Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-02-09
MY FIRST FIGHT WITH THE TIGER

MY FIRST FIGHT WITH THE TIGER
L was only twenty when first went to St.
Louis. ST. Louis is, and was, even then, a
large town It had a good many people in i,
Of all sorts, especially of bad ones. Mind you,
that was long ago. Well, went there. /
never was, as I know Of But -. However,
the reader may judge fog himself Iput up al
the 'frst hotel" I doa't chose to say which
il was, for fear Of consequences Ihad money;
that is, I had six hundred dollars, confided to
me by an indulgent parent for mercantile pur.
poses. The first day spent in "looking
round" and T" taking drinks" The second
day l 'took drinks and didn't look round''
so much. The third day. All thereby
hangs tale Ahem!
The third day, made the acquaintance of
Elverly. Elverly was splendid fellow, and
boarded at my hotel. Elverly was introduced ID
to me by mutual friend whom / did not
know-much-bst believed in great deal
The day wore on, Il believe thatis the proper
expression for saying, at got later.") Sup
per was ready. 1t is, perhaps, needless to say
that we had ''taken drinks's before supper.
Elverly, in the course of cold duck, said
champagne" We did it. When we arose
from supper we were in just the state of mind
to welcome " secession" and bloody time'
generally. Then We "took drink" again.
Then Elverly proposed ''going somewhere" !"
And We uprOariously consented to Ego some
where" When we say zoe, we speak in an
editorial sense, because the crowd was soon re-
duced to Elverly and the subscriber (who
don't subscribe.)
" ell, we tcent somewhere"
: Somewhere where there was long table
and lot of cards pasted on green cloth.
Elverly told me he was going to bet. / said,
"All right" Elverly bet. watched Elverly,
but didn't see anything further resulting from
ha flatt 4 hat l,o haI - c..r
OF cards, scraped up lot of ivory things with
figures on them, and chucked down other SIM
liar ivory things. Well, after a while Elverly
said, "Lend me ten dollars" I had faith in
Elverly-I lent him ten. Then, after another
while, he said, ''Why don't you go in?' had
faith in Elverly; so ,cent in 1 got twenty
dollars (by Elvsrly's advics) changed into
ivory things that Elverly called chips Then
put them down on cards, and between cards,
as Elverly told me. And sometimes took
them up again, with some more ivory things
on them. But generally, didn't.
Then Elverly said:
Let's 60 and take supper"
And we went and took supper. Such a-sup-
per. A-a-a-everything good to eat, and to
drink! That's the best description can give.
Then Elyerly said:
Are you going home already"
And Influenced by the supper, &c. said,
"Of course not" So we went up to the table
with the cards pasted on it again And bet
that is, Elverly bet for me. And got fifty
dollars changed into ivory things and lost 'em.
And got hundred changed into ditto and
lost EN-. And then another; and lost it, Oh,
lost 1t all gradually. But 1 lost it Yes,
sir, lost it, as it were, insensbly, sometimes
getting q streak ahead, sometimes behind.
But lost it Then I counted my money
pretended I wanted to go-out, because I
was too proud to count it before the crowd
And counted it. And had three hundred
dollars left. And small change
And says to myself, I've got enough of this.
And made a motion to 60.
y But Elverly overhsuled me, and, says he
You amt going 90 early'"
Early" says we'll you're right; it is
early; but I've got enough" - s, .-
Well, says he, "I'm sorry if you've been
unlucky; but such is life Let's take part
ing drink 49,.
And l took a-parting drink. -
And that drink knocked me
pledge you my word that don't recollect
a thing after that drink. 1 don't say it was
drugged. wouldn't say it
But awoke the next morning in nv own
hotel-in my own chamber-with all my usual
clothes on the accustomed f.oOr-but wtthont
cent of the six hundred dollars confded to
me by an indulgent parent-and so forth
Some persons might draw a moral from this
true sketch Let them, don't prevent
them. But Tor we-as you please-prefer to
leave il Just as at IS. H..