The mountain Democrat., 1864-08-06
Prom The New YUTh Spirited the Times,
oLO HEG WINNIE, OF ARKANSAS.
Among the old settlers of Arkansas

among the old settlers OF Arkansas
we mean the real old settlers-was Uncle
Ben Winnie, as he was universally called
by the young, and most everybody else.
Uncle Ben had had hard time of it, as
he said, from the beginning of his exis-
tence. lie had in early life been RATS
man, then a keel boatman, and then q
sort Of third mate on one of the first
steamers that started on the "Massissip,"
and finally he "pre-emptied" on the gov
ernUent land and set himself up for a reg
ular sovereign. In the course Of time
Uncle Winnie found himself the keeper
Of a tavern, and it was at his house where
was performed, for the first time, the
"Old Arkansaw Traveller" Uncle Win
MES customers, Of course, were compare
lively few and far between, but he took
good care of all that came under his roof !;
and if his hog, hominy, "bar meat" and
sweet potatoes were rathe" roughly done
up, he managed, by bluff way of his
own, and a variety Of "reminiscences of
his early days, to season his constantly
presented viands, and you made hearty
meal without noticing particularly of
what its dishes were composed. AS the
farms increased, Uncle Winnie's house
became the headquarters Of the sparse
population, and among the Improve.
ments" introduced, as a consequence of
this new order Of things, was the frequent
meeting of card parties. At first Uncle
i Winnie rather discouraged this style of
amusement, but he finally fell into the
humors Of his friends, and, much to his
surprise, found out that in his long fat
boat trips from Pittsburg to New Orleans,
he had, to while away the time, learned
to hardle "the picters" with q skill that
soon became the talk Of the neighborhood.
This gave new zest for the thing, and
"the boys" usually made it business to
back up" against Uncle Winnie, but he
came off with flying colors, and, at last,
attained a notorcty that was known from
Little Rock way up to the Chickasaw Ma.
tion. 1t was Uncle Winnie, in fact, who
first inu reduced draw poker" in those
upper regions. and he also did much to
give the present finish to the different
games known under the name of "brag.
I But Uncle Winnie, for all this, was a
straightforward, honest man, never pro.
posed in his slife a game himself, and
woud have gone one year after another
without thinking about cards, if he were
not drawn into the game by his custom
erS and friends; and yet, so thoroughly
was his conversation seasoned with fig
urcs Of speech picked up at the table, and
from those who INDUCED in gaming, that
he rarely spoke two consecutive sentences
without one of them smelling strongly of
the shop. We remember the fact that q
venerable and worldwide. known Bishop,
travelling from Tennessee TO Louisiana,
stopped over night at Cncc- Winnie -
The old man had great respect for the
bishop, and after supper he sat himself
down, and highly grauhcd his "o!d wo.
man" by listening to n long talk about
the "neccSSily Of being saved" Uncle
Winnie every now and then Ginning in
with a commentary as follows:
THAT'S light Bishop; the devil goes
about. as YOU say, with pack of marked
cards in his pocket, and will cheat whJ.
ever plays with him.
That's right, Bishop, an honest life,
when you are played out, is braggin'
hand, all aces nothing can beat it,"
That's right, Bishop; rcvcr knowcd
a man that cheated that didn't get caught
at last, and perhaps lynchcd, or at least
put OH the boat at the first wood-yayd."
That's right, Bishop; the Bible is a
truup- thar's no mistake about that"
In the course Of time Uncle Winnic's 5
oldest son, boy Of some eighteen years
ofaGe, was most cXpectediy invited to
lot thr,, IL, of 'H.voe
A distant relative, who desired an assist.
ant, offered great inducements. and Win
lie junior, a real chip Of the old block,
and a real honor to Arkansas, made his
preparations for the first time to leave
home. His mother treated the thing a
good deal as all mothers do, and filed up
the time before his departure with crying,
packing up a trunk, and making cake
fiXins.' Old Winnie took most grasp.
ing and philosophical view Of the matter
He remarked that life was pack Of car DIS,
and that our success depended upon how
they were dealt out. He said he knew
fellows who never coulb get above four
spot, and never enough of them to make
= more nor pair He'd knowed others,
.agin, who always had their hands full OF
queens and aces, and even if the deal run
low, they would get two low pairs or three
duces, that were even better in this case
than "picters." In short, Uncle Winnie
said some men had luck; play as they
would, they couldn't, in fact, help win.
ning whether they Set down with green
ones, or took shy at "the tiger"
AT last the boy was about to take his
departure ; his mother gave him her last
kiss and her most fervent blessing, and
Uncle Winnie accompanied him to the
wagon that was 10 take him to the steam
boat landing. The moment for leaving
came; he had held up wonderfully all
through the preliminaries. but now his
heart was too full, and he broke out as
follows:
bob, you are about leaving home for
strange parts. You're going to throw me
out of the game, and 60 it alone. The
odds is agin you, Bob, butremember al
ways that industry and perseverance are
the winning cards; they are the bowers.
Book farming and all that sort of thing
will do well to fill up with, like small
trumps, but you must have the bowers to
back 'em, else they amt worth shucks.-
If luck runs agin you pretty strong, don't
cave in and look like sick chicken on q
rainy day, but hold your head up and
make 'em believe you're flush of trumps ;
then they won't play so hard agin you.
give lived and Travelled around some,
Bob, and I've found out that as soon as
folks thought you held weak hand,
they'd buck agin you strong. So when
you're sorter weak, keep on bold front,
but play cautious: be satisfied with a
pint. Many'S the hand I've seen euchred
cause they played for too much.