Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-07-07

The llustrious consult now endeaVOr-
ing To Export uPOn the mysteries ana
practices preyalelE on Change will,
il is to be hoped, &c mindful of the re-
suits which fOllO1, ed similar series OF
INVESTIGATIONS among the Miembres
Apaches, in New Mexico, dozen or so
wears ago. For certain irregularities in
their menhOd OF specializing in Ameri-
can beef several hundred members Of
this excellent tribe were persuaded by
the government to abandon their
bounding mountain pursuits and take
ratiOns and residence on beautiful but
somewhat SequfStered tract known as
Fort Tulerosa, situated near the head OF
the San Augustine plains. To prevent
their feeling lonely an agent and two
cOmpaniesi of the Fifteenth infantry
were stationed with them, while Occa-
sional bodies of cavalry described irreg-
ular but rather frequent orbits through
the country adjacent. lest the proven
bially YenOmOus cattle and imDetuous
sheep of the PecOs district should take 1t
into their heads to make raid on the
r, servatiOD, which would make trouble.
Under these kindly auspices the tribe
increased, and monthly musterS found
them quite full of peace and rations and
enthusiasm.
Unfortunately, however, the frequent
visits Of Loco, the head chief to the in
iantry quarters in search of trustworthy
plug Tobacco, led to that gentleman's
initiation into the mysteries of a spec
ulative pastime known to the frontier
military as draw poker. Its immense
superiority over the sometimes danger
Gus Apache method Of q rOugh-and
tumble massacre as means Of obtain
ING property, struck Loco at once, and
with such assiduty did he apply HIM
self to its requirement, that at the end
of three days he was thoroughly eOmpe-
tent TO umpire the value of two pairs,
while the close of the week found him
already master of the delicate and eX-
citing art technically known rs skin
ming flush" Armed with this knowl-
edge, and in possession of an ancient
mack of cards obtained from the Majors
orderly in lawful exchange for a hair
lariat, Loco repaired to the camp OF his
people and proceeded to set up school
of the new science OH the kindergarten
principle Of actual demonstration, 1t
took rs the vaccinatOrs say. With
a discretion certainly remarkable in one
80 remO'e from Wall-strCet, Loco selec-
ted i pupils from ameng those of his
tribe most reputed for wealth, and so
before s hours had elapsed he accum-
ulated n. ore bows, and arrows, dogs,
blankets. and buckskin'than ne or his
family could use in a year. AS the
school grew in numbeTsand knowledge,
H., - o. ,lanEaFa.I nd
stakes increased in proportion. The
'ante" was gradually enlarged from
arrow heads To full-grOwn dogs, nobody
could "cOme in" on less than pony,
and while il was thought that the ut
most limit had been touched when
Loco bluti1d out three kings by betting
his oldest squaw, he astOunded the en-
tire tribe on the very next deal by
reCkleSSly opening a large Jackpot with
his mOtheT-in law and seven chews of
navy plug. The excitement rose to
fever heat when ChOsitO, rich sub
chief, not only covered but raised this
bet three sheep and pair of twins;
and when Har-al-ehe, another sub-chief
saw" both and went them two sisters,
a lOOking-glaSS, lame niece, three
I cakes ofred paint, blind grandmother
who could chop wood, and a saradine
box full of gunpowder better, the
deliriouS yells of the bystanders could
be heard at the garrison, two miles
away. Loco quietly capped all these
bets and raised back until the corral
selected to hold the stakes stopped over
with mutual live stock and relatives,
and the contestants decided to draw.
ChOsito wanted two cards; Har-al-che
said one would do him, while Loco
rolled a cigarette and guessed he'd play
what he had.
Now, ii had been noticed Mat LsOcco
did not in the beginning eXpOund all
the combination of the game
to his pupils. Aces-up, for exam
pie, were thought by them TO be in
. vincible, until once, when that hand
was held against him, Loco showed
up with three jacks, which he claimed
were vastly superior. An hour or SO az
ter some lively betting passed, and
a subchlef showed down three aces and
started to rake in the pot, but Loco
gently but firmly checked him, and
said that he had forgotten to explain to
! the company flush" which lovely
hand he held that very minute, and
which would nip the biggest threes ever
/ dealt. Under similar circumstances did
/ re teach them the value of "fulls,"
"iOurs," and sequence flushes."
\ Finally, however, he admitted that
/ every possible hand had been explained
and that with little practice from timetO
/ time, his class could be graduated. The
| betting had become somewhat frugal
/ under the uncertainty as to what new
hand Loco might spring on them, but
I upon this announcement confidence
| was restored, and bets were gradually
increased up to the extent mentioned
/ above.
There being nothing left to bet, a
showdown was in order. Chosito ex-
/ posed three aces and pair of kings.
( Har-al-ehe whOOped with triumph, and
laid out the five, six, seven, eight, and
nine of diamonds, which, he clsimed.
according to Loco himself, was inyinci-
Ole. Both looked at Loco, who, as
ehlei, was absolute umpire. That gen.
tleman slowly skinned out two Jacks, a
KING, a queen, and the ace of spades.
lhls, he said, was "blaze,n a hand
which only came once in 200 years, like
comet, and invariably took the Dot.
Inc great rarity of bla1es, together with
the extreme improbability Of one ever
SeIng held during his administration,
had really caused mention of them TO
sup his mind until just then, when this
one by miracle happened to slide in.
however, all would take notice, and al
ways remember for their great-great.
grandchildren's sake, that Whenever
t'co black jacks, the king Of hearts, a
req queen, and the ace Of spades came
together pat, the hand would Law right
over anything in sight. He then pro-
eeeu 10 count up the live stock, and
gave, orders for wing to be added to
his harem. ChositO and Har-aI-che
borrowed bow and few arrows, and
started out to seek new fortunes on the
Pee0s River, where they were heard of
not long after, as successful raisers of a
nne quality of Texan beef and retail
J dealers in human hair. But the conf.
uenee Of the Apache public i'm their
chlef as preceptOr was broken. the ra-