The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-02-01
It'll THE JACK.
A Quiet Little Transaction between two
Gentlemen ON the Cars In the West.
TFrom the Philadelphia Times

ION A6a NoAS AOO6 vi
ness, boys" said old Jerry Greening the
other night, as he came into the Williamson
House barroom, at Lackawanna.
Some of the boys were indulging in a little
game of draw poker, with a limit, just to
pass away the time. Judge Ridgway, the
champion sucker fisherman of this region,
asked Jerry if he would take a hand. "No,
t%hankee," said the veteran yarn spinner as ne
helped himself to a ''chaw" Of Life Pelton's
tobacco. Il amt taken no stock en- keerd
playin' %nowaday. Ef you fellers III lay down
your keerds I'll chuck pennies with you to
see who pays for tn drinks, and then I'll
tell We a story about poker %playin."
The cards were laid down, the coins were
pitched and s'Si.' Terwiliger was the unfor-
tunate one. Reinforced with a tunbler of
gin and tansy, the old man took off his
SLOUGH hat and heavy throat mufier and pre-
pared to spin the promised yarn.
"Lem'me see," started Jerry, II guess
it was nigh bout 'leven years go | were goin'
out west with q party o city folks to hunt on
the p%uraries. We wur TRAVELLING in powerful
fine style in one O them palace keers, when
We sees q real nice lookin' Teller with a d.
mond buzzum pin ONE inter the keer. He
sot down nigh me and bineby he got the
owner of the kee1-which | remarked at the
time were q nigger-to get a table for him.
He got a playin' keerds all alone by hisself,
and bireby another nice looking Teller came
in, and them two fellers got a playin'. Ar
ter a while the two city fellers that Wur
goin' out west with me took a hand at the
game, an before we got to Chicargo my two
fellers hadn't Tough spondulix round 'em to
buy q square drink o liker, let alone 'nough
20 fudder west. Finally one O my men-I
alters calls EN- my men bekase they wur
goin' west with me-, ye know-said to the fell
Ter with the di'mond buzzum pin. Let's
change the game. | got just s., 1000 in cash
10 my grip sack that belongs ter my ole man
in Chicargo let's play ucre fer a change
Now, III tell yer what I'll do said the buz.
zum-pin man, I'll jest bet yer even So, 900
that | can take them thar keerds and cut the
jack o hearts the very first time BY darn.
III do it, says my man. sWell,' says |. I'll
hold the stakes All right said the buz-
zum-pin man. Durin' this little conversation
my man wur shuf1o' up the keerds kline O.
nervous like, so he laid EN- down an tot
me ter keep an eye on EN- while he got his
cash. He come back with the money and
horlo1 r. far ,oa NJ Dryo:n - - -.
his cash, but with what he had won from nv
man, an what money he had before, he wus
jest a hundred dollars short. WELL SAYS I.
rather than see this fun broke up. I'll lend
ye the hundred So l pulled out a mole
stockin' | had in my grip sack anc got out
five twenty dollar gold pieces. Thar says
/, get down ter business
"Well, they did. Mr.. Buzzum pin took
the keerds in his hands, and DRAWN a bowie
outer his pocket, he cut them keerds
right in two quicker lightnin'. Thar says
he, 4 cut the jack O. hearts the first time,
and reckon I'll freez INTO that thar cash.
Fork her over, Mister says ne ter me. Jest
about that time I seed the pint O. the scheme
an I laffed until l wur nigh busted. I jest
got down on the floor and LATED, an t'were
close ter five minutes before I got cooled
down agin. were jest ready ter pay the
buzzum-pin man the money, and his face
were as smilin' as a mans is when he looks
at his first baby, whom all t'wonst my man
SEE Mr.. Greenin' lreckon you'll pay that
hull pile over ter me- The 'greement was
that / wur to cut the jack O. hearts the first
time, said buzzum-pin, AN I done it, so I'll
take the dough if yer please. | cut it, didn't
Il? We'll, no. says my man, pullin the jack
O. hearts outer his left sleeve, 4 reckon not
We'll, boys. if yer could O seen that feller's
face drop, you'd a smiled q smole. The first
thing he done was ter reach fur his shootin'
iron, but my man SEE, oh, don't do that
an kinder raisin the lapboard they'd been
playin' on he showed Mr.. Buzzum-pin a six
shooter pintin' in the direction o. his heart,
an it wur full-cocked, too! well, I'm done
brown fur once, says the buzzum-pin man,
and says he, Who be ye, anyway, stranger
says my man, 4 don't mind 'bliging
you with my cognoman, I'm Billy Birdsall
O. New York, an Tn the man that invented