Wilson Mizner

Wilson Mizner was one of those wonderful American characters, though he is now mostly forgotten. Once when he was in court accused of some kind of illegality he said something like 'Last night I won $____' and then pointed out to the judge that a professional gambler would have said "Last night I win $____,' so he, Mizner, must not be a professional gambler.
Mizner is author of one of the great quotes: “I respect faith but doubt is what gets you an education.”
Per Wiki:

In 1897, Addison and Wilson, with brothers William and Edgar, travelled north to the Alaska Gold Rush, which they spent bilking miners rather than looking for gold. Wilson operated badger games, managed fighters, robbed a restaurant to get chocolate for his girlfriend "Nellie the Pig" Lamore (saying "Your chocolates or your life!"), and grub-staked prospector Sid Grauman, later of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. He also met Wyatt Earp, who became a lifelong friend.

Read all the Wiki entry here and feel a pang of regret that we don't grow 'em like that these days.