The Beauty and Her Fateful Game
Eleanore, whose real name was Simone Jules, was likely born around 1829 in New Orleans. However, when she arrived in the Wild West around 1849, she adopted a new name and claimed her origins in France. At about 20 years old, she embodied a beautiful, mysterious, and incredibly intelligent woman. Despite earning a notable reputation over time, virtually nothing is known about her youth.
The first mentions of Eleanore Dumont begin at the famed hotel and salon Bella Union, where she started working as a dealer. Her specialty was the game vingt-et-un (twenty-one), the predecessor of today's blackjack. Men flocked just to watch her deal cards, enthralled not only by her charm but also by her incredible calm and confidence. She kept a cool head even in the tensest situations, which later led to suspicions of cheating. Although nothing was ever proven, she was dismissed from Bella Union.
Most likely, it was a false accusation by a disgruntled guest who underestimated her skills and was bitter about losing to a woman. Outside Bella Union, Eleanore had a lifelong reputation for fair play. This injustice did not hold her back; she had already saved a modest fortune. Eleanore knew that with her charm and acumen, she could build her own empire. She moved to the gold rush town of Nevada City and opened a salon called "Vingt-et-un."
A Time of Great Success
Her salon was a true rarity. In a town full of rough men, sweat, and dust, she created an oasis of elegance. With gas chandeliers, velvet curtains, and expensive rugs, she attracted men not only to play but also to enjoy the refined atmosphere where rough behavior was left outside the door. Dumont insisted on a strict dress code (jacket, tie, and hat) and forbade swearing, spitting, and, of course, fighting.
Players loved the salon, not just for its luxury or the complimentary glass of champagne on arrival but mainly for the chance to play against the beautiful and enigmatic Madame Dumont. Eleanore was charming and captivating. She could flirt with the players while always maintaining her distance. Men could not resist her charm, as evidenced by a saying of the time: "There is more satisfaction in losing to Madame than winning in any other game." Eleanore wrapped them around her finger, all the while taking their money with a smile and soothing them with her gentle voice.
Her wealth grew, and soon she, along with business partner Dave Tobin, opened a second establishment, Dumont's Palace, where games like faro, poker, roulette, and chuck-a-luck were played. This business also thrived, but as gold reserves in Nevada City dwindled, the miners, along with Eleanore, eventually left the town.
A Dream Turned Nightmare
At that time, Dumont had enough money to attempt a quieter life. However, her dream of living peacefully and wealthily shattered when she fell in love. She moved to Carson City, Nevada, where she bought a ranch. There, she met a polished and charming man named Jack McKnight. Introducing himself as a cattle trader, Jack captivated her so much that she entrusted him with managing her ranch without hesitation. She knew nothing about farming or livestock. Unfortunately, Jack was nothing more than a swindler. Just a month after their meeting, he fled with all her money, sold her ranch, and left her with enormous debts.
Eleanore was devastated, but unbroken. It's said she tracked him down, found him, and didn’t hesitate to use her double-barreled shotgun on him. She was never charged with murder, but allegedly, it was only due to a lack of evidence. Near the end of her life, she supposedly confessed that revenge was sweet and admitted to shooting McKnight, though the full truth remains unknown.
Harsh Lessons of the Wild West
Without money, Eleanore had to return to mining towns and once again resort to gambling. Over the next two decades, she travelled from town to town, trying to rebuild her fortune with cards and charms. However, time is relentless, and while her beauty faded, a dark line of hair above her upper lip became more prominent. This earned her the unflattering nickname Madame Mustache.
The beauty that protected and opened doors for her in her youth was no longer her ally. Men who once tipped their hats to her now had no qualms about cursing and making lewd jokes in her presence. Following her bad experience with McKnight and her declining influence on the opposite sex, Eleanore embraced the toughness of the Wild West. She swapped champagne for whiskey, her language adapted to her surroundings, and she always carried a weapon.
Despite this, her name continued to draw crowds, and legends about her grew. One story claims that after a successful night of gambling, two armed robbers confronted her. Instead of handing over her money, she drew a gun from beneath her dress, shot one, and scared the other away.
Another tale tells of her stopping an incoming steamboat at Fort Benton with two pistols in hand, knowing it carried a smallpox outbreak. She warned the captain that she would shoot him if he docked. Needless to say, the captain quickly turned the ship around.
Her rougher demeanor carried over to her cards. One story recounts how she reportedly whipped a cheating player during a game in Colorado City. On another occasion, she had a patron thrown out just for accusing her of not being French. Her personality became as wild as the land she wandered through.
The Sad End of a Legend
In her later years, she settled in Bodie, California. Though not as famous as in her youth, local newspapers wrote that she "looked as young as ever." However, her influence over men was not the same as before, and in about a year, her funds ran dry.
On that fateful night, she borrowed $300 from a friend to gamble with. Luck wasn’t on her side, and within hours she lost everything. Quietly, without a word, she left the salon. Her body was discovered the next morning (September 8, 1879) about a mile from town. She had consumed wine with morphine. She left a brief note saying, "I am tired of life." Witnesses said she lay on the grass, her head resting on a stone, as if she were sleeping.
Her death shook the entire Wild West. The same gamblers she charmed and took money from with a smile pooled together funds for her burial. Madame Mustache was interred in a section of the cemetery reserved for outcasts and sinners, yet it was the largest funeral Bodie had ever seen. Newspapers nationwide reported on Dumont's death with respect and paid tribute to a woman often said to have "led the fairest life that ever was." Her grave is now lost and unmarked, but her legend will live forever.
Read Also
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The Story of Lottie Deno: The Card Queen of the Wild West
The Story of Kitty Leroy: The Gunslinger and Gambler Shot by Her Own Husband
The Tale of Poker Alice: The Devout Rebel Who Conquered the Wild West
Source: Wikipedia, Legends of America, Find a Grave