Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-03-06
A sanctimonious poker Player,
From the st. Louis Journal.l
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From the st. Louis Journal.l
About two years ago Missouri river
steamboat left Fort Ben ton with party
OF tough and well.to-do. miners on board.
| There we're also among the passengers
three or four brace men" and before
arriving at Sioux City they had, gene
rally, cleaned out the pockets of the
miners The boat stopped at Sioux
City to wood up, and found, among
others waiting to get on board, minis
terisl looking parsonage, with the long
est aud most solemn countenaRne on
him you can well imagine. He was
dressed in a suit of black, wore white
stovepipe hat and choker collar, orna-
mented with black neck-handkerchief
Well, he got on board, and the boat
started down the stream. For two days
he was unnoticed by the other passen-
gers, but one Of the sports at last thought
he saw chance to make something out
Of the sad and melancholy individual.
The latter would once or twice a day 60
up to the bar, and, with voice that was
as mild and gentle as a maiden's, ask for
a glass of soda, if you please" and
then he would pull roll OF bills from
his pocket and take a quarter from their
interior layers. Then he would say to
the barkeeper, as if under a. thousand
obligations, Thank you, sir" and walk
aft again as if about to commit suicide.
This thing had gone far enough. and
the gambler have spoken of at last ap
preached him.
Would you like game of seven-up,
sir2"
"Seven-up? What is seven up?
Please tell me, my young friend.
why, a game of cards, you know,
just to pass away the time. Let us play
a game.
my good friend, l do not know any
thing concerning cards; cannot play
them"
well come along we'll show you
how 20 do il" And the mild gentleman
in black, after some further protests, at
length consented.
They showed him how twas done,
and they played several games. The
gentleman in black was delighted.
Gamblers want to know if he will play
poker, five cents ante, just for the fun
Of the thing. Gentleman in black says
he cant play the game, but they ex.
plain again, and the poker commences.
The gentleman in black loses every
time. There are six men in the game.
Each one deals before the gentleman
in black, and the ante has been raised
to dollar. Gent in black deals awk-
wardly and looks at his hand Next
man to dealer bets fve-goes around,
and bets are raised to one hundred dol
lars. Gent in black sees it and makes
it one hundred better. Gamblers look
surprised, but will not be bluffed The
bet had reached five hundred dollars-a
thousand All draw out except Pike 8
Peak miner, who sees and calls him:
What have your" "WaaI' answers
the gent in black, Il have-let me see,
let me see-waal, Ihave four ones
The gamblers, who have suspicioned
some time before, now look wild, and
the light begins to dawn in the miners
mind, He leaned across the table and
said in the most sarcastic tones he could
command:
"Oh, you heave heave yer? You
id sanctimonious shuffler.
The gent got up from the table and
handed one of the gamblers his card 1t
read "Bill Walker, New Orleans" s"-one
of the most successful sharpers in the
country.