Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-11-11
PLAYING POKER ON A MIssAs-
eTPEr sTEAMBOAF.

You can not see now, as We did ten
wears ago. the cabin tables surrounded
81 nlanfers. merchants. and politicians
calling themselves gentlemen, "ho
would gamble from morning sill night,
sad apsin till morning, staklngs ana
offen losing, their entire fortunes. We
do not now encounter the elegant,
rentlemanIy, professional gambler,
Who was accomplished IN every way,
and not least In the use Of the pistol
and bowie knife. Well educated tas-
einatinR gentlemen were they, whose
hands we're again and again stained
with the blood Of their fellow -erea-
lures. All this class of men are hard
IL to be found in the Southwest 10 TINS
goodIy year of our Lord 1871. Inc war
did splendid scaVenger work 10 sweep
ing them into the other world ana
the young men now coming up into
life, who would have been such as
they, find q better existence IN work
ing for their daily bread. The gang
Of gamblers who are our companions
on this trip belong to altogether auoth-
or class than those whose places they
fiji These are what the panel thief Is
10 the bank burglar, what Burns IS to
Morrfssey. IL is amusing for your ex-
perienced traveller to watch the tricks
and schemes Of these miserable wretch :
es. One Of these is short, rather fat,
dressed In black broadcloth, and car
ries under his plug hat a cunning,
greasy. smooth shayen face, which has
small, ferret like eyes in if, and red
snub nose, like a carbuncle, imposed
uponit. This man is called the Judge
and Is, I believe, the leader of the
gang, although another fellow in COM
mon clothes, with a wcitish, e1wardly
countenance, gives the cue to all thelI
doings. The third thief Of the party
il small 10 stature, with black mus
tache, and an assumed Wobegone look
1t is he who, IN the make believe
games, bets wildly and largely, -Wh {
most always loses, gets angry. and ap-
psals to the lookerson. The fourth OF
the squad looks like an honest trades
man, who ought to be in better bust
ness than betting.
One day these gentlemen were play
ing at poker, which is a favorite game
for their nefaFious purposes. The
Carpenter we will give them such
names as describe them best-had
dealt "Ferreteyes" a hand Of three
kings and a seven and eight Of clubs.
To "WoIf-mouth" he gave three aces
and nine and ten of hearts, With
these hands FerTet-eyes" and Wolf
mouth began to bet and brag in the
most excited way, talking to each 9TH
er, appealing to the crowd, and getting
up an enthusiasm pretty much as the
clown and riDg-master do ln ife circus
shouting and running IN order to make
the audience believe that the horse
which the equine queen is riding il
going fearfully fast, Whea il is all 3
sham gotten up for effect. Such WaE
the excitement about our steamboat
gambling-table.
I see your twenty dollars and s.
fifty better, shouts "FerTet-eyes."
8 I see your fifty and go ten better,
screamed "WOlfmouth.
4 see that, and make il one hun
dred, cries ''Ferret-eyes.
At this point there was a dead paust
and silence, broken in an instant b,
Nv Wolf-mOuth," " who turned beseech
ingly to the by ISLANDERS with the re
mark:
Gentlemen, I'm blowed if ain
strapped.
Meanwhile moving around the tabl
there was a peaked sandy haired man
who has on broad forty mules, Whicl
he is taking to Memphis. This fellow
had seen both hands, and knew tha
Wolf-mouth' had the strong cards
just as this moment he caught tn,
gamblers eye, who continued
Ef had q mule, Wouldn't IRslini
him, ears and all, atop o. that pile p
You kin bet one of my mules,'' Wai
the answer of Sandy hair.
Will you take the mule P cries
"Wolf-mouth" to Ferret eyes.
Yes," answered the other, askirs
the Carpenter, as he had a right i,
By the laws of the game, for two cards
Ia place of his seven and eight of clubs
That obliging gentleman at once ecu
piled. giving him the fourth king =,
an ace. Wolf mouth did no, "a
for more. They showed their has 8
.FerTet-eyes swept in the lrrol, 10
Sandy hair, to his dismay, had lost
his mule.-George Ward Nichols, IN
l7a2be1'S Magazine for N0VeNzbe5.