Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1889-01-04
REDDY's BIG HAND.
4 "coLD DEckp THAT MADE IT VERY
WARM FOR THE 1RAIsERsp

j E .4lIl" OLE. N.P[
y GOLD DEckp THAT MADE 1T VERY
WARM FOR THE 1RAIsERs.p
A Game Of Poker Tha the Old sports of
California Remember-Three Aces WAS
His Weakness, but Somehow He Caught
the Fourth That Time.
In the early days of California, in the
good times before the ranchnlen and
Judge Sawyer came there with their in
functions to put a stop to hydraulic
mining, and a stopper on the men of the
mountains who first lifted California out
of the hide and tallow trade and placed
her in the sisterhood of states; in those
days When the honest miner was digging
his bushels of money out of the gulches
and hills, and making life possible and
profitable to those on the ranches in the
valleys, gold coin and gold dust were
not held with the throttling grasp char
acteristic of this horticultural and bucolic
era. Then the eager and alert eye Of the
calculating rancher sought out the min
ers as he descended from the heights of
the Sierras, and his hand was extended
in welcome, while the man of nuggets
and "chispas" was still afar off.
In those days of old, and days of gold,
Reddy and Andrews Tom Andrews, q
man known to all the old time Pacific
coast sportsl found immensely rich
diggings at Forest City, Sierra county.
They frequently cleaned up from 500, 600
to $4,000 at one time. When a clean
up was made n of the partners would
take the dust to the mint in San Fran
cisco.
HE FOUGHT THE "TIGER."
In making these trips they generally
took turns. 1t was before the days CT
the railroads; was in the old, romantic,
sociable, happy times Of the steamer
1t was the regular habit of the partners
on getting off the rolling, humping
mountain coach, to stay all night at
Sacramento, taking the boat the next
afternoon for San Francisco. When it
was the turn of Andrews to go down to
the bay with the dust he frequently did
battle with the tiger while lying over
at Sacramento, but Reddy's strong suit
was poker. Three aces. was. his big
hand. When he held three aces he would.
.betshis bottom dollar and 70 his liver
and lights blind" This was SO well
known that 1t had passed into n proverb
among the Sacramento sports. On n
occasion, when Reddy had been playing
all night with some Sacramento men
and quit $4,000 ahead of the game, it
concluded to follow him up. In
pursuance of this plan some of the sports
with whom he had spent the night
Charlie Dawson among the number
told Reddy that they had concluded, lust
for tho fun of the thing, to take a little
run with him down the bay.
The boat had not proceeded far down
the river before, MS the most natural
thing in the world, a poker game was
started. In the game were Refidy, Fos-
ter, q hotes keeper from one of the south
err counties; Charlie Dawson, and two
other sports. A job had been put up to
raise a cold deck and give Reddy his IA
vorite hand of three aces. The game pro-
ceeded, and at the proper time Dawson
raised the deck. The cards were dealt,
and Reddy got his three aces, Dawson
three kings and the others indifferent
hands. In the draw Dawson got the
other king, and Reddy drew two cards,
but, having his three aces, he felt strong
enough to fight an army. and he did not.
pick up or look at the two cards he had
drawn. Betting began, and Foster and
the two sports with Dawson did not come
IN. Having four kings, and being conf
dent that Reddy had only three aces,
Dawson went it strong, and, having his
three aces, Reddy felt that nothing could
whip him. He was 30 sure that he was
right that he paid no attention to the
cards lying by his side which he had got
in the draw.
DOMINGO JoE's SONG.
Tho hnffinn GaruN cl,nrff- 1ona~1z ~ol
hot. Most of the loungers about the boat
were soon gathered around the two men,
watching the game with ;breathIess inter-
est. Among the lockers ON was Domingo
Joe, o and restless little sport
who was Dawson's friend and chum, JOG
Portuguese or Spaniard--was skip
ping back and forth in a restless way that
SCENE characteristic of understood men
--mannikins-peeping over theshoulders
OF the W men at their cards as often as
an opportunity offered, his eyes sparkling
and dancing with excitement.
He felt confident that the cards had
been properly stacked, yet he would
have given whole handfuls Of gold for a
single peep at those which Reddy had
not yet picked up. Several thousand
dollars had already been bet, and finally,
as q stumper, Dawson went Sc, 200 bet
tel. Reday promptly saw the raise and
said, Il go you another 1900 better"
Quite absent mindedly he then picked up
the two cards that had all along been
lying unnotieed at his side. The weasel
eye Of Domingo Joe detected the other
G as the cards were lifted. Instantly
an ashy pallor spread over his weazen
yisage. 1t seemed as though he had been
stricken by death. However, the stroke
paralyzed him for only q moment, and
almost instantly he recovered his self
possession, and thrusting both hands into
his trousers pockets and assuming an
Indifferent air, he sheered off from the
party, and earelessly sauntering up and
down the boat he sang:
And the other folks fell In, too, boys,
And the other fell In there, too.
That was enough for Dawson. The
words of Domingo Joe's pretended song
came to his ears as a death kneN. He
turned pale, then red, threw down his
cards and said: Take it all. / squeal.a
AS Reddy raked down the whole pile
he threw q glance around the circle of
pale and silent spectators, and sang as
though the words of Domingo Joe Just
reached his ears:
And the other fell In, too, boys,
And the other fell in there, too.
New York Press.
A Feathered Mngwnmp.
Mr.. Henry q. Hamilton, one Of the