Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-05-30

1
ana OF the colds they bring.
| |M1scfnMg.
RAFFLING FOR FREEDOM
An Exciting Scene ON a Misssss,ppi
ana aer Chiid Gatned Tsesr GMs. Trse.
dom.
| Appleton's journal for June
We translate from o German sketch
of American travel the subjoined ac-
count of an incident alleged to have
occurred on Mississippi steamboat a
short time before the war.
assembled the Mississippi, says the
writer, on steamer on board of
which were Judge j. and General
K, ,of Pennsylvania, with both of
whom ] was slightly acquainted.
"Hard set, these Natchez men," said
the Captain, who met us on the cabin
stairs. "There's some of them down
in the saloon playing high game
How men could be such fools I new
er could see."
"Let's 60 down and lcok'on awhile" /"
suggested the Judge.
In the saloon we found four men
seated at a table around which a
crowd of spectators was gathered
The four were the "heavy players
The game was poker and the mon
ey changed hands rapidly. We had
not been looking on long when one
of the players, middle aged man,
who learned was a cotton planter,
bet his last dollar against the hand of
his antagonist. The latter showed
four kings while he only had four
queens. He was Cleaned out" and
rose as if he was going to leave the
table.
care you broke, colonel ?" asked
one of the men.
"Dead !" was the laconic reply.
"Never mind; I'll lend YOU"
"No; can make raise I reckon
Here Pomp!"
"Here massa," responded an old ne
gro, as he emerged from one corner
of the saloon.
"Bring that girl and her youngest
that l bought in Natchez. Wait q
few moments gentlemen, I'll raise
some money"
The old negro went on his errand
and soon returned with the girl and
her youngster. The "girl' proved to
be a stately mulatto woman about 35
years old. Her "youngster" was a
fine, intelligent looking boy eleven or
twelve years old, whose complexion
showed him to be much more nearly
allied to the white race than to the
black.
w Mere gentlsms1o o nsejd set ts the kI kRlanter
her boy-two as fine niggers as yod
can find any where. l paid eight
hundred dollars for them yesterday
in Natchez. Who will give me six
hundred for them p
"Will you sell them separate ?" ask.
ed some one.
"No, can't do it; promised not to
She swears she'll take her life if she
is separated from her boy, and hel
old master said he was sure she would
keep her word. But don't you all SEE
that the girl is worth more money
than ask for both of them. Come
who'll give me six hundred for both
of them?"
The planter waited a moment for 6
reply, and then said:
| swell, must have some money
Come what say you to raffle-thirty
chances at twenty dollars a chance
Out with your cash, gentlemen. The
first on the list has the first throw Y
This proposition created quito stil
among all present. The three play
ers at the table led off by taking three
chances each.
i Their exam pie was followed by th'
spectators, and twenty chances wer'
taken as rapidly as the planter coult
write down the names and take tn,
money. Then there was q sligh
pause. The planter himselfnow tool
two chances and he was followed b.
his fellow players, who each took on
chance more. Finally, three NOR
chances were taken by the spectators
: when the planter cried out:
1.-TWO chances still gentlemen, VIII,
will have them?"
General k whispered somethin,
in Judge J-'s ear and then wen
, to the table and laid two ten dolla
: gold pieces on it.
J "Name, sir, please"
"Never mind the name. Put j
down for the woman"
!, "Eh-what! for the girl herself
eyes, certainly; let's give her
chance"
can right! One for Ninette. An
f now"
, "That's for the boy" said Judg
j.. quietly as he laid twenty do
] lars on the table.
: "Go cd! bravo! bravow cried th
t planter and several of the bystander
{ zone for Tommy, which makes tn
thirty. Now, gentlemen, let's sc
whom luck favors."
The dice were brought and tn
Throwing began. Each chance cnt
l tied the holder to three throws.
: Thirty-six was the highest throw
{ until the eleventh chance threw. II
I scored forty.two. Then less nun
, bcr was thrown until number twenty
one scored forty-nine.
, "Come, Ninette-it's your tur
; now"
AS the poor woman came forwar
e her hands crossed and pressed cor
/ vulsively against her breast, it ws
r truly painful to witness her agitation
won't the gentleman that took th
chance for me please throw?" sh
4 asked, in a low, tremulous tone.
"No; let your boy throw" reptile
the general; "perhaps he woul
n have more luck than t.
II "Come, Tom," said the planter.
q Tom came forward and picked II
: the box. The woman pressed be
) lips firmly together and clasped he
}. hands as if in prayer. The boy tren
q bled like an aspen leaf, but shook th
q dice, and thrcw-three
: For moment he stared at the die
: as though he could not believe hi
il ow" eyes, then he put down the DO
o and stepped back pale and detected
"COme Tommy, throw again." urf
o ed the planter.
ri "Its no use master; l couldn
$ throw forty-nine now
II AAuS3 SAuO Dul yOu HaNC yVu
own chance. Throw that"
Certainly" said Judge j, s'ths
one was your mothers. Now throl
= for yourself, ON the chance l CAV
q you. Have o stout heart my boy, an
!. and may Heaven smile on you p
!. Again the boy returned to the tab
!. and took up the box. He pressed h
3 lips together and did his best to col
: troll his trembling limbs. Not
/ sound was to be heard in the saloo
> but the rafting of the dice. For
moment every man seemed to hol
Q his breath.
a He threw.
ii "Two fives and six-sixteen
: said the planter, putting down Il
Ie number, while murmur of satisfa
II ton ran through the crowd.
One Of the bystanders gathered |
the dice and putting them in the be
N and the boy threw again.
l. 1.-TWO skies and n five--seventeen