The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1872-10-03
THREE KEERED MONKEY"
A Story (ProbabIy Lie) of Canada Bill
and California Minister.

Canada Bill has had another ex-
plot. A few months ago as is well
known by several gentlemen, Bill of
fered a certain Railroad one thous.
and dollars a month for the privil-
age of working on the trains in the
three card monte business. He of
fered to give bonds to almost any a.
mount that he wouldn't take a dol
from anybody but the preachers.
Of course this was charged to
Bills prejudice against the clergy,
but that he meant what he said was
evidenced by his pulling out thous-
and dollars in greenbacks, and insist,
ing upon placing it in the hands of
any one the road might name. It is
useless to say that he was refused.
1t is not believed that he ever won a
dollar from a preacher, but Bill has
recently demonstrated his success in
that line.
A day or two since he boarded a
Union Pacific train in Omaha. In
few minutes he started through the
car to see what he could find, and at
last sat down beside minister bound
to California on pleasureexcurslon.
Bill had farm near Pappillion, so
he said, and had just been to Chi
cago, and sold thirty-seven hundred
dollars worth of cattle. After get
ting on good terms, the minister and
Bill were interrupted by stranger
passing through the Car and dropping
several playing cards in front of them.
Bill picked them up and commenced
toying with them. The minister
deprecated their introduction into
| the world. Bill then went on tell
ing him how some fellows "took him
in on the keers,,' several days before
on a game they called ''three-keerd
monkey" and gave halfway ex-
PLANTATION of the sway ofit."
Just then beardless boy came in
and, after listening some time to
Bills story, said, "Now look ahere
old man: can guess them cards."
Bill let him try several times, and
sure enough the boy never missed
once, and lost no opportunity to init
mate against Bills brains. The lat
ter at last got mad and offered to
bet his watch against the boys.
The boy jumped at the chance and
lost his watch. Bill then went into
another Car to get rid OF the boy who
was boo-hooing at terrible rate
about that watch being given to him
by his dying father, and he must
have it back or he could never face his
dear old mother again. The minis
ter partially pacitied him, and he so
far gained his confidence that he ex.
planned how he had made a mistake,
and if he just had some more money
he could win the watch back. He
SO perfectly explained it to the min.
lister, that the latter told him he had
some gold and would risk it if the
boy would do the betting. The
young innocent agreed, and went in.
to another car after Canada Bill.
who came in but didn't want to bet.
He was plain, honest farmer and
not gambler. But the worthy d.
vine shog ed him how unjust it was
to not give the boy chance for his
watch, so Bill consented. Soon two
hundred aud fifty dollars of the minis
ter's gold was 'augespeilt.' "Papio,"
shouted the brakman, and Bill threw
down the "keerds," and told his an
tagonists that he lived there, and
must ''go hum" The boy got so
desperate at this that he told the
preacher that he was determined to
get off there too and follow the old
farmer home and get that watch
back.
i 1t is needless to say that "the kid"
was in the game. A young 'cap-
per )" young in years, but powerful
old in the "profession."
Such is life. Day after day this
three card monte game is talked of
in the newspapers but all to no pur-
pose. One fool falls and his place
! is Immediately filled by another.