Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-09-07
ssskEIHEs.--VOL. II, NO. IA.


UonefaI a. IL. o., OF kentucky
perhaps one of the best card player.
in that State, would never play {
hand or risk dollar if there was {
blao k cat in the room EX-Goyern-
or b from one of the Western States,
an lnveterate gamester, would never
sit down to q table in room where
there was looking>glass. Some
gamblers refuse to play if, on enter
ing the rooms, the left foot crosses
the threshold first, and no persuasion
can induce them to do so, until they
leave and return with the right foot
foremost. To put your foot on the
chair OF player is sure Fremont
ton of bad luck. Some men will
never play on Friday.
In 1919, | was q passenger on the
steamer Star Spangled Banner, from
New Orleans to Louisville. She was
crowded with people, and an hour
after leaving New Orleans, found
twenty card tables drawn out, and
three or four score Of passengers,
deeply absorbed in the mystery of
sold sledge," euchre, and poker. All
that night and the next day the game
went on. AS fortune, however, soon
singled out and made victims of the
poorer and less skilled players, 50
the number gradually decreased un-
til the fourth day out, when only one
table was running. Old Bob Brash-
or, q negro trader, young Ben Sand
ford horse trader and two planters
from La Fourche, still kept on. AL
though they had played almost in
cessantly for four days and nights,
yet luck had favored neither party,
and they were within few dollars
OF even. The "buckling" had been
principally between Brasher and
Sanford, but heretofore they had
kept themselves within the "gentle.
mans limit-fve hundred dollars
After leaving Memphis the game was
renewed, and the bystanders obser-
we'd that a big play was on the tapis,
as young Sandtord was considerably
under the influence of liquor, and
when in that condition he was known
to be heavy player. Late at night
the two traders came together both
had "backing hands" and Louisiana
andKentucky bank-notes soon almost
covered the table. The margin of
five hundred dollars had been for
gotten, and one, two, three, five huns
dred better rapidly passed between
them. AT last Brasher leaned back
from the table, unbuttoned his vest.
and took from around his body belt
filed with gold pieces. Laying it
down upon the bank-notes he ex-
claimed, "Threc thousand better
Sanford became speechless his face
turned deadly pale; he called for
glass Of liquor, which he drank,
never once taking his eyes from the
belt of gold. He had exhausted his
means in the former bets, all his
money lay upon the table. At last
thought struck him.
"Ben here, sir" he exclaimed.
yes, massa," and Sanford's body
servant, fine athletic pure-blood,
came to his side.
"Get upon the table, sir I"
Not daring to disobey-as he knew
we'll in that moment Of frenzy his
young master would send a bullet
through his brain, did he refuse-the
slave tremblingly stepped on the ta>
bic, crushing the bankrnotes and gold
beneath his feet.
"For the good Lords sake, massa
Ben, don't bet dis niger off What
will the old missus say when you go
homo Oh, massa Ben, please don't"
groaned the boy, but in vain.
''Call you, sir p shrieked Sanford,
at the same time laying down four
queens and an ace.
can invincible, sir" said Brasher,
with sneer "four kings and an
ace !" And, as Brasher reached for
his belt of gold, young Sanford fell
to the floor, the blood gushing
from his mouth, nose and cars
With one spring the slave started
from the table, dashed through the
thin folding doors Of the "SociaI
Hall" out on the boiler deck, and
with halt uttered prayer for the
cold missus," he threw himself into
Che dark waters of the Mississippi,
and was seen no moro. Death pre-
vented Brasher from claiming his
spoil. Sanford for weeks fingered
on sick bed, but at last recovered
and forever renounced the gaming
table. He "made good" however,
the money worth of the negro to the
| winner.