The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1882-12-07
Wonderful nIemorlsfs


by Milton Peters, or Blaol1 HPete, who
was employed at Pate's keno o house. bn,
is now keeping door at Dock stTickIand's
poker room at Eleventh aid Olive
streets st. Louis. In the game OF
keno rs played in st. Lous and tine east.
ern cities, 1872 cards numbered from l
to 1872 are required. On each OF these
are fifteen numbers arrainged ipi three
rows and combinations OF the nunabers
between and 80. No two cards Of the
1872 or no two rows OF the SIC rows arr,
alike. Pete had SO trai bed his memory
that he knew each of these cards. Ii
asked what combinatio9s, were on card
81 he could without a poment's hosita-
ton, give the three GSmbinations and
the numbers i'll thexfrregular order.
Before the invention ihe check board .
which contains the iniature of each
keno card, Pete's memory WAS OF inval-
unble service. The game is decided by
the first who covers any row Of cards,
the man at the run calling out the num-
bers Of each ball rs it rolls out. and the
players covering the same if it appears
on tho card. A few years ago Il plan
was gotten up by shalp gambler to
"wolf" the game. He carried with him
n number of thin pieces of paper with
various numbers Oh one side and muci-
lage OH the other. They wore exactly
the size of the little figure square on
the keno I'd. When he covered four
numbers he listened for tie next, and.
selecting paper with tho next balls
number he passed it over the card, and
raked in the pot" He was 81, 200
ahead Of the game by this stealing op-
Grafton, when he withdrew for u moment
and turned his card over to friend.
Just then Pete turned his attention to
the game, rs the man yelled "Keno!"
AS was usual, he called the number of
his card and the combination which he
had covered. He called out four nun.
bcrs, but as he called the fifth Pete laid
hands on the pot announcing, "Theres
mistake. sah; 1 know there amt no
card with forty and those other four
numbers in a line." On examination.
at Pete's suggestion, the fraud which
the couple Of blaoklegs We're practlcing
on thee other players was discovered.
The rost of Pete's education has been
shamefully neglected. He experiences
considerable difficulty in outlining n
few hieroglyphics which arc supposed
to be script fn,- Liz name. When asked
about his phenomenal memory he said.
"Woll, I swear don't Slow how {
came by suoh good, recollection, but
I've got it. I never forget number,
and can tell you the number of some
houses L went to years and years ago"
"Can you recollect everything you
see?"
ooh, no! for some things 1 amt worth
cent, but some other things 1 oon't
have no difficulty in recollecting."
"How did you come to learn the keno
cart1s?"
"Oh, that was my work. When no
game was going on l used to take the
cards anl look over many of them. In
that way got to know them all, and
now I'm pretty we'll fixed on these
things, and nobody can fool me on n sot
OF keno cards after I look over them g.
little"
John and Charles Barker, two b. 9th
ers, who dealt in Sixth street faro
bnnk, could keep track of tho fifty two
cards in the box, and, without consult
ing card or anything else, could uu-
nouuce just what cards were in the box.
after certain number were dealt. In
| the deal, when it came to the privilege
of "call the turn, neither OF the broth
ers, who were equally endowed in this
respect. ever troubled those keeping
track OF the game, but announced the
number and denomination Of the cards
left III the box. In playing against the
bank they displayed the same confidence
in their memories, and laughed at the
idea of keeping count Of the cards. A
local celebrity knowiY Yoy thesoubrlquet
Of Overcoat Johnny, bestowed upon him
on account of his fosdness for appro-
priating great coats ID his own use, has
a much better reputatio as q CASINO
player than as citizep. He can safely
give his opponent one. half of the game
before the first card is dealt md then
beat him with ease. From frequent
playing he has so trained his memory
that in rapidly played game he can
mentally keep account OF every card
played with the description of the trick
taken by it, and ut last cards inyaria-
bly, announces the card, in the hands of
his opponents. If given an opportunity
he can stock deck and call off every
card in its order, dealing with the backs
toward him.
The remarkable memo:y of gambler
known 20 tho New Yorlt Jew, wca so
:ioioI:Jus that it was wiSh difficulty ho
could persuade faro dealer to allow
him to buck against ,he bank. He
never disconnected himself keeping o
tally on the cards with, h,pcncil, but at
the end of the deal or at any stage OF
the game he could anno,plce the action
| of 0ny card callad for and tnlI av.rv bef