Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-04-17
GAME OF CHECKERS.
How Yonng " Grover Cleveland De-
feated the Village HOasfer.

feated the Village ROaster.
There comes pleasant story tony ears
Of President Cleveland, say ,.'Halston'
in the New York 7Tmfs. It goes to
show that in his younger days, before
ambitious thoughts began to surge
through his brain, he could not have
been the sententious, phlegmatic person
over whom Washington correspondents
are worrying themselves to death with
bits of description just now. On one
occasion, at least, be saw the humorous
side Of little episode and enjoyed a
quiet laugh. Young Mr.. Cleveland
''Grove" was his title in the days l write
of-happened to be spending few days
at the home Of a relative in a reposeful
haHlet, one of those places whose placid
excitements alternated among the rail-
road station, the meeting house, and the
village store, where the mail was pigeon
holed and everything from rum and cali
co to fiat head nails and ginger cakes
was doled out. The young mans visit
was during the winter, when the place
was desolate and dreary enough. When
he got his bearings, tired OF traniping
about in the snow and ice, he some
times dropped into "Uncle Silas's,"
the village store. One gray-skied after
noon he came upon the regulation circle
of gossips The familiar old Franklin was
blazing out its heat over in the corner
and the solons were busy Eliminating and
varying the monotony of their thoughts
with frequent "chaws." Cne of the
characters of the place was sandy
haired, small-eyed, pucker-faced Ike
Sanders, prodigious boaster and self
constituted authority from the text of
the parsons last sermon to the shingling
of the dilapidated school-house. This
local Sir Oracle was q confirmed checker
player. Lazy and shiftless, the long
winter hours were passed by him up at
Uncle Silas', where from favorite cor
ner he watched for victims. On the
afternoon that Grover entered the excite
ment over in the corner seemed to be
running over. Even Uncle Silas had
quilted his seat behind the counter, and
with his spectacles perched up among
his thin locks, his hands clasped on his
backbone, he stood eagerly watching the
checker board. A milder faced, middle
aged little man was nervously bent over
Ike's slow and impressive moves of the
checkers. The game was close, and
Sanders opponent, no other than the
village schoolmaster, had held slight
advantage; suddenly Ike surrendered
one of his men to the foe, who promptly
seized the opportunity. Another man
was yielded, and then the trap became
apparent, and the devoted dominic
rushed to his ruin.
''Ha-ha! hobo! Why, you can't play
checkers any more than you can scrape
the sky" was Isaac's taunt as he grasped
his victory.
eff ye'd set down and study the board
for couple O. year yes mout win a
game once in while, but sho' yer all
poor fool folks at checkers roun' here
anyhow"
The poor schoolmaster, his thin
cheeks pinking with modification,
shrank back with faint excuse for his
defeat. Ike carelessly rearranged the
draughts, boastfully placed the board
over on the frkin, and looked up with a
challenge in his eye. "Say, Uncle
Silas," lie called out, shave We got any
body else thinkin' they can play check
ers here? MOI Well l guess yer haint !;
SOS nobody wants to play bout with
me, yes mout as well put the board
away" Uncle Silas rubbed his wrink-
led hand across his forehead, admitted
that Isaac was a master at the game, and
was making preparations to place the
we'll fingered checkers behind him on
the desk, when the young stranger, pity.
ing the defeated schoolmaster, having
watched the game with some interest,
and inclined to attribute its loss more to
nervousness than lack of skill, found
voice:
81 say, Mr.. Sanders, would you mind
trying a game with meW
"With you2 Shot, young fellow. you
don't want to play against Ike Sand
ers!"
"Well, l would be willing to try"
ooh, come; you can't play nothin
against me; Pm tired of beatin' this vii.
lage. anyhow. Now, take the advice Of
a friend and don't waste your time,
young man."
81 might give you some trouble,
though"
"Humph! YOU'RE sassy enough about
it, and to take down your conceit peg
or two I'll let you have game"
Once more the frkin was moved into
place, and the knot of spectators peered
over the shoulders of the contestants, and
old Silas again resumed his wonted atti.
tude. AS the game advanced there was
no sound in the room save the CHATTER
of the wooden blocks as they changed
from square to square. The young
| player's black men wedged themselves
boldly in among the "whites." Isaac
began to quicker up his thin lips. Soor
his fingers opened and shut nervously
as his fist lay against his hip and his left
foot tapped impatiently on the pin'
boards. His moves became hasty anC
his manner irritable. Lookers-on tool
in the situation; glances of relief were
interchanged, some holder ones nudg
ing their neighbors, and soon half-sup
pressed chickering's were heard. Tx
"didn't know what folks meant by dis
turbin' the game. "When few more move
effectually placed him in coventry anC
his remnants were completely hedged il
he began really to understand; his I'm
dor lip dropped, and he had only voice
enough to murmur: Wa'al, the hrs
games yourn, and that's all We kin reckon
on" The second game started. The re
suit was as before. Ike's enemies crowded
forward to see him "put down by tina
there young Grove Cleveland. Anothe
and another victory was wrested iron
the crestfallen Ike When the fiftl
contest failed to change the tide, San