The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1871-05-11
The Fifteenth Amendment and
Seven Up''-A Social Game
Abruptly Terminated.


Abruptly Terminated.
Mr.. JOHN MARTIN, our Town
Constable, made a sudden descent
on a negro gaming house in the
rear of the Odd Fellows Hall few
days ago. Having some suspicious
as to the character of the establish
ment, he determined, if possible, to
get an insight into its mysteries and
take a well-stocked hand in what
ever game might be going on
Therefore, he formed himself into
a posse ofone, and, keeping an eye
on his right and left TANKS, pre-
suming that the rear would take
care Of itself, he proceeded as noise
lessly as caterpillar on a grape
vine to survey the premises. In
one room he detected the voices of
several persons and from the ac-
scent emenating from the cracks
and the key-hole ne was decidedly
under the impression that the "man
and brudder was dar," and that the
warm weather was bringing out
many of his strongest points. APP
plying his auricular apPendage to
the key-hole, and grasping his
smelling apparatus with the energy
of despair, as well as his fingers, he
listened. Subdued voices, eloquent
with the African patois, were muir
muring, Il played dat jack" 81
flung dat ar ace,n "How am dat for
high" &c, which led our expert
enced public functionary to believe
that duty, stern duty, duty that
could not be shirked, would soon
compel him to interrupt a scene
well calculated to awaken emotions
in every appreciative heart, or in
other words force him to rush in on
a pleasant little game of "sevenup."
Therefore, imparting to his counte-
nance that expression of infiexibili-
ty which becomes the minister of
the outraged law, and assuming all
the dignity of the corporation
whose authority is centered in his
stalwart person, he applied his hand
to the door knob, softly turned it
and boldly stalked in. Presto! A
tableau vivant was disclosed. At
the head of a rickety table stood a
startled darkey with his eyes pro
truding from his face like couple
of mushrooms from a coal bank,
and holding in his hand full suit
of cards spread out like a fan, while
around him in attitudes of aston
ishment and CONSERVATION were
grouped a party of players, who
were evidently unprepared for so
abrupt a visitation. No money
was visible on the table and it was
evi lent that the sable followers of
Hoyle were playing on the credit
system, owing, no doubt, to the
stringency of the money market
and the low prices realized from
cotton during the present season.
The Constable was non-plussed.-
He could not make case without
a glimpse of the stakes, and he be
gan to realize the failure Of his
flank movement and the loss of his
official perquisites. The fifteenth
amendments to the Constitution of
the United States vowed most sol
EMMY by all the tutelary divinities
of Africa that it was only a social
game, that the scene so violently
interrupted was merely a happy
gathering Of congenial souls,
grouping of friendly kinks, a blend
ing of harmonious scents, for the
purpose of driving dull care away,
through the fundamentally Of
"seven-up". The Constable was
defeated but not convinced, and
folding his handkerchief like the
Arabs he silently stole away.