The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-04-07
Cutting the Jack.
A Quiet Little Transaction Between Two
Gentlemen on the Cars in the West.
PHILADELPHIA Times.1

"Playin' poker is mighty dangerous bizGess,
boys" said old Jerry Greening the other night
as he came into the Williamson House barroom
at Lackawaxen
Some of ''the boys were indulging in lit
tie game of draw-poker, with limit, just to
pass away the time Judge RidgwAy, the cham
pion sucker fisher of this region, asked Jerry II
be would take hand. "No, thankee," said
the veteran yarn spinner, as he helped himself
to a 'chaw' of Lille Pelton's tobacco: II amt
a takin' no stock in keerd playin' nowadays.
Eff you iellers'll lay down yer keerds III chuck
pennies t'see who pays for tn drinks, an then
I'll tell ye a leetle story, bout poker piayln.
The cards were laid down, the COINS we're
pitched, and sSi' Terwilliger was the unfortu-
nate one. Reinforced with a tumbler OF gin
and tansy,' the old man took off his slouch hat
and heavy throat muller and prepared to spin
the promised yarn.
nigh about 'leven year go, 1 were gon' out
West with party o. city folks to hunt on tn
purairies. We was travelin in powerful f1ne
style in one O. them palace keers when We see
q reel nice lookin' feller with di'mond buz-
znm pin COON into the keer. He sot down nigh
me, an himeby he got the owner OF the keer-
which remarked at the time were niger
to get a table tor him. He got playin' keerds
all lone by hisself, an bimeby mother nice
looking fellef came in, an them two fellers
got a Ol2Vln. AIlCE "a Wniic thO SNO Oiby lOl-
lers that were goin' out West with me took "a
han in the game, an fore we got tChicargo
nv two fellers hadn't 'nough spondulix round
'em to buy a square drink O. likker, let 'lene
'nough to 60 furder West Fin'lly, one o my
men-I alters calls 'em my men, bekase they
was going West with me, you know-sald to
tn feller with tn dlmon' buzzum pin, Lets
change tn game. I've got jest 5000 cash 10
M grip-sack that longs to my OF man in Chi
cargo; let's play eucher for change. Now,
I'll tell We what I'll do" said tie buzznm pin
man: .sI'll ias bet yer even $4,000 thet l kin
take them keerds an cut tn jack O hearts the
very first time.' by darni I'll do it, sez my
man, WELL sez /, IN hold the stakes All
right sez the buzznm pin man. Durin, this
little conversation my man were shufflln up
the keerds kinder nervous-like. SO he laid 'em
down an told me to keep an eye on 'em while
he got his cash. He come back with the mon
ey an handed it e me. Mr.. Buzzum-pin got
out his cash. but with what he he'd won from
my man an what money be he'd
he were short Jest hundred dollars
WELL sez I, rather than see this yere fun
broke up, I'll lem ye tn hundred So pulls
out an ole stocking L he'd in my grip-sack an
got ont five twenty dollar gold pieces. Thar
sez 1, now get down t. biz.'A
"Wall they got. Mr.. Bnzzum-pin took the
keerds in his hans, an, drawing bowie
knife outen his hip-pocket, he cut them keerds
right in two. quicker'n lightpin'. Thar SEE
he. Il cut tn Jack o. hearts tn fust time, mis-
ter an reckon I'll freeze onto that thar cash.
Fork her over mister, sez he q me. just
'bout that time / see tn pint o tn scheme, an
[ laffed till putty nigh busted. Jist got
down onto tn floor an laffed, an 'twere close
t. FIVE minits fore got cooled down agin.
were Jest ready T. pay tn buzzum-pin man tn
5000, an his face were as smllin' as mans
is when he looks at bis fust baby, when all TO
oncet my man sez, Mr.. Greenin, / reckon
You'll pay that hull pile over T. me-. The
'greement was that wene & cut tn Jack th'
fnst time,' sez Buzzum-pin, AN done it, SO
Pn take the dough, if ye please. cut it. didn't
Il? wall, no. sez my man, pnllen tn JACK
o'hearts outen his eft sleeve, i reckon not!
Wall boys eff you could a seen that feller's
face drop you'd smiled a smole The fust
thing he done were t reach for his shootln
iron, but my man sez, oh, don't do that an
kinder rasin the lapboard they were playin
on be showed Mr.. Buzzum-pin six-shooter
pintin in ih' direction O. his heart, an 'twere
full cooked, too. wall, I'm done brown fur
once sez the buzzum-pin man, an sez he,
who be ye, anyway, stranger wall, SEE
cog 'omen. I'm Billy Birdsall o. New YORK,
an I'm the man that Invented that little
scheme o. cuttin TIL Jack, an now, m friend,
I'll give We little piece o advice. L let ye
win all m cash SO could clean ye out. FL d
a tried t clean ye at poker L could done 1t,
but you'd stopped playin' fore ye got broke,
SO laid for ye. Arter this when yeer goin' e
cut tn Jack, dom let anyone handle tn 'keerds
fust Mr. Greenipg'll give ye $50 outen tn
stakes, an guess you'd better light out at
Chicago, an ye want t keep yer eye peeled,
We know them Chicago peoples noted fer their
big feet, and they amt in any way delicate
bout usin' 'em ef they gets skinned by sharp
er. Good evenin'r Wall, payed the buzz
zum-pin man his fifty dollars, an he got out at
Chicargo. Me an them two fellers he'd good
laff over the way we faxed him, an since that
L hain't played no keerds. OF course | don't
s'pose any of you fellers II cheat at keerds, and
I've no iections to playin' with you, though l
did see Bill Carkuff slippin' mace down onto
his lap t, lay fer mace full. Ye see now, boys,
why L don't play no keerds. Let's chuck
agin for the drinks, an ther guess III go
hum. for I've got to try case for salt and
batter tomorrer mornin' fore Squire Dewitt"
Having "chucked" for and disposed of his
drink, Jerry babe the crowd goodnight and
started home, and the game of poker was re-
newed