, liquors.
No. 37. José Antonio Valdina, December 26th, li- quors.
No. 38. Francisco Badillo, December 26th, liquors.
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NEW ALLEGIANCE
No. 39. Blas Garcia, January 4. 1851, liquors.
No. 40. Antonio Flores, January 6th, liquors.
No. 41. Morritz Goldstein, January 14th, general merchandise.
No. 42. Morritz Goldstein, January 18th, general merchandise and liquors.
No. 43. William Hatch, January 21st, general mer- chandise.
No. 44. Francisco Badillo, January 22d, liquors.
No. 45. Manuel Rodriguez de Poli, January 22d, general merchandise.
No. 46. Manuel Rodriguez de Poli, January 22d, general merchandise and liquors.
No. 47. Manuel Anguesola, Jannary 22d, liquors. No. 48. Rimon Valdez, January 24th, liquors.
No. 49. Juan Camarillo. January 30th, liquors.
No. 50. Morritz Goldstein, February 15th, general merchandise.
No. 51. Luis Fleeshman, February 22d, general merchandise.
No. 52. Luis Fleeshman, February 22d, general merchandise and liquors.
SANTA BARBARA A THIRSTY TOWN.
Of the fifty licenses, issued from August to Febru- ary, thirty-two were for the sale of liquors. As a general thing, the Californians were not addicted to excessive drinking. The simple methods of living, the mild climate, and plenty of vigorous out-door exercise had not educated the stomachs of the people to the morbid desire for artificial stimulants charac- teristie of the Americans. When they took a social drink, they usually bought a glass of aguadiente, and each took a sip. When, for the first time, a crowd of Americans came to a saloon, and demanded each a glass of liquor, the astonishment of the native, who often had but one glass, knew no bounds; he would rush out to his neighbors to borrow theirs, and tell them of the terrible Los Americanos who would swallow, at a gulp, a glass of fiery whisky. They soon learned, however, the capacity of the American stomach for whisky, and provided proper accommo- dations. The number bearing the names of the first families who engaged in the liquor trade, is rather notable.
PERSONS ENGAGED IN BUSINESS.
Some took out licenses for three months, and renewed them at the end of the time. During the year 1851, the following persons were in trade of some kind :-
Pascal Bottilleas, Domingo Sierra, Francisco Caballero, Fernando Tico, John Fitle, Ygnacio Adaro, Gaspar Oreña, Policarpio Lopez, Juan de Dias Bravo, Ramon Valdez, Leonardo Luco, Emanuel Block, M. Pauli Schultz, José Lorenzano, - B. H. Reed, Morris & Co., José Valdez, Lewis T. Burton, Nicholas Den, Isaac J. Sparks, John Kays, Juan Camarillo, Santiago Unda, Jose Girand, Joaquin Armat, Augustin Janssens, L. B. Steere, Jesus Flores,
Francisco Pico, Francisco Leyba, Juan Ilippolyte, Manuel de Poli, Pedro de Ancolar, Lee & Story, Janssens & Valdina, Matilda Ynez, Pedro de Aeblar, Manuel Morrilles, José Jesus Cordero, Faust & Adler, John Richardson, William Buttler, B. Tannebaum, Elihu Hernandez, Roman Viabla, G. Newman, Anas- taeio Flores, Ventura Pieo, Egenia Garcia, Harris Levy, W. H. Harmon & Co., David Edwards, Apolo- nio Pico, Leandro Saing, Sanchez & Co., José Maria Moreno, Dolores Orchoa, W. Hammond & Co., Gold- berg & Co., Charles Schachne, Vicente de Feliz, Luis Cranthal, Antonio Peralta, Toby Scherwinsky, Domingo Davila, Jacob Fitzgerald.
LAND SALES.
Previous to the advent of the Americans, a sale or purchase of land was very rare. Soon, however, it became a common matter. Among the first was that of the tract called Cocheno, by Nicholas A. Den to Daniel Hill, September 10, 1851; consideration, $1,000.
October 13, 1851, Anastacio Carrillo and Conces- sion Garcia to Isaac J. Sparks, part of the Rancho Puenta de la Concepcion, containing 13,320 acres; consideration, $2,400.
J. M. Covarrubias and wife to Pablo de la Guerra, one-half the San Carlos Jonata, including all the cattle on the land; consideration, $25,000.
December 31, 1851, Francisco Villa de Dominguez to Charles Fremont, Rancho San Lonidio; considera- tion $2,000.
December 30, 1851, Francisco de la Guerra to James B. Bolton, southeastern half of the island of Santa Cruz; consideration, $13,000.
COUNTY OFFICERS.
Considerable confusion existed as to county officers, under the new government. Sometimes persons were elected who were utterly incompetent, and would not qualify. The Americans who understood the machinery of courts, were few, while the voters who knew nothing about law, other than the dicta- tion of a powerful family, were many. The follow- ing items from the records will give an idea of the "rotation in office" during this period :-
Antonio Rodriguez gave bonds as Justice of the Peace, for $5,000.
E. S. Hoar, County Assessor, in 1851.
Raymundo Carrillo, Notary Publie, May 12, 1851. A. F. Hinchman, Justice of the Peace, 1851.
J. W. Burroughs, elected Sheriff, 1851; J. W. Bur- roughs, appointed County Recorder, September 3, 1851; J. W. Burroughs, appointed Justice of the Peace, September 16, 1851.
Manuel J. Cota, appointed Justice of the Peace, February 25, 1852.
John A. Vidal, appointed Justice of the Peace, March 10, 1852.
Antonio Rodriguez, appointed Justice of the Peace, March 17, 1852.
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HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.
C. E. Huse, appointed County Clerk, April 14, 1852.
J. W. Burroughs, appointed County Treasurer, April 14, 1852.
José Carrillo, Justice of the Peace, appointed April 26, 1852.
Francisco de la Guerra, appointed County Assessor by County Judge, Joaquin Carrillo, April 14, 1852.
José Moraga, appointed Justice of the Peace, April 28. 1852.
January 23, 1852, J. W. Burroughs aeted as County Clerk; A. F. Hinchman, Deputy.
July 5, 1852, Henry Carnes acted as Distriet Judge in place of Judge Teffts who was drowned at Port Harford while trying to land, to hold Court at San Luis Obispo.
Pedro C. Carrillo, Justice of the Peace, August 9, 1852.
Charles Fernald appointed Sheriff by Court of Sessions, August 9, 1852, to fill the place of Valen- tine Hearne, who resigned.
Manuel Gonzales, Vieente Moraga, and Fernando Tieo, Constables in San Buenaventura, August 23, 1852.
COUNTY OFFICERS ELECTED NOVEMBER 2, 1852.
J. M. Covarrubias and A. F. Hinchman, Assembly- men; Pablo de la Guerra, Senator; William Twist, Sheriff; Francisco de la Guerra, Assessor; Vitus Wrackenreuder, Surveyor; J. W. Burroughs, Clerk and Recorder; Charles Fernald, Distriet Attorney; Raymundo Carrillo, Public Administrator; Francis J. Maguire, Justiee of the Peace, Township No. 2.
November 8, 1852, J. M. Covarrubias, County Clerk; Vitus Wrackenreuder, Deputy.
Raymundo Carrillo, was appointed County Treas- urer by Court of Sessions, December 6, 1852.
DELINQUENT TAX-PAYERS.
Taxes were not paid more promptly then than now. Manuel Cota, owner of the San Domingo Rancho, of 13,320 aeres, valued at $10,000, improvements, $1,000, was delinquent on $103.12}; property three times exposed for sale with no buyers.
John Temple, 4,440 aeres, Ex-Mission Purissima, valued at $1,200, taxes, $19.50; three times exposed for sale, without buyers.
January 26, 1852, Joaquin Carrillo resigned as County Judge, to accept of the position of Judge of the Second Judicial Distriet, which position he held for fourteen years.
August 17, 1853, the assessment on Teodoro Arrellanes' personal property was raised $10,000.
THE SAN GABRIEL AFFAIR.
Two men left the steamer Savannah at San Diego, on its way up the coast, for the purchase of cattle, having considerable sums of money with them. When camped near the San Gabriel River, they were murdered by Zavaleta and another native, the murderers making their way to Santa Barbara,
where they commenced spending money very freely among the lowest houses. A copy of the Los Angeles Star, giving a description of the murderers, was brought into town, and they were recognized and arrested by a number of eitizens acting with the Sheriff, Valentine Hearne. It is said that the Amer- icans were more than willing to assist in arresting criminals, provided they were Mexicans, while the natives themselves were considerable less than will- ing to arrest their own countrymen accused of crime. After the arrest, without a warrant, and, perhaps, on what then seemed insufficient evidence, the chief families, among whom was Captain Noriega, pro- tested against the summary treatment of the men. Serious ill-feeling resulted between the law-and-order party, as the natives and their Ameriean friends called themselves, and the boys on the other part. A mounted guard of twenty-five men was made up to accompany the men baek to Los Angeles, among whom were the following persons, Henry Carnes being the Commander: John Bowers, P. H. Dun, John Dun, John Scollan, Thomas Ganon, Valentine Hearne, - Carter, John Robinson, John Vidal, Theodore McCarty, Thomas Martin, Theodore Smith, and Geo. D. Fisher.
A semi-official demand was made upon the town of Santa Barbara for horses, with threats of retaliation if the horses were not forthcoming. The horses were furnished. (See account of the proceedings on the bills in Court of Sessions, October 11th.) The men confessed the murder, even to the details, and pointed out the place where the bodies were buried. The people of the town (Los Angeles) took the men to Castle Hill and hung them, the guard of twenty- five staying until the work was done. Hearne was Sheriff, and his part of the transaction not pleasing Dr. Den and the de la Guerras, who were his prin- eipal sureties, they withdrew from his bonds, thus forcing him to resign. W. W. Twist, a native of Nova Scotia, and, as some say, not a eitizen, was appointed to succeed Hearne.
THE ARROYO BURRO AFFAIR.
The American population were not always dis- posed to aequiesee in the large land holdings of the natives, and of the Americans who had intermarried among them. John Vidal, a member of Carnes' Company, of the Stevenson Regiment, was one of the dissatisfied. He had rented for a time a tract of land on the Arroyo Burro, a small ereek which runs into the ocean, west of Santa Barbara. When the lease expired he elaimed the land under the pre- emption laws as Government land. Suit was brought in the proper courts, and the title adjudged to rest in Dr. Den, of whom Vidal had rented. The Sheriff (Twist) was ordered by the courts to oust Vidal and put Den in possession. Vidal was known to have many friends among the gamblers, who often num- bered a score or more, among whom was the, even then, notorious Jack Powers, and the matter of dis-
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NEW ALLEGIANCE.
possessing Vidal was considered hazardous. Whether wisely or not, Twist called out a posse comitatus to execute the writ of ejectment. The people began to take sides as they favored the gamblers or the law-and-order, or respectable party. Vidal's friends gathered to the place in dispute and fortified it, with the determination of holding the ground at all haz- ards. It is said by some of the partisans of Vidal that the presence of his friends at the Arroyo Burro was merely friendly; that no resistance to the law was contemplated. Some 200 men were enlisted in the posse comitatus, and an hour set for the departure of the army the next morning. A surgeon (Dr. Brinkerhoff ) was employed to accompany the force. The party was to assemble at the Egerea House, then used as a Court House, at 9 o'clock. A small cannon was on the plaza, to be taken and used if necessary in knocking down the fortifications. Before the party had assembled Vidal and some of his com- panions came riding up as if to commence the fight there. Old residents differ materially as to the inci- dents. Some say that Vidal had come to avert the war or affect a compromise; that he stayed in town all night to answer a summons if need be; while others say that his whole party had come out from the fort that morning with the intention of captur- ing the cannon and thus break up the proposed attack. As Vidal came riding up, two men, one called " Little Mickey," and the other a short, swarthy Spaniard almost covered with a serape, las- soed the cannon and commenced to drag it away. It is said that Mickey was drunk, and that this part of the affair was mere fun or bravado on his part. Whatever it might be, Twist fired upon them, and firing immediately became general. Vidal was shot, by whom is unknown, but he fell from his horse near where Rhynerson's Mills are. The swarthy man in the serape drew a long knife from his belt and rushed at Twist, and apparently plunged the knife through him. The knife was turned by a rib and the wound did not prove dangerous. Twist, however, shot his assailant dead. A running fight ensued for a few minutes, without any more seri- ous casualties. Vidal lived fourteen days, without being able to speak, attended by Dr. Brinkerhoff. He had a ring on his finger, which he was evidently anxious to leave to some one, but he was never able to say to whom and it was buried with him. Vidal was much the best of the party, and seems to have been almost forced into the affair by his companions. He was a Justice of the Peace at the time of his death, and had been Associate Justice with Joaquin Carrillo. In a well-settled community he would undoubtedly have been a valuable citizen. Twist soon recovered.
The affair caused a great deal of excitement, and there was serious talk of driving out the whole gang of " hounds," as they were sometimes called. The slightest affair would now have produced a bitter and
relentless war between the Powers crowd and the de la Guerra party. Pablo de la Guerra went to the fort the next day with a flag of truce, and induced Powers and the others who were with him to submit to the legal authorities, and the affair ended. though, by the advice of the de la Guerras, the citizens of Santa Barbara generally remained in their houses the following evening. The next morning a ship-of- war was found anchored in the offing, having sailed from Monterey the day before to enforce order if necessary.
The land in dispute was afterwards pronounced public ground, but the courts were undoubtedly cor- rect in deciding that Vidal was a naked trespasser, the adverse party having had peaccable possession for years, a fact acknowledged by Vidal in the pay- ment of rent for it.
GAMBLING.
The discovery of gold and its casy acquisition, by almost every one, made a harvest for gamblers. It is said that every one gambled. This was not quite true; bnt a stranger looking through the town would think that it was the principal business of the inhabitants. This was not true of Santa Barbara more than other California towns. From Siskiyou to San Diego, the abundance of gold had the same effect, to demoralize man, and make him seek fortune by chance, rather than hard work. Mining itself, is, or was, a kind of gambling. No amount of experience would insure one against ill-luck, and sometimes the greenest boy would " strike it rich." A few days' work in the mines sometimes resulted in acquiring thousands of dollars. Would not a successful run on a monte bank do the same? So those who were constitutionally disinclined to work, would risk dol- lars in the hope of making their thousands. Gold was seen everywhere in glittering piles, to tempt the weak. Men gambled then, who have since sat high in the councils of the nation. Merchants, who in the East would as soon have stolen money, as gamble for it, would first risk a quarter on a card for fun, then a dollar to see how their luck run, and in a little while were as keen gamblers as though they had run on a Mississippi steamer for years. Preachers, find- ing their profession at a discount, would lay aside their prayers and deal a monte game. The lawyer without briefs thought gambling a brief way to fort- une. The ranchero, who spent a dull life among his herds liked the excitement, and so nearly all gambled more or less. Gold lay in thousands upon the table, and the reckless and thoughtless helped to swell the piles to a greater size. Strange theories were in circulation about the chances of winning. The theory of chances by a mathematician and an enthusiastic votary of the card-table would not har- monize. A favorite rule was, double your bet every time you lose and you are certain to get your money back and eventually break the bank. This is trne; but the certainty of breaking, even a small bank,
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