The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1880-01-03

Mr.. Evarts. elf my learned friend
! adduces these facts As evidences
OF the ruinOns consequences OF
poker ? IT SO. | will cal the ats
tentlon of his honor the PreSi-
dent, to the fact that they go to
to prove that this so called poker
is one of the most profitable of
American industries"
81 cannot blay any of your
BOXER" said Mr.. Schurz, "but |
know my biano is far better. |
will blay Something's for you now
if you like. Brt, so! gan l be.
lieve it Is der 3iano away from
der room gomez"
The President explained that
Mrs. Hayes had moved the piano
up stairs SO as to make more room
for the Cainnet meeting.
''lt is gnrlous," continued Mr..
Schur!, ''when | game to Wash
ington there is il bdno in every
house TO which | vent. Now eve
~ one has been up stairs taken.
cannot agount tor it. What
is"
81 rccklect," broke in Mr..
Thompson without the slightest
apology for his interruption of
Mr.. SchurZ-'I rtcklect when |
was a boy raftin' on the Wabash,
we used to play old slc.lge and
poker, aud go the odd man for
quarters all day long. One
v'yage scoopcd The cabin and al
hands, aud come into New Orleans
with all tho money of the whole
crowd in my pocket. But, as Mr..
Hayes says, gamhlin' is wrong,
very wrong. Still, there's this to
be said for it. While the soldiers
are playing poker they can't be
reading Popish books or listebin'
to Jesuit priests, and there's no
manner of doubt that Romanism
is a sight worse than gambling.
l'd like to see a general order re-
quiring every soldier to make an
affidavit once 4 month that he is
a good Protestant, and is deter
mined to fight the Pope to the
last gasp"
The President here asked if
Brother Thompson would kindly
explain what he meant by a quar-
ter of an odd man.
Mr.. Thompson said that he
could illustrate what "gOing the
odd man for quarters" meant very
easily. if Mr.. Hayes and Mr.. Key
would each put a quarter of a
dollar down on the table and GOV
er it with their hands, while he
did the same thing with another
quarter. He then asked them to
lift their hands and show the
coins. Both the Presidents and
Mr.. Keys quarters lay with their
''heads'' up, while Mr.. Thomp-
sons lay with its "tail" up. "You
see," explained Mr.. Thompson,
"that your quarters were inst
alike. while mine was different 4;
SO I'm the odd man, and / scoop
in yonr money!
Mr.. Hayes regarded the disap
pearance of his quarter of a dol
lar with some uneasiness, but sug
gested that they had better try
it again, as he did not yet fully
understand the game and wished
to know the full extent of it,
wickedness. In the next three
experiments the President won
and remarkee that he did not SCI
but that, if It were played within
proper limits, it would be dn innt
cent and amusing game. AS thu
Investigation still proceeded, Mr.
Evarts and the rest of the Cabi
net, with the exception of Mr.
Key and Mr.. Thompson, gradual
iy withdrew. Twice Mr.. Thomp
son sent the call-boy out TO
change, and his brow grew darke
as the hours went on. 1t wa
fully 10 O'Clock when the Presi
dent rose up aud denounced tn
game as being of clearly satani
origin. Mr.. Thompson coincitle'
with him. observing that its char
acter had entirely changed sine
his early Wabash days, bnt Nj
, Key, with his pockets loade'
down with silver, protested tha
he saw nothing wrong about til
game, and wonld be glad to assis
, the President in any further inve
tigation of the bind that he migh