Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-02-26
lDoston Globe.J

noon, as he sat leisarely smoking q cigar
in West End sample-room.
'Nes,' he continued, with a reflective
nod, "it is safe to say that out of hun
dred men that play cards for money
ninety mine of 'em has some little super
stition or other. In course, il you tax 'em
with it they'll deny it; but they have it
just the same. The fact is, there is more
o. less superstition in all of US, whatever
you may say. A manu tell yer he hain't
got any superstition in him; but if it comes
to marryin' or doin' anything important
Friday, yer can stake yer pile he wouldn't
be there. An its funny how luck works.
Lots of men are ruined by not realzn' how
long streak of bad luck may last. I
don't see nothin' ter prevent it's lastn' fur
ever-do you?-except that, accordin' to
the doctrine of chances, luck will in time
equalize itself.
"Well, that may be so, but the trouble is,
great many men do not live long enough
or have the opportunity to give it a
chance. It's like a man losing the only
one hundred dollars he has in the world
playin' bank. Maybe, il he had another
hundred, an played it, he'd come out a
winner-but, to my mind, he'd be quite as
apt to loss it as he was the fust hundred
in spite er the doctrine of chances. Yes,
sir. it's funny ter see how luck works.
Only the other night dropped in ter see
sizable game of poker that was goiu' on
not fur from here; an one er the players
friend of mine-that was settin' in bad
luck, sez to me: Bill, l hain't won a pot
for more'n an hour; wish you'd wait till
take one. Set down an concentrate yer
! mind on me.'
81 sez 'all right an set down an lighted
cigar. Well, of all the luck l ever see
/ his was the wust. Most of his hands was
kelters, an what is still wus, when he had
a good hand somebody laid over him. That
is the wust kind of luck man can have,
for. of course, if he hain't got nothin' at
all. he can keep passin' out, an lose
nothin' much but antes. Well, l set there
for more'n two hours, an in all that
time he didn't win a pot! There was
beads of sweat on his forehead. They'd
put it to him stout, 1 tell you-an' turnin'
to another fellow at the table he says:
'S'posin' we change seats The other fell
low was agreeable, bein' a winner, an,
will you believe it, he hadn't more'n taken
my friends seat when they commenced
comm to him.
81 never see anything like it. He must
have made two hundred dollars inside OF
twenty minutes! AM as fur my friend, he
KEEP right on losin'. Finally he took lit.
tie pot-a dollar bet and called, or some
thing of that kind-an' left. 1t does beat
the Dutch how luck1l follow a man."
"But you were speaking of gamblers
superititions?"
''Yes, some of 'em is very funny. They
used to say in war times that currency
tucked in mans ear would bring him
luck. I've seen many a man sittin' at a
poker table with little wad of currency
sticking out of his ear. How it worked ]
/ DON'T know, but the effect of it was com.
ical. Another way to woo fortune,' as
they say, is to put chair back to the ta-
BILE an straddle 1.-THE chair, / mean
That's the only straddle, by the way, he'd
better make, less he's holdin' 'em very
stout. Ahemv'
1t was evident that the latter remark
was intended in the light of wirticism
so the writer smiled amiably.
eyes," continued the sporting man, wip-
ing bis heavy black mustache with a red
handkerchief, "an' I've often known men
to wear their stockings inside out, in hopes
of bringin' luck. Others think that turnin
three times round chair'll do it. An I've
known no end of them that thinks there's
luck in some one thing they wear-a hat,
or a coat, or pair of shoes. I've seen q
man, very fond of dressin', set down to q
table with as old an ragged a pair OF
pants on as ever you see, just for that rea
son. There's faro bank dealer in town
that won't deal less he has on an old
h'own straw hat. A big game was goin
he other night, when be discovered he
didn't have on his hat. He stopped the
game right there and would not deal an
other card till he got his hat.
"Sometimes player takes notion that
certain party brings him bad luck ]
see that shown not long ago in faro
bank. A man that was playin' an hnd
lost several bets looked up suddinly an
see man that he thought bringed hin
bad luck lookin' on. What did he do but
cash chip an get the man to walk a
couple of blocks for some cigars"
"And what are your impressions CON.
corning gambling with cardsf"
"Well, he replied, tucking his cigar int
the corner of his mouth and drawing I
long breath, "I've done a heap of it nv.
self; but il had my life to live over agar
don't b'lieve / should touch 'em. The
fact is, there amt no money in 'em fol
an honest man, to say nothin' bout tn,
wear an tear of the excitement, settin
up nights, and so forth. Now, Jest look al
It, gentleman sets into a little game 81
draw and makes, Wen say, fifty dollars
He feels good, an is very liable to
throw away at lest five dollars of his win
nin's, leaving him forty five dollars win
ner. Now, s'posin' the luck runs tn,
other way an he loses fifty dollars. Well
he feels kinder bad, an wanting to hav.
some fun for his money is pooty sure Il
waste five dollars more, maxim him fifty
five dollars out, or playin' with the odd
eleven ter nine again his comm ou
ahead. That's big percentage, to say
Dothin' bout the kitty an the kitty
alone in the long run-that is, 'cordin' Il
the doctrine OF chances. Why, 1t ism
uncommon for party of five or six pokel
players to run kitty up to fifty dollar
ct sittin.'
"Drinks an food and cigars, and sc
forth, which are sure to go with gentle.
NJ MS games, mount up to a great deal In
th onT run. No, sir Shaking his heaC
gr.YeIyj }, it's well enough for those whs
ms se il business; but there amt notbin
II. fun honest folks, an they'd much bet.
tc ~ II alone. 1t don't break up quite Sc
many men as rum; but it does q
heap sr damage. an NJ mistake. Jimmy,
asinx II . couple more cigars"