The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-07-08
FROM POKER TO PULPIT
The Career OF Steve HoieonS, . RefsrneA
Loaisvtlle GasabIer.

The Career OF Steve Hsieons, = RefsrneA
| Lesisviiio GAMBLER.
| Prom the Louisri,s ierJournaL
The frequent passer on the south side Of
| Jefferson. between Fourth and Fifth streets.
h trs noii , man yho + usually standing IN
| thin. and with form that Is just beginning to
stoop under the weight of the years which have
b his sH hair G4h sprnkIsd in isw
bis eyes dark blue. and an intelectnal-ooking
iore l e. tmpaTfs character to the face. That
gambler, and now the Jealous city missionary
A. ono time hc was one Of the coolest and most
he travelled Tor nearly. score Of years,
losing snd winning With tho varying for.
most noted and successful poker player in
dozen States. and scores Of anecdotes arc re-.
ae ra vi s' sat ws Luck fo0 whs @ends.
too daring to deter him The luck - OF which
% aMa s 'aS sIns lax an1 SS sna in w
ANYTHING Of economy he might have become
A reporter Of tho Co,rie,'-.Joonol me, him tn,
other dny and had long talk with him ovoi
his past history; He told his story with sim.
p,,ieiity when lett no doubt OF the gcnuinenesi
Il was born in this city he said lin 1898.
ana have spent the most Of my life here ever
since. though lived many years in Nashville
Sb aqn otnGr stes II the South ihnk
bad IN this respect. and when wanted TO mar
away M,b aid II 2is ye"rI had to run
done well before hi: 10th In playing and at my
bank I was soon dead broke. But ioafed
a Arc the sHnoons ard gradually picked
bank Of my own with money 1 borrowed from
some friends. had q good run of luck in q
money. though never able to accumulate more
than lew thousand dollars at a time. The
T mss ar9 na such
ing against the bank.
NJ What " games n e; made you the most money
made great deal at banking games but
suppose more ut poker than at anything else.
understood it pretty thoroughly"
- Did you ever learn system that would
Yes: met q man once who had studied out
e., system which beat me: although had been
fh as s sny sam M% vnn wss
- Nashville at the time when there used to be
wars rns Of Of s
But a man named Buchanan came up from
some place in the South who beat every ere q
same with All the others: / watched him
as any of us. but couldn't see his trick with a
ss IpSys Though .L knew w., he IN, had one AZ
together. and, as I hid very large acunnint-
tune easily. Buchanan was rather green. and
the n ldsa struck him iayorably SO we became
pHrln6TS. We together Il good ,tpnI
and won pile of money. might easily have
got rich but had such passion for. faro that
S e1ari tn hrp PLAYING and would l9ss every
partnership with Buchanan came to an end
rather suddenly at Shreveport, where 1 lost
Jog %aai rfS a"h i Esp Si hs
any one besides Knows of to s dy th"'
came an ri hask to Louisville after that and
IN two games. one with Henry Johnson. the
n mass w mdneS msn nsmes Ehn We
was converted and quit wa" gsmSIng 'G It T nsme
nnoat IN pSsaa Rev way he
living ut Middletown. came to me one day and
wanted to rent 2 house owned nj shippng-
port Learning that he was n preacher. re-
on my :shoulder At that, md remarked that he
more senses than one. His words i'm pressed
me, and vent to hear him preach and from
interest in the two games was running and
s ended 9ne tRHy b,nsnass o tht In
sselI: by gave away to a friend i had a hard ard
t ,nsl after that went into several different
lost ct eyerythin. touched, The little none" nom,
charity. for from the time I was converted / did
everything; could to reclaim my former COM
after falling to obtain employment. brother
Alexander who has always stood by me drew
out f6l he had in bank, and with II / went To
silver Glin, Colorado. got there pnnniless.
ana whl,. staniingaround the gambling saloon
edht hotel got the place and washed dishes
Tor beggnrly pit'ance, though could have got
an interest in n big game that was going on there
at the time. Then ! was cook in a mining
camp. and a. last saved up enough money to
puy an outlit AMI go prospecting failed at
tnnt. 100, ana after tramping over the noun
f fnins came back and went to cook ing in a
home, hut when reached here ! was again
without n cent. Well. sir try as hard MS 1
could couldn't got thing to do here though
Knew 50 many people and was willing to work
~ anything. Al that timo | was living with nv
tiam',y in room. and they were snlrering-
tlme MAJOR Hughes was elected Chief Of tho
FIRE Department and Ms he had always been
friend Of mi ne. thought I'd ask him for a
Job lie mover hesitated. but gave me n place ma
soon rs asked for II. / stayed in the depart.
nent for two years, reading and studying to
At the end III that time. which was two
years ago. was approachod by Brother Nor
ris who SAID the Church wUuiA support meif
l would come here and tax" charge OF tho mis-
sion. IL was Just what ! wanted and | came.
and am now trying my best to do some good
gamblers. for bel lev" it would do no good,
I am working hard among Tho gam.
blers. who have confidence in mo and IL
wou,dn I do u abuse them. 1t wouldn't do any
goou rltnrr, Tor every young man would think
hlinfeli tor"warned IA soon as he knew the
tricks ana would be more anxious to play tiiom
over. Gambling can't b.. stopped b. such q
why ms that, but if it could ] wouldn hesitate
q moment.