Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1870-10-27

P1ay1ag Roksg - . Mlssinsspps
oteooo0ae.
You cannot see now, - We did ten
years ago, the cabin tables surround
"a BY planters, merchants, and poll.
sscnos, calling themselves gentlemen.
who would gamble from morning till
rigAs, and agais III norning, stak-
ing, and often losing shs1 entire
fortunes. We do not now encount
er the elegant, gsnslemanly. probes
sisnal ga1Aler, who was accomplish.
Cd - svery way, and not least IN the
uss Of the pistol anc bowie knife.
Well educated, fascinating gentle.
men we're they, whose hands were
again and again stained with the
blood Of their fellow creatures. All
this class Of men are hardly to be
found in the Southwest in this good
y year Of our Lord 1870. The VA
did spleudid scsvenger work In
sweeping them into the other world.
And the young men now coming up
into lie, who would have been such
- they, find . better existence in
! working for their daily bread. The
gang Of gamblers who are our com.
panions On this trip belong to alto.
9ether auother dass than those whose
places they Al These ere What the
panel thiet II to the bank burQlar
what Burns = 70 4orisssy. Il il
amusing for yons experienced trav.
eler to watch the tricks and schemes
Of these miserable vretches. One Of
these :s short, rather tot, dressed IN
black broAdcloth, and carries undel
his plug hat : cunning, greasy,
emooth-shaven face, which has small,
ferret like eyes in it, and ! snub nose,
ike . carbuncle, imposed upon it.
This man is called the "Judge," and
is, believe. the leader OF the gang,
although anothey fellow In commou
clothes, with . wol6sh, cowardly
cou0tenance, gives the cue 10 I'll
their dolngs. The third thief OF the
party Is small IN stature, with black
muslache, and N assasned ve.be9ono
look. It " he who. in their make
believe games, bets wildly and large.
ly, who most always loses, gets IN.
cry, and appeals to the lookers-on.
The fourth Of the squad looks like
N honest tradesman. who ought to
be in better business than betting.
One day these gentlemen were
playing ct poker, which is tavorite
game 5or their ncfarious purposes.
The 1carpenter"-we will give them
such names ~ describe them best
had dealt 'Ferret.eyes" > hand oi
three kings and seven and eight OF
clubs. To "Wolf mouth he gave
three aces aud . nine and ten OF
hearts. With these hands "Ferret.
eyes" and aWolfmouthn began 70
bet and brag in the most excited
way, talking to each other, appealing
to the crowd. and getting mp ~ en-.
thusiasm pretty much - the clown
and ring-master do in the circus,
shouting and running in order TO
make the audnnce believe that the
horse which the "equine queear ID
riding 70 going fsarfally Est, when it
is oil . sham, gotten up for effect.
Such was the excitement about our
steamboat gaming.table.
Il see your twenty dollars and 70
City better" shouts aFerret-eyes."
Il see your fifty and 60 ten bet.
ter" screamed "Wolf-mouth."
Il see that, and make Il ono han.
d-ed," cries "Ferrett-cyes."
At this point there was . dead
pause and silence, broken in an in.
slant by @Wolf.mouth," who turned
beseechingly to the by-standers with
the remark:
Gentleman. I'm blowed II I aint
strapped"
Meanwhile moving aroand the ta.
BILE there was . peaked sandy-haired
man, who has on board forty mules,
which he is taking to Memphis. This
fellow had seen both hands, and
knew that "Wolf.mouth" had The
strong cards. just a. this noment
he caught the gamblers eye, who
continued:
"Et / had = mule, wouldn't I alma
him. cars and all, atop o. that pile!
"You kin bet one Of my mulss,n
was the answer Of s'Sandy-ha:r.n
"Will you take the mule?n cries
"Wolf-mouth' to .Ferret-cyes.n
Yes" answered the other, skiing
the Carpenter % he had I right to
by the laws Of the game, for two
cards. in place Of his seven and eight
OF clubs. That obl,eing gentlemen
at once compiled, giving him the
fourth king and q ace. @Wolf.
mouth did not ask for more. They
showed their hands. ''rsrret-eyesh
swept in the pool. and 4Saady.hair, .
to his dismay, had lost his mule.[
GEoaaE Ward NicnoLs in Harpsr's
Magazine tor November.
The mighty mann Shriner thst
preached free trade through the
N~...Al Y1s>n-s