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.

MY FIRST KENO.

"'Tis not enough to help the feeble up,
But to support him after."

The next day I visited another club-house, where they had keno
going at fifty cents a card. I had seen it before, and took a
great fancy to the game. I inquired how much an outfit would cost.
They said they had two keno sets, and if I wanted one they would
sell it to me for $250.

Now came the tug of war--how to get the keno. I at last thought
of a plan, and that was to borrow the amount of one of the dealers
who had won the $2,000 from me. So I made a bold front and told
him what I wanted to do, and he gave me $300 in cash, saying at
the same time, "Pay me when you are able, as I like to help a young
man who tries to help himself." I bought the keno set, and had
$50 left, which paid all my debts and started me in business.

Cole Martin, one of the men who loaned me the money, said to me:
"Now, after the faro bank closes to-night, at my house, if you
bring your keno over I will help you get up a game." "All right,"
I said; so I took it over, and opened on the billiard tables, and
he brought all of his players into the room, and said, "Let us
start this young man's game." They commenced playing at $1 per
card at twelve o'clock, and at six in the morning they were playing
at $20 per card. I was taking out 10 per cent. They all got stuck.
That night my receipts amounted to $1,300.

The result was they put the carpenters at work to fit up a nice
room for me, and in eight months my part of the game was $33,000.

Then I began to think I was a blooded boy, and soon began to take
the girls out riding and to wine suppers, and to play the bank
higher than a cat's back, as the old keno game was a great producer.

About this time the town of Winona was looking up. There were but
two or three little frame houses, but a great many people got off
there, going back in the country. So I went down there and bought
a raft of great lumber, hired carpenters, and put them to work
building houses. They soon had five or six done, and in about a
week after they were finished, you could stand outside and throw
a big dog through the cracks. But they were full every night at
$1 per head, bringing their own blankets and sleeping on the floor.

I sent and got another keno set, and