The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1871-05-31

and belongs to the class of which
Uncle Joe and John Dennis arc
the acknowledged leadcrs-thc
class who reside in Columbia the
year round, and arc never seen
among their constituents.
TIE NATTlEsT COL0RED POKER PihT
ERIN ALL
is W. II. Purvis, formerly OF
philaLcIphia, the honored mber
from Lexington. rurcis Was de,
fcated ut the last election, but
makes the State capital his head
quarters, where he is known as
an active lobbyman. lie is very
black, and shows his Northern
training. lie drives Il handsome
horse and buggy, and, like the
President of the United States,
he may be seen with q fine cigar
in his mouth at all hours. lie is
generally successful at poker, al
though this past Winter his losses
have been pretty heavy.
Tom Jones, another very black
poker player, is an importation
from your city. lie is member
from Charleston County. Jones
is smooth-faccd fellow, and i'm
presses one with the air Of i mil
lionaire as be sails into Hardy
Solomon's bank tor discounts, arm
in arm with his particular friend
Gen. Whipper. AS poker player
Jones is up to the average: al
though by no means q match for
Ben Byas, or the king of all play
erS. Uncle Joe Crews. Either one
of these gentlemen would make
the dusky Jones look sick if they
set about it in earnest. They are
lcnicrt with him, however, for
Jones, they say, is good fellow,
and besides he has wife to sup
port. When it comes to taking
money that should 20 to support
families Uncle Joe always refuses.
He has Il noble heart, and would
no more bring suffering upon any
one than he would rake down a
pot with a with L pa.i OF deuces.
TIE MOST INFATUATED POKER Play
Err
in Columbia is MajorSamael Dick
erson, of the South Carolina Ma
tional Guard. The Major cannot
be called Il legislator, for he is not
actually L member Of either
House but it cannot be denied
that his well-known principles
freely expressed on all occasions
have had much to do shaping
the wise and bcncfccnt legislation
which has so justly characterized
the past session. The Maj " is
u devoted worshippcr Of the it,
tie game, bat he is also q patriot,
and hence he is always poor
Every dollar that he can raise
(and the Majors dollars are not
pIentiful) is cast into the game OF
draw-pokcr. lie is not skillful.
lie does not understand The game
but if fifty cents can be raised
anywhere the Major invests, and
always, as it turns out, to his dis
advantage.
The Majors singular infItua-
tion is fast telling upon his rcpu'
tation. lie is rapidly losing the
respect of the citizens Of Colum'
bia. Thcy'pass him by without
noticing him, while those who
should he his best friends do
naught but snccr and scott: Even
his most marked Characteristic
his oratory-is used against him
as one Of irony's kecncst weapons.
\ vile carpct-bagger named Tim
Hurley delights to use this shaft,
and some Of the Majors very best
efforts are misintcrprctcd and mis-
quoted by Hurley in the most
Sbor]-;ncr rnounnr
One of Hurley's pervcrSions OF
the truth in this respect is worthy
of record, not perhaps to illustrate
Major Dickcrson's poverty so
much as to show the hcartlesncss
that prompts the recital of the
sad story. The Major had spent
TWO WHOLE NIGHTS AT \ roKEE
TABLE.
aml had lost every cent he had in
the worI,I-onc dollar and fifty
cents. Coming down Richardson
street next morning. he met Unr'
ley. The Major looked detected
and haggard. His eye was wild
and rolling. lie was evidently
hatching i scheme to raise the
wind. Noting his singular manner:
Hurley said:
Sam, what's the ma;tcr?'
Now the Major is nothing, II
not sensational. lie is always
dramatic and poetic. even in ad.
rcrsity, and in his moment OF de,
spair bis burning e!oQuence never
deserted him. The Major stopped
short and looked at Hurley. Ills
expressive eye rolled in It's widest
manner. Taking Tim by the arm
with grip like vice he SAID IN
deep, resonant voice: