The union Democrat. [volume] (Sonora, Calif.) 1854-1946, 1870-12-24
THE BRAvE DAYS OF OLD.
Play ing Poker and Stalking Negroes ON aiis.
sissippi River Steamboats,.

The wonderful. if not yet approved, chang
es. social and political, wrought in this CEN
tury by the events of the past ten years, are
never more wildly commended to contempla-
ton than By some s'vsteran observers 81 rem
| iniscences of twenty or twenty-five years ago,
which occasionally 6nd print in cur more an
| tiquarian journals. A correspondent of a
paper called the Nee Era brings back the
old lin any other land it would be deemed
the recently very strikingly in his graphic de-
lineation of national epitomizing scene wit
messed BY him on a steamboat upon the Mis-
sissippi River in lS4S. Amongst the lockers
on at a game of ''twenty-deck poker" in the
boats saloon, between a company of gam
blers from Natchez, and dissipated cotton
| planter going northward, were two of the
most illustrious Kentuckians of their day,
Judge Underwood and Henry Clay. These
great men, watching the game, saw the plan
| ter stake his last dollar of cash, and then
'call' his opponents hand. His own hand
was four "queens - the sharper threw down
four kings, and, of course, won the money.
The loser, with an oath, refused to give his
''note" for another game; but, being despe-
rately bent upon playing on, ordered that
slave woman and boy, whom he was taking
up the river with him, should be brought up
| frcm the deck below and purchased of him
at saerafce by some other gentleman.
They were bright malatto woman, aged
about 35 and her lighter coored son, Of 10;
and upon their arrival in view, the gamester
expatiated upon the bargain. "Look here,
gents" said he, exctedly, 81 paid eight
hundred for them, and will sell out for six.
The girl won't give up her boy without kill
ing herself; so they must 60 together; bat
any enc can see that she alone is worth more
than | ask.for both. Who'll take them for
six hundred ~ No answer coming from the
Disguised observers, the man finally declared
that they should be rallied in thirty
chances. of $50 each, and proceeded to sell
the chances. When all but two Of the latter
had been taken, Henry Clay, after whisper
to the Judge, stepped to the table and threw
down thereupon q golden eagle, quietly re-
marking, 81 buy that chance fer the girl her.
self. Let her throw the dice for her own
freedom" While yet the murmured ap-
plause OF every spectator sounded on the ear,
the Judge stepped forward and threw down
another eagle. 81 buy chance for the boy, "
said he. .'who should likewise have an OPP
portunity to win the proprietorship of him.
self and mother" Thus all of the chances
were sold, and the throwing of the dice be-
gan. There being three dice, and each
chance taker entitled to three casts, the high
est number possible 20 be thrown was, of
course, 81. After many throws in the small
figures, one man at last reached 40, which
was considered almost certain to be high,
Their came the slave woman's turn, aid she
looked deadly sick and trembling like a leaf,
implored some one CT the gentlemen to throw
for her. ''Let your boy do it for you, " said
Clay, full OF the sympathetic emotion felt by
all the beholders. I'D willingly do it for
YOU, bat think he would be luckier than |.
The boy coming forward took the box of fete
and, amid death-like silence, made his first
cast-''three aces" In despair he was fall
ing back, seeing that it was impossible for
him to equal the terrible 40 in the two re-
naming throws; but his master hade him
pause. you've got chance yet, tell you,
Tommy, "cried he earnestly. THAT was on
" your mothers throw and you We cot your
own chance left yet. Throw for yourself.
and you'll have better luck" Encouraged
by this reminder. the boy seized the box
again. under ''God help you" from every
heart in the saloon. and threw Is at once.
Again casting the dice he reached 11-mak-
ing 33 in ALL One more chance remained in
which to make as many, or lose all. he
threw, and a wild cheer from ''all on boardn
proclaimed that ''three skies" were upper
most on the green baize. and the mother and
son were free. Clay, the judge, tie planter,
the gamblers-everyb body or the boat-shook
hands with the fortunate Tommy, his over
ioyed mother, and each other: and then
''twenty-deck poker" was resumed with re-
doubled animation. If such Renaissance
does not exhibit the now fallen Institution of
the South in an altogether cheerful light, it
at least suggests that those who bad to do
with it were not destitute of noble feelings
and found in it kind of free-masonry in
which the slaves themselves were included.
IF there was somewhat to deplore in the man
ners and customs of those old times-and
very old they do seem to US nowhere was
! also much in them of straight forward man.
hood. fellowship in common interests. and
gracious familiarity with the lowlv. which
may now be Looked for in vain. Before the
South met the Northern Horatins at the po-
tomac bridge, the negro TO whom Henry
Clay would stoop to give $50, received it rCt
in corrupting bribery for vote. at any rate
and Southern judge would do good act,
even among Mississippi gamblers, without
question of what particular political ''party"
be expected to make coarse buncombe for
thereby. Then none was for party, then
all were fo- their State; then the great
man owned the poor. and the poor man sery
ed the great. Then lands were fairly mort
gagged, then slaves were fairly sold the
Southerns were like brothers, in the brave
days of old.
PoTAToEs FOR MILcH Cews.-MT. r. 4.
Hunt. of Euclid, Ohio, gives the following
result Of an experiment be made in feeding
carrots and potatoes to a mich COW: The
cow 10 which the roots were given. had pre-
eisely the same treatment: each day. so far as
care and other feeds were concerned. while
the test was being made. having nothing in