Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1879-09-10
Gen. Forests Game Of Poker.
4 ThrilIiag Story-Dh hls wife Pray
While he was Playing7
lFrom the Nashville Banner. ]

From the Nashville Banner1
Several years ago Gen. Forrest
visited tho city and stopped at the
old City Hotel. That night several
gentlemen called to SEQ him, among
them a gentleman now connected
with the Banner. The room had
been crowded during the early part
of the night, and Forrest had re.
ceived the usual attention bestowed
on him. Now, however, he was
sitting off to himself, and appeared
worn and tired out. Our infor.
formant, wishing to have o talk
with him about himself, had en-.
tered into conversation with him:
General says he, "rve heard
you were a great poker player in
your time"
EYES," says the General, 81 have
played some," and his eyes began
to sparkle with the memory of old
times, and he at once seemed inter
ested in the subject, for be it known
that no one was fonder than he in
recounting his wonderful exploits.
"How much, General, WAS the
largest stake you ever playedf"
al once called e4S,OOO in New
Orleans
"Did you wini"
"Oh, yes! l won it.n
"Wbat was your hand, GeneralT
alt was three kings"
"But,' says he, "the hardest
game l ever played was at Mem
phis. Just after the war closed my
wife and l went to Memphis, and
we stopped at the Worsbam House.
The next morning we got our
things together, and 1 emptied all
my papers out of my trunk on the
floor, and Mary ('m not certain his
wife's name was Mary, but that
will do for the tale) went over aud
over them, bunting for something
to raise money out of. l emptied
my pockets and Mary emptied
her'n, and between us we had sew.
en- dollars and thirty cents. After
hunting over everything, we found
that every man who owed me was
either dead or broke. l hadn't one
single paper on which l could raise
a cent outen. After we got through
the pile looked at Mary and Mary
looked at me. snow, what's to be
done, Maryr says 1. i don't know
says she, 'but the Lord will pro-
vide You see, Mary was one of
the best women in the world, and
she had heap of faith in her re.
ligion. l looked at her right
straight long time, and at last
says !: MARY, you are a mighty
good woman, and Pm going to tell
you something. There's to be q
big dinner at-this evening, and
Pm invited. They always play poker
at that house, and you have always
beeu agiu me playing, and l reckon
you are right about it. But things
have become desperate with US,
aud somehow feel if you wouldn't
be agin me. but would pray for me,
l could make q raise to night
Essays she, Bedford, l can't do it.
It's wrong for you to do it, and I'd
heap rather you wouldn't
"'But, Mary says /, Il never
was in such a fix before. Here we
are with no money but $3.50, and
that wouldn't pay our tavern bill. I
can't lose no more than that, for III
swear / won't bet on credit. If /
lose that, III come home, and if l
win, then we'll have something to
start on Well, l argued and ar.
gued with her, but she wouldn't
say yes. But at last she says
"Bedford, l know your mind is
set on it, and l know you are going
to bet, whether Pm willin' or not;
so won't say nothing more about
it,
"But, somehow, I felt when l
started that she was for me, and I
jist knowed how twould be-"
"Well, l went some time before
dinner, and, sure enough, they
were at 1t. They had three tables
-one bad quarter ante, one q
half, and one a dollar and q half.
l wanted my seven dollars to last
as long as l could make it, and % I
set down to the quarter table. We
bet on until dinner, and by that
time had won enough to do better;
and, after We had eat, sat down
to the dollar. and q half table. Some
times I won, and then again I'd
lose on until nigh about midnight,
and then I had better luck. !