St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-24
HARD POKER LUCK.
A Man who Cheated Himself Out
of Ten Thousand Dollars.

of Ten Thousand Dollars.
st. Louis Post-Dispatch.
1 took my papers and tried to read,
but l lost all interest in reading, and
drew my chair close to the table to
watch the game. l looked on for while,
and became perfectly disguised with the
players, to think what chumps they
were. Why, they didn't know
how to play. Here was another evil
dence of my luck. If l hadn't sworn
off, l mig hit have won couple Of hum
dred dollars. l watched their game so
long that I though would risk $50,
and if | lost that would quit, and
well, $50 more or less for expenses
wouldn't cut much of figure. So l
went to the captain and bought $50
worth of "corn." They used corn in
those days. having no chips as we do
now. / started in to play, and after
while lost all the corn had. 1t was
not my bad playing, but simply hard
luck. / thought couldn't always lose,
so | invested 800 more in corn, and, to
make a long, story short, l lost that.
After losing $3.50 l became desperate
and played with great recklessness. l
invested the balance of my money in
corn, and had lost all but five or ten
grains, which [ had in my coat pocket,
when the boat whiStled for landing.
The first mate arose and said:
'Gentlemen, / am very sorry. but we
have to take on some wood at this sta
ton and my services are needed. You
gentlemen can continue the game or
wait until we get under steam again,
and l will join YOU"
After awhile we agreed to wait for
the mate. / thought | would take a
stroll on deck and get some fresh air.
l walked down the gang plank, and
where the boat had landed there was a
great, large house. l could not tell what
kind of house it was, as the night was
pitch dark. | walked mp to it and felt
that there were holes in the side. |
ran my fingers through the holes, and
imagine my surprise when l found 1t
contained corn. | had accidentally run
across a corn crib. | was not of a
thievish disposition, but | thought If
took an ear of corn and | won, why
would place in my pocket what had ta-
ken and only cash what had really won
but. on the other, if l lost well-it was
a drowning man catching at straw. So
| took an ear of corn and placed 1t IN
my pocket and commenced Smelling it.
In the course of half all hour the boat
started down the river, and we resumed
the game. From the start commenced
winning. Everything L drew to | got.
l won pot after pot. About a. m.
some one proposed that we have a
jack pot and quit for the night. Every,
body agreed. There was something
like $1,000 in the pot, and L won it,
Everyone commenced counting their
corn to cash in, and l commenced
counting mine. l was winner over
$4,000, when the captain said:
Hold on there. L didn't issue any
red corn"
There was a stir Immediately. The
captain wanted every body searched.
and, in going through my pockets, he
discovered tile ear of corn which had
taken, which proved to be red. In tax.
ing out the corn | won some of the red
corn got mixed with the white. Some OF
the men wanted to shoot me, others
wanted to lynch me; but the
Captain said no; he would not cash my
corn, and would put me off the boat,
Immediately he stopped the boat, and
sent me ashore without nickel.
walked back until [ had got as far as
the crib of corn, and it proved to be a
crib containing $4,000 ears of white
corn, and the one got was the only red
ear in the crib.