Old El Cortez Leaded TRK - Help Identifying (1 Viewer)

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Saw this eBay description after I realized I had some of them but I’m more confused then ever now.
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Whose William Kriter? What does “intended for a leased table game” mean?
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For what it's worth, the Museum of Gaming History accepts the attribution to the El Cortez as accurate. I can also confirm the published records in The Gaming Table match at least a portion of the attribution to Kriter. The location sent is Reno vs. LV, and the year of issue is listed as 1952 rather than 1954. The Gaming Table has an assumptive notation that these were for a private game rather than a leased game, however it's entirely possible they were used for a leased game, or both.

A leased table game is where the casino owner would lease the operations of a table to an outside party for a cut of the take. It was a way for them to offer additional games like the big wheel game which weren't necessarily active all the time without having to pay someone to actually work the table.

An example in pop culture (and possibly historicaly accurate - not sure on that) was the faro table in Tombstone. The bar owner leased the table to Earp for a cut of the take. Earp then took on the operating risk.
 
William "Bill" Kriter (born William Knight) is a gentleman who was born in the early 1900's an died in the late 1970's. He spent most of the end of his life in Nevada. He was born in Nebraska and grew up on a farm with his parents. Both of his parents were uneducated and he worked hard to obtain an education. During the first world war he was young and tried to join the US Army but was turned down. His father, however, was drafted and fortunately survived and returned to his family. Bill took care of the farm during his absence, but as soon as he returned he went to school at the University of Nebraska and majored in agriculture. He was fascinated by his previous life's work on the farm and really developed an appreciation for livestock. At this point he changed his name from Kight to Kriter as an homage to animals.

As you guys know, the Great Basin is not friendly for most types of agriculture. But what most people don't know is that in the Riparian Community of Nevada there are areas around streams where plant life is abundant. In particular, the willow and silver buffaloberry provides shelter for both beavers and North American porcupines. This is where Bill Kriter made his life's work. He developed alove for porcupines and devoted his life to them. In particular he was fascinated by the porcupine quill. During his studies he met Dan Bailey...one of the most renowned researchers of the North American porcupine. This was the most courteous and polite man that Bill had ever met. They worked together and eventually fell in love in the early 1930's - they were never married as that was not a custom for the times. Unfortunately Dan died about 5 years later when their beloved border collie bit down on one of the porcupines and her mouth became stuck. While Dan was rushing outside to help her he tripped and hit his head on a nearby rock. He was rushed to the hospital, but he died of a brain bleed.

Bill was crushed by this. He gave up his studies of porcupines and moved to Las Vegas. He turned to drinking and gambling his sorrows away; he spent most of his days at El Rancho. One day he got into a fight with a drifter behind the El Rancho - he broke multiple bottles over the man's head while the drifter was unconscious - Bill wasn't sure if he was alive. He was nervous and rushed to find a lawyer. This was when he met JK Houssels. JK settled him down, and they developed a wonderful friendship. JK shared that he was opening up a casino of his own, but he and his partner just couldn't think of a good name. Bill thought of Dan and how courteous and polite he was and then thought of his times at El Rancho. He suggested that the names be combined, thus El Cortez was born. JK was thrilled and wanted to surprise Bill with his own set of poker chips. Bill was thrilled, but he wanted to repay JK. JK wouldn't accept a dime. Bill then offered, "Well at least let me pay for shipping." JK looked up and said....that'll be $3.50.

That was how the set of poker chips came to be. Side story, JK went on to have a healthy lineage. One of his grand nephews was named @Josh Kifer after his initials.
 
William "Bill" Kriter (born William Knight) is a gentleman who was born in the early 1900's an died in the late 1970's. He spent most of the end of his life in Nevada. He was born in Nebraska and grew up on a farm with his parents. Both of his parents were uneducated and he worked hard to obtain an education. During the first world war he was young and tried to join the US Army but was turned down. His father, however, was drafted and fortunately survived and returned to his family. Bill took care of the farm during his absence, but as soon as he returned he went to school at the University of Nebraska and majored in agriculture. He was fascinated by his previous life's work on the farm and really developed an appreciation for livestock. At this point he changed his name from Kight to Kriter as an homage to animals.

As you guys know, the Great Basin is not friendly for most types of agriculture. But what most people don't know is that in the Riparian Community of Nevada there are areas around streams where plant life is abundant. In particular, the willow and silver buffaloberry provides shelter for both beavers and North American porcupines. This is where Bill Kriter made his life's work. He developed alove for porcupines and devoted his life to them. In particular he was fascinated by the porcupine quill. During his studies he met Dan Bailey...one of the most renowned researchers of the North American porcupine. This was the most courteous and polite man that Bill had ever met. They worked together and eventually fell in love in the early 1930's - they were never married as that was not a custom for the times. Unfortunately Dan died about 5 years later when their beloved border collie bit down on one of the porcupines and her mouth became stuck. While Dan was rushing outside to help her he tripped and hit his head on a nearby rock. He was rushed to the hospital, but he died of a brain bleed.

Bill was crushed by this. He gave up his studies of porcupines and moved to Las Vegas. He turned to drinking and gambling his sorrows away; he spent most of his days at El Rancho. One day he got into a fight with a drifter behind the El Rancho - he broke multiple bottles over the man's head while the drifter was unconscious - Bill wasn't sure if he was alive. He was nervous and rushed to find a lawyer. This was when he met JK Houssels. JK settled him down, and they developed a wonderful friendship. JK shared that he was opening up a casino of his own, but he and his partner just couldn't think of a good name. Bill thought of Dan and how courteous and polite he was and then thought of his times at El Rancho. He suggested that the names be combined, thus El Cortez was born. JK was thrilled and wanted to surprise Bill with his own set of poker chips. Bill was thrilled, but he wanted to repay JK. JK wouldn't accept a dime. Bill then offered, "Well at least let me pay for shipping." JK looked up and said....that'll be $3.50.

That was how the set of poker chips came to be. Side story, JK went on to have a healthy lineage. One of his grand nephews was named @Josh Kifer after his initials.
Okay guys. We're good here. I can officially turn off the internet.
 
For what it's worth, the Museum of Gaming History accepts the attribution to the El Cortez as accurate. I can also confirm the published records in The Gaming Table match at least a portion of the attribution to Kriter. The location sent is Reno vs. LV, and the year of issue is listed as 1952 rather than 1954. The Gaming Table has an assumptive notation that these were for a private game rather than a leased game, however it's entirely possible they were used for a leased game, or both.

A leased table game is where the casino owner would lease the operations of a table to an outside party for a cut of the take. It was a way for them to offer additional games like the big wheel game which weren't necessarily active all the time without having to pay someone to actually work the table.

An example in pop culture (and possibly historicaly accurate - not sure on that) was the faro table in Tombstone. The bar owner leased the table to Earp for a cut of the take. Earp then took on the operating risk.
William "Bill" Kriter (born William Knight) is a gentleman who was born in the early 1900's an died in the late 1970's. He spent most of the end of his life in Nevada. He was born in Nebraska and grew up on a farm with his parents. Both of his parents were uneducated and he worked hard to obtain an education. During the first world war he was young and tried to join the US Army but was turned down. His father, however, was drafted and fortunately survived and returned to his family. Bill took care of the farm during his absence, but as soon as he returned he went to school at the University of Nebraska and majored in agriculture. He was fascinated by his previous life's work on the farm and really developed an appreciation for livestock. At this point he changed his name from Kight to Kriter as an homage to animals.

As you guys know, the Great Basin is not friendly for most types of agriculture. But what most people don't know is that in the Riparian Community of Nevada there are areas around streams where plant life is abundant. In particular, the willow and silver buffaloberry provides shelter for both beavers and North American porcupines. This is where Bill Kriter made his life's work. He developed alove for porcupines and devoted his life to them. In particular he was fascinated by the porcupine quill. During his studies he met Dan Bailey...one of the most renowned researchers of the North American porcupine. This was the most courteous and polite man that Bill had ever met. They worked together and eventually fell in love in the early 1930's - they were never married as that was not a custom for the times. Unfortunately Dan died about 5 years later when their beloved border collie bit down on one of the porcupines and her mouth became stuck. While Dan was rushing outside to help her he tripped and hit his head on a nearby rock. He was rushed to the hospital, but he died of a brain bleed.

Bill was crushed by this. He gave up his studies of porcupines and moved to Las Vegas. He turned to drinking and gambling his sorrows away; he spent most of his days at El Rancho. One day he got into a fight with a drifter behind the El Rancho - he broke multiple bottles over the man's head while the drifter was unconscious - Bill wasn't sure if he was alive. He was nervous and rushed to find a lawyer. This was when he met JK Houssels. JK settled him down, and they developed a wonderful friendship. JK shared that he was opening up a casino of his own, but he and his partner just couldn't think of a good name. Bill thought of Dan and how courteous and polite he was and then thought of his times at El Rancho. He suggested that the names be combined, thus El Cortez was born. JK was thrilled and wanted to surprise Bill with his own set of poker chips. Bill was thrilled, but he wanted to repay JK. JK wouldn't accept a dime. Bill then offered, "Well at least let me pay for shipping." JK looked up and said....that'll be $3.50.

That was how the set of poker chips came to be. Side story, JK went on to have a healthy lineage. One of his grand nephews was named @Josh Kifer after his initials.
I have no words so I'll just say, thank you. Both of you, thank you. :D
 

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