The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-05
HONESTY PAYS AT CARDS.
The Story of a Man Who Cheated Hir
self Out of $4,000.


From the ST. Louis Post Dispatch.
I took my paper and tried to read, but l
lost all interest in reading and drew my
chair close to the table to watch the game.
| looked on for while and became per-
fectly disguised with the players, to think
what chumps they were. Why, they didn't
know how to play. Here was another >evi-
ience of my luck. If hadn't sworn off l
might have won a couple of hundred dol
lars. watched their game so long that
thought | would risk $780, 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
of corn They used corn in those days,
having no chips as we do now. l started in
to play. and after awhile lost all the corn
mad. 1t was not my bad playing, but sim
ply hard luck. thought couldn't always
lose, so invested 500 more in corn, and to
make long story short, lost that After
losing $3.50 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 station,
and my services are needed You gentle
men can continue the game or wait till we
get under steam again, and l will join
you.
After awhile we agreed 70 wait for the
mate. l thought | would take a stroll on
deck and get some fresh air. | walked
down the gangplank and where the boat had
landed there was great large house. |
could not tell what kind of a house it was.
as the night was pitch dark. l walked up
to it and felt that there were holes in the
side. and imagine my surprise when found
it 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 taken an onIy
cash what had really won; but ON the
other hand, if l lost-well, it was like a
drowning man catching at straw. So
took the ear of corn and placed it in nv
pocket and commenced Smelling il. In the
course of half an hour the boat started
down the river and we resumed the game
From the start / commenced winning.
Eve. yth;ng l drew to got. won pot
after pot About o'clock a. IN. soma one
proposed that we have a jack pot and quit
for the night. Everybody agreed. There
was something like 5000 in the pot aud |
won it, Every one commenced counting
their corn to cash in, and | commenced
counting mine. l was winner over $40, 900,
when the captain said:
Hold on there. didn't issue any red
corn"
There was stir Immediately. The cap
tain wanted everybody searched, and in GO
ing through my pockets he discovered the
ear of corn which l had taken, which
proved to be red. In taking out the corn
had won, some Of the red corn got mixed in
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 a nickel Iwalked back
until had gotten as far as the crib of corn.
and it proved to be crib containing 75, 900
ears Of white corn, and the one / got
was the only red ear in the crib.