The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-06-03
Old-T.me Oard-PIayers.


playing was more than an amusement
with good many men it was business. !"
The founder of Lafayette, old" Digby,
| was for many years the most noted card
player on the Wabash. There are many
anecdotes of him that have been handed
down and are worth preserving.
If the old settlers are to be believed,
aOld Dig" and the late Judge Petit had
many lively tdssel at the card-table.
On one occasion the two sat down early
I in the forenoon at their favorite game of
"old sledge," five dollars game.
About four o'clock in the afternoon,
when Petit was about seventy dollars
winner, he announced to Digby that he
must quit.
"What are You going to quit for?' in
quired Digby.
ST want to go and take care of my
borse," replied Petit. In those days
every lawyer kept horse to ride the cir
cult.
ssI can go without my dinner" the
Judge continued, 'sbut am not going to
abuse my horse just to accommodate you
at this game"
Petit retired with Digby's seventy
dollars in his pocket. The next morn
ing, bright and early, they were at it
again. Digby had big streak of luck,
and before twelve o'clock had bagged
one hundred and twenty dollars Of
Pettit's money. Raking from the table
the last ten dollars put up, he announced
to Petit that he was going to quit.
"What are You going to quit for?" in
quired Petit.
"Why, I must go and feed my horse,
john"
aWhy-you," replied Petit, ssyou
haven't got any horsep
sWell, John, if I haven't got any
horse, "slapping his hand on his breeches
pocket, I've got the money to buy
one"
The game was closed.
Digby. who was bachelor, had small
one story frame house put up on Main
street, close to where the canal now is,
as an Office and sleeping apartment.
After it was finished, but the plastering
not sufficiently dry to be occupied, Digby
and Petit sat down to play their favorite
game of old sledge. Digby's money was
soon exhausted and Pittit declared the
game closed. Digby proposed one more
game, stalking his new house against a
certain sum of money. The game was
| played, and Petit was the winner. The
next morning he made bargain with q
/
lot he owned on the south side of Main
street, little east of the public square.
| The wooden wheels were put under it
and in the afternoon it was started up
Main street with long team of oxen be-
fore it., and at dark had reached hepub-
lie square. That night Digby and Petit
had another game, and in the morning
there was a readjustment of the wheels
and the house was started on its return to
the river. It reached it's proper place
in the street and was left to be put back
| in its old position on the morrow. But
the next morning it was started up town
again. The next day it took the
other direction, and by this time the
| whole town came to understand it. FL
| nally it remained in the public square
over Sunday and on Monday continued
| its way up Main street and was wheeled
on Pettit's lot. He soon moved his books
into it and for many years occupied it
| as law Office.
In tine early days on the Wabash nearly
all the lawyers played poker. During
court week the time was about equally
divided between trying cases, playing
poker and attending horse races. It was
no uncommon thing for Judge Porter
the first circuit judge, and by the way,
a Connecticut Yankee-to ajourn his
court to attend horse race. He was
very fond of cards, but would enforce
the law against gambling. And thus it
once happened, as published in the Sum
day Times of February 9th, that ne was
the bar, in the Tippecanoe Circuit Court,
pleaded guilty, assessed the fine against
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