Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-06-07

muddy creek. ready to light At I
moments notiee. yet willing to abidl
BY the decision Of their leaders, what
ever il might be.
4 little past noon the arbitrator,
met, and their negotiations lasted fal
into the night before 9 satisfactory
plan of settlement had been decided
upon, and this was how the question
of the right Of possession of the comfy
seat honors was TO be determined.
Two weeks before the county seat
ameute James Carney. known a
sReddy because OF the great shock
of blazing hair that covered his head.
William Edwards. known a. Blind
Billy on account of having one eye
gouged ont in a 6ar-room fight, had
been caught in the act Of stealing
horses "Reddy" was languishing
behind the bars Of the Minnesota laii,
while Blind Billy" was incarcerated
in the Spearish prison. These two
horse thieves were to settle the differ.
ence between the citizens of tn rival
towns by playing a game of poker.
Zach man at the opening Of the game
was TO be given 100 chips, and the
one who succeeded in winning all the
chips Was to bring the county seat
honors to the town he represented.
In order to insure an interest in the
game by the men who played it, 1t
was agreed that the man who won
should be granted his freedom from
the minute that he laid down the
winning cards. With this under
standing the horse thieves were
brought to Minnesela creek.
On the morning of May Is. 1871,
the game began. \ rough wooden
table had been brought from Spear.
fish and set on level SPOT on the
south side of the creek, about fifty
var Is from its banks, and at this table
the men were seated. Three men
were selected a. an arbitration com
m!ttee to settle all disputes that might
arise over the game, and around the
players were stationed a Gordon Of
armed citizens for the purpose Of
keeping back the men who were in.
clined to press around the table. 1t
was an exciting contest. Two met
fighting for their lives and al excited
mob cursing when one OF them held a
losing hand. The crowd fought and
drank and Iuarreled like Coyotes
around the circle of guards, and reck-
lessly laid wagers on the result OF the
game. All day the battle Of the cards
went on, and at nIghtfall, so well had
the players watched their interests,
their stacks of chips were about as
evenly divided as when the first card
was dealt in the morning.
News of the hotly-contested game
had got back to both towns, and the
citizens iiocked to the scene of the
battle. Merchants closed their stores
and the postmaster, for the benefit of
the stage driver when he should ar.
rive with the mail, posted notice on
the office door to the effect that he
had gone to Mennesela creek on i'm.
portant business, and the date of his
return was exceedingly doubtful. If
the mail was large and important
one the driver should bring il to the
creek. and the postmaster would dis
tribute it, as all the citizens were out
there, and liable to stay for some time.
And so, Oh the evening Of the fEst
day of the game, the banks Of Min
nesela creek presented the appearance
of smart young mining camp.
Fires OF dry prairie grass and but.
talo chips lit up the scene with
titfui glow, while over them the wo-
men OF the town cooked the evening
meal; children romped on the fresh,
green earth; excited men drank,
wrangled, and boasted the guards
leaned heavily on their rifles and
eagerly watched the players, who eyed
each other narrowly as they fought
with the cool determination Of tigers.
Now and then one would mutter an
oath as the cards turned against him,
but further than this neither man
spoke a word. and when the morning
Of the second day broke the two men
were lighting as coolly and as deter
minedly as the night before. and
neither mad yet gained a material ad-
vatage over the other. Refreshments
were brought them and they played
/ on.
Three days and three nights the
! game continued, the players never fol
a moment leaving their seats dunn,
that time. The fourth morning founC
the players almost exhausted. The,
leaned heavily on the table. but neye
for a moment lost sight of a point il
the game. ''Reddy" had managed