Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-09-13
EVENING STAR.
AN ALLEeHANY GAME OF POKER.
BY JOHN OF YORK.

AN ALLEGHANY GAME OF POKER
BY JOHN OF YORK.
Meeting an old acquaintance from Elk
county, Pa, during the week, and con-
versing about persons and matters in
that wild region, brought to my mind
circumstance that is worth the printing.
if l succeed in telling it properly. Elk,
Clear6eld, M'Kean, Warren and Jefferson
counties lie upon the head waters of the
Susquehanna and Allegheny rivers, and
the principal product of the extire region
is lumber, in one shape or another. Hun
dreds of mills send the result of their
rattling, and chatting. and tearing, down
the hundred smaller arms Of the great
river to certain ports, where the small
RATS are joined and made into large ones,
and then float majestically down the
broad river to the very levees of New
Orleans. In olden times the river, when
cup" would be literally covered with
the RATS and fat-boats, but the steam
boats have ran off the "Broadhorns,"
though they do not as yet interfere with
the lumbermen.
To one who is fond of startling incl
dents, endless variety, and just enough
of real danger to season excitement, q
trip down either of the rivers l have
named is something to be remembered
with pleasurable emotions for lifetime.
1 was once "portion" of the staving
of raft in attempting to 60 through
schute with twelve foot Golfer dam at
its head, that I wouldn't swap off now
for another Cherubusco. Every platform
parted company with its neighbor, and
every man and boy THAT was me- mounted
his platform, save one-a neat little gen.
tleman, weighing about three hundred
and twenty pounds. He had hold of the
tail of the stern oar, and was thrown out
of the schute twenty feet in the air, and
landed upon the edge of the big dam,
where he didn't remain long, if 1 know
myself intimately, for there was rather
strong body of water rolling over there.
When the rest of us had got our bodies
in safe positions upon our several plat
forms-and they were ss eccentric as any
of the political platforms of the day.
we began to look about for each other.
All were in sight except old D., and
we had little difficulty in making up our
minds that he had "gone in" But he
hadn't-not a bit of it. Some of the
party went down to an island, twelve
miles distant, the next day, to look for
scattering lumber, and the first object
they met there was old D, in a fine
state of preservation.
But | must not get away from nv sto-
ry i'll this way. In the fall of the wear
As happened to be sort of delegate
to represent, in part, a considerable DOR
ton OF the commercial community of
Pittsburg, known as the Board of Trade,
IN railroad convention to be held in
Elk county. There was fall " fresh" )"
and lumber was coming down the river
in vast fleets. There was a little, old,
ricketty steamer plying between Pitts
burg and Waterson's, place somewhere
on The Allegheny river, about the head
of navigation for the rafting season
only.
At the time l passed up the river it
was doing perfect "land office" busi.
ness, taking on all the freight and pas
sengers that could be raised. found
myself about the last to get on board.
and of course without berth. How
was the night to be put in2 That cues.
tion was running around the small rooms
in the garret of my "gourd," when an
old acquaintance turned up in the person
of MIR. Silas Bibling, one of the pioneers
OF Allegheny rafting, and, withal, about
as well educated for that sort of travel as
any | have ever met with. had been
at his house in Mexican county, fished.
hunted, and fought punkies" of nights,
often in years ssSne alone.
uoin up to our bunk 2" he inquired,
after the usual salutations had passed.
L told him my errand, and as he lived
upon the line of the road the convention
was intended to promote, (the Sunbury
and Erie) he entered into the subject
with muchr interest, and we remained
learing On the guard until we had fairly
talked out the daylight.
All around the deck, wherever q goods
box or bale of any sort of fabrics could
be we'll arranged, parties were busily en-
gagged playing the popular game of" po-
ker," the ventures being generally low,
RAINING from copper " anty" to a plea.
yune Most of those engaged in this
sort of pastime were raftsmen, who were
risking the little they had made by their
hard labor on the trip down, with the
hope of adding to it. But it was easy
for one who had seen the animal to dis.
cover that scattered around, among the
mountain men, were few sc River Rats. :"
who follow the boats for the purpose of
picking the verdant, and relieving them
of their loose change. Old Si'-fcr
that is the only name he goes by at home
was not an inattentive spectator of
these amusements. If tradition speaks
truly, he had frequently been known to
return to Cincinnati with a deal more
money than his lumber amounted to.
Then there was quietly whispered yarns
of bis smartness in the handling of cards,
and of his having an unaccountable way
of knowing to a dot exactly what his
opponent held in his hand. Gf course
these whisperings were Considered with
4 good deal of allowance by most people,
though every tody yielded to old 81 the
palm of being the keenest card player in
the wild cat de-strict.
" Did you notice them two fellers in
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