Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-07-21

were some good players. Senator Unanee.
of Colorado, was fair player, and Senator
Tom Robinson, of South Carolina, was one
of The inveterate poker players Of the cap
ital Jim Nesmith, of Oregon, would play
poker all night at times while he was in the
senate, and Fernando Wood could play for
hours, winning and losing lookin as solemn
as sphinx all the time, and apparently not
caring how much he won or how little he lost.
He did not lose often, and he always came
out at the end Of week ahead Of the game.
"By the way" continued this gentleman,
''did you see what Boyd Winchester, the
minister at Switzerland, says about pokerr
''No,n said L
swell, Winchester is considered the hest
poker player in Kentucky, and he does play
a very good hand. He was asked before he
went away to Switzerland as to whether his
reputation as poker player had helped his
getting the appointment, and the insinuation
was put forth that he might possibly stand
before the country as Schencks rival in our
diplomatic history. Winchester was reported
as replying to this as follows (here the
speaker took a newspaper slip out of his
pocket ard read:
SNOW See here. have no desire to pose as
the great national poker player of this coun-
try. I am not a great player. play a mod
est little game. Every gentleman in Ken
lucky plays the game, and SO do l. But do
not sit down with everybody. play only
with friends, among gentlemen, and then
only In a modest way. There is nothing pc
culiar about my playing, and am not
great national player. As to Schenck's
book, l don't think he ought to have pub
lished it while he was minister, and l don't
like the way the New Yoork papers have
pitched into me about my card playing. The
Sun has been most severe upon me, and vet
I am told that Mr.. Dana never goes to bed
without first indulging in game of draw,
and be doesn't play well, either As for me,
my health has been bad, and I have not
played for a long time That" said the
statesman, sis from an interview with Win
chester before he left for EUROPE
SLOW about big stakes today, and how
about the games Of last winter7n asked.
"They have not amounted to much said
the old stager. 81 know Of one game in
which the jack pot amounted to $500. and
in which lobbyist drew it in. But as q rule
the stakes are small and the big games few
and far between. There is an Ohio congress
man who is good poker player. who has
made considerable money while he was In
Washington, but who was not, alas returned
to the Fiftieth congress- A number of the
Indiana members play poker, and there is
hardly man from the west who does not
understand cards.
"Senator Beck tells good story about one
of Henry Clays games, but in order to ap.
preciate it you ought TO hear It from Beck
himself He went to school at Lexington, at
the Pennsylvania university, and be was
attending school there when Clay was still
living. he describes hcw the boys used to
go out to visit Clay d how Clay would
chat with them in the most charming
manner. In the course of one of these
visits tho boys noticed the pictures ON
the walls, and Clay asked them which they
considered the best They finally decided
upon an oil painting Of woman standing
with pot Of steaming mush In her hands,
and IS they did so Clay laughed and told
them ne agreed with them. He then went
on to tell the story of the picture, and be
said that be got it through q game OF seven
up with Albert Gallatin- Gallatin and Clay
had each won picture at . raffie while they
were in Europe together, and the two pic
lures were intended as companion pieces.
Clays picture was not as good as Gallatins
and he wanted to get Gallatin's picture. He
proposed that they should put the pictures ss
stakes and play a game OF cards for them,
and he told Gallatin he could select the game
Gallatin knew but little about cards, and he
chose seven up 1t is needless to say be lost,
for Clay was the best seven up player in
Kentucky. He won the game and thus got
both pictures" THOMAS J. TonD.