Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-05
POKER IN THE FAR WEST.
A story of Early Days ON the
COast..The Hot Cold Deck.

Observing of late in Eastern papers
many sporting anecdotes, says Dan. de
Quille, in the New York Snn, have
been reminded of lively game which
actually occurred, just as related, in the
flush times of placer mining in Califor-
mia, and which, think, will interest
some of the sports of the Atlantic States,
where now are not q few of our old.
timers, many of whom will remember
the names Of the persons / shall men,
tion:
In the early days of California-in the
good old times before the raRchmen and
Judge Sawyer came with their injunc.
tion to put stop to hydraulic mining,
and stopper on the men of the mount
aims who first lifted California out of the
hide and tallow trade and placed her in
the sisterhood of States-in those days
when the honest miner was digging his
| bushels of money out of the gulches
and hills, and making life possible and
profitable to those ON the ranches in the
valleys, gold coin and gold dust were
not held with the throttling grasp char
acteristic of this horticultural and bu-
collie era. Then the eager and alert eye
of the calculating rancher sought out the
miner as he descended from the heights
of the Sierra, and his hand was extended
in welcome while the man of nuggets
and "chispas" was still afar off.
In those "days of old and days of
gold," Reddy & Andrews Tom Andrews,
a man we'll known to all the old-time
Pacific Coast sports) owned immensely
rich diggings at Forest City, Sierra
county. They frequently cleaned up
from 500, 900 to $4,000 at one time.
When a clean up was made one of the
Francisco to the Mint.
In making these trips they generally
took turns. 1t was before the days OF
the railroads-was in the old, romantic,
sociable. happy times of the steamer
lines on the rivers of the Golden State.
1t was the regular habit of the partners
On getting off the rolling, humping
mountain coach, to stay over night at
sacramento, taking the boat the next
afternoon at o'clock for San Francisco.
When it was the turn of Andrews to
go down to the bay with the dust he
frequently did battle with the tiger
while lying over at Sacramento, but
Reddy's strong suit was poker. Three
aces was his big hand. When he held
three act he would "bet his bottom dol
lar and go his liver and lights blind"
This was so well known that it had
passed into proverb among Sacramento
sports.
On one occasion, when Reddy had
been playing all night with some Sacra.
mento men and quit S., 900 ahead of the
game, it was concluded to follow him up.
In pursuance of this plan, some of the
sports with whom he had spent the
night - Charley Dawson among the
number-told Reddy that they had con.
cluded, just for the fun of the thing, to
take 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 Reddy, Eos.
ter, hotel-keeper from one of the
southern counties, Charley Dawson aud
two other sports.
A job had been put up to raise cold
deck and give Reddy his favorite hand
Of three aces. The game proceeded, and
at the proper time Dawson raised the !
deck.
The cards were dealt and Rsddy got !
his three aces. Dawson three kings. and ,
The others indifferent hands. In the !
lraw Dawson got the other king. Red |
iy drew two cards, but having his three !,
ices he felt strong enough to fight a |