Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-07-11
THE FATAL CARD.

pOTGS dUON0 were Cdlleu. NOW
! the railroads have driven nearly
all the fine boats off the river, and
left the field to the freight boats
whose accommodations for pas.
sengers are by no means palatial.
The former class of steamers were
in many respects delightful, but
they never ceased to be objects of
dread to timid people, for if the
racing, which was on that stream
reduced to system, did not re-
suit in the loss Of the boat, there
was sure to be one or more encoun-
ters between the more lawless por-
tion of the travellers, in which
pistol bullets would fly rather too
thick for the comfort of steady
going people. The cause of such
disturbances was generally a quar-
rel over the gambling table. The
regulations of the boat usually re-
quired that all such amusements
should be conducted in a saloon
provided for that purpose in the
"TeXas or officers cabins" situa-
ted on the hurricane deck, but
the sporting gentry were by no
means careful to observe this rule,
and the gaming was most COM
monty carried on on the dining-ta-
bles in the main saloon of the
steamer, to the great annoyance
Of two-thirds of those on board.
Many professional gamblers used
to make these boats their house,
travelling back and forth with
them, and fleecing all who were
verdant or foolish enough to fall
into their clutches. So well, in
deed, was this system managed,
that the various members of The
"craft" seemed to have their diff
ferent steamers marked out for
them by common consent, SO that
no one would trespasS upon the
domain of the other. OF course
these men were warm friends of
the officers of the boat, who were
either too sincere in their friend
ship to put stop to the practice,
or too much afraid of the gamb-
lerS to care to provoke a quarrel
with them, for in those day it was
a common affair for such men to
resent any fancied affront with a
pistol shot.
One of the most remarkable
men of their class was named
Daniel Sturdivant, a Frenchman,
the son Of a broken down scion
of nobility, who had settled in
New Orleans before the transfer
of Louisiana to the United States.
Sturdivant had been raised a "gen-
tleman" by his aristocratic father,
but upon coming of age, and find
ing his fortunes very bad, had ta-
ken to cards as a means of bet
tering them. His success in this
field was SO great that he was in
duced to continue in it, until at
the time | write he was one of the
most notorious gamblers between
St. Louis and New Orleans. He
was forty-fve years old, but had
kept himself SO well that he
seemed much younger. He was
a man of fine personal appearance,
and of great physical strength
He was also noted for his person.
al courage. As a gambler he was
most expert and successful.
There were dark stories of deeds
which he had committed while
under the the influence of play
and liquor, and it was said by
some that he had killed half a
dozen men in his lifetime. Yet
no one dared to speak these stories
openly. for no one cared to bring
upon himself the anger of such a
man. There were few who knew
him who really cared to play a.
gainst him, but they feared that a
refusal to do so might involve them
in a quarrel with him, and rarely
declined his invitations.
About fifteen years ago, the
time of which | write, he had at
tached himself to one of the mag
ni6cent steamers plying between
New Orleans and Vicksburg, and
had publicly announced his de-
termination to shoot any man who
attempted to encroach upon his
scene Of operations. Of course
this left him in undisputed pos
session of the field, and he reaped
golden harvest from it during
the one brief year that he conduct,
ed his operations there.
1t was my lot at that time to be
compelled to make frequent trips
between New Orleans and Vicks-