Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-07-16
A HOT COLD DECK.
How An Old California Sport Won
a Little Fortune.
y Poker Story or the Early Days On the
Pacific Coast--A Lively Game With
Heavy Bets-Reddy's Luck and
His antagonists Anger.
man De on.lle. in \. Y. sun. ]

rDan De Qa.lie, in Y Y. sun.l
Observing of late in Eastern papers
sporting anecdotes. have been reminde ed
of a lively ga ne Which actually occurred
just as related in the flush times of placer
mining in California, and which think
VIII interest some of the men of the At
lantic States. where now are not few Of
our old timers, many of whom will rcmem-
Der the names of the persons I shall men
tion.
In the early days OF California--in the
good old times before the ranchmen an 4
Judge Sawyer came with their iniunctions
10 put stop to hydraulic mining, and a
stopper on the men Of the mountains who
irst lifted California out OF tns lille and
tallow trade and placed her in the sister
GOOD of Stltes-in thosa days when the
hon st miner was digging his bushels OF
money out Of the gulches and hills, and
making lie possible anl profitable to
1hcae Ct the ranches in the
valleys. gCii coin and gold dust were
Aot held Ui>h the tErottling grasp char
act"ristic of this horti cultural and bucolic
IRA. Thcn the eager and alert eye OF the
calculnting ranrher sought out The miner
SIS be DESCENDED from the heights OF the
Sicrras. Cnd his land was extended in
welcome wEiie tho man of nuggets and
''ckispos" was still afar Off.
In those days 81 old, and davs Of gold"
Reddy & Andrews lTom Andrews a man
well known to all the ld-tiue Pacific
coast sports) owned Immensely rich dig
gings at Forest City, Sierra County. They
frequently cleaned up from $20, 600 to So
600 at one time. When n clean up was
made one of the partners would take the
dust to San Francisco to the min
In making these trips they generally
took turns. IL was before tho days of the
railroads-was in the oh, romantic, socia-
ble happy tim as OF the steamer lines on
the rivers Of the Golden State. Il was the
regul9r 'pbit of the partners, on getting
off the ling. humping mountain coach,
20 stay over night at Sacramento, taking
the boat the next afternoon at two O'clock
for San Francisco.
W hen it was the tarn Of An lraw to go
down TO The bay with the dust. he frc-
qnently did battle with the tiger while
lying over at Sacramento, bat Reddy's
strong suit was poker. Three aces was his
big hand. When he held three aces he
would bet his bottom dollar and 20 his
liver and lights blind" This was so well
known that it had passed into proverb
among the Sacramento sports.
On one occasion, when Reddy had been
playing q 4 night with some Sacramento
men and quit s. 900 ahead Of the game, it
was conclu led to follow him up. In pur-
suance of this plan, some of the sports with
whom he had spent the night-Charlev
Dawson among the number--told Reddv
that they had concluded, just for the fun
of the thing, 10 take q little run with him
down TO the bay.
The boat had not proceeded far down the
river Before, as the most natural thing in
the world, poker game was started. In
the game were Re Idly, Foster, a hotel
Keeper from one of the southern counties,
Charley Dawson and the other sports.
A job had Ieen put up TO raise a cold
deck, AMI give Reddy his favorite hand
Of three aces. The game proceeded, and
Mt the proper time Dawson raised the
deck.
The cards were deal. and Reddy got his
three aces, Dawson three kings, and the
Others Indifferent hands. In the draw.
Dawson got the other king. Reddy drew
two cards, but having his three aces he
felt strong enough to fight an army, and
did not pick up or look at tho two cards he
had drawn.
Betting began and Foster and the two
sports with Dawson dill not CO me in.
Having four kings, and being confident
that Reddy had only his three aces, Daw-
son went in strong; aud, having his three
aces, Reddy felt that nothing coulI whip
him. He was so sure that he was right
ia
lying by his side, which he had gotten in
the draw.
The betting very shortly became red
hot. Most of the louncers about the boat
were soon gathered arou nd the two men,
watching the game with breathless inter-
est.
Among the lookers-on was Doinin go
Joe, nervous and restless little sport,
who was Dawson's friend and chur. Joe
IA Portuguese or Spaniard-was skip-
ping back AMI forth in the restless way
that seems characteristic OF understood
men-maniEins ~peepin, over the shoul-
GERS of the two men at their cards as often
as an opp 1rtunity offered, his eyes spark
( ling and dancing with excitement he
felt pretty confident that the cards had
been properly stocked, YET he would have
given whole hsndfuis of gold for single
peep at those which Reddy he'd not vet
picked uD.
Several thousand dollars hal already
Teen hot, and finally, as stunper.
Dawson wen. 80 CO.. better. Reddy prompt
~ saw the raise, end said: Il 20 you an
o,hcr 5000 better'
Quite absent-nindedly he thea picked
Al
been lying unnoticed by his side.
The weasel eye of Domingo Joe detected
the other ace the cards were lifted. In
stantly an ashy pallor spread over his
weaZen visage. 1t was almost as though
be had been stricken with death.
However, the stroke paralyzed him for
only moment. Almost ins antly he re-
covered his self-possesSion, and, thrusting
both hands into his trousers pockets and
assuming an indifferent air, he sheered
of from the party. Carelessiy aun.ering
up and down che boat, he began singing
And the other fell in, too, boys.
And the other ielf ia there, toe.
This was enough for Dawson. The
words OF Domingo Joe's pretended song
came to his ears as death knelf He
'nrned pale, then red, threw down his
',arcs and said: Take it ALL squcal."
As keddy raked down the whole pile he
I threw a glance around tue circle Of pale
and silent spectators. and sang as though
the words of Domingo Joe had jest reached
his ears:
Aud .hcicthcr felt in. too, boys,
And the other fell There. tool
Advanced in Christianity.
fDetroit Free Frees
On the Pacific coast chinnmen who