Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-13
A GAME OF POKER.
Played on a Mississippi steamer-A Fatal Feud
FollOwed-A Story of the
Olden Days.
San Francisco Chronicle.


CT have seen many a game of poker, -
said gentleman at the Palace hotel,
San Francisco, to representative of the
Chronicle, "but the first / ever saw had a
tragic ending that is recalled to my mind
every time 1 see a card. -
do you mind telling the story?''
''Would you care to hear it? The af-
fair happened before the war. Ny father,
who had large cotton interests, which
were almost destroyed by a certain proc
lamation that made the South shudder,
took me on trip which he made from
New Orleans to st. Louis. The Missis-
sippi steamer Belle of Memphis was
crowded with passengers, nearly all of
whom were men. We left New Orleans
at . CLOCK III the afternoon and fifteen
minutes later there were four or five
games of poker in progress. Nearly
everybody gambled on the steamers?
Many men lived on the river and made
the trips for the money they could get out
of the passengers. The cotton raisers,
who went to st. Louis to spend their
funds, often reached that town without
penny, and were forced to return on the
same boat. Among the passengers were
two planters who were avowed enemies,
but by some fate had sat down
at the same table. They were
business men of New Orleans, and
the ill-feeling between them was
known to many on board the Belle of
Memphis. One of them had with him
large, ffne-looking negro, who acted as
body servant and who was seldom absent
from his masters side. The boy re-
manned in the cabin and watched the
play, which grew more exciting with
every revolution of the steamer S wheels.
''ToWard night some of the gamblers
had lost all their cash and were betting
the cotton or other merchandise they had
on board for the st. Louis market Up
on deck the roustabouts were playing
'craps by the light Of torches that lit up
the river in a weird way. Morning found
the men still playing. The big negro
watched his master very earnestly, and,
after speaking to him once or twice, was
ordered ont of the cabin. AS he went on
deck my father spoke to him.
80 You seem interested in the game,
said he.
'''I is, was the reply. 'I'ze the
stakes on that han an eff Cob mel Gil
roux doan win I'ze Wahdon IS niggah.
I'ze nightly intahested in that game.
boy turned over to him by Giroux, who
rose from the table dead broke. He
went on deck, and a number of people
watched him to see whether he would
shoot himself or jump into the river. He
did neither.
LATTER while Warden appeared with
a companion, walked back and forth
laughing and joking. They approached
-Gireux,
q You re cheat, - said the loser to
Warden.
1.-The latter jumped toward the
speaker, but his friend prevented any
violence. The boat was nearing .Natehez- 4
under the Hill, and it was arranged that
the time the Belle wasted at the wharf
should be devoted to squaring accounts
That was common thing The river
boats stopped at Natchez, and many a
party of four or five InGn that went away
for an hour lacked one or two of the num-
Der when they returned.
cit was beautiful night. The moon
was almost full, and shed bright, white
light, by which you could tell the time
by your watch. Natchez was astir when
we reached the wharf. 1t was one of the
busiest of the river towns, but its dis
mantled hotel and tumble-down houses
A0OA Ho" AAN0 ehO SAoSts VI les Aolhlei
prosperity.
When party of men left the Belle
some of the citizens followed as they knew
a duel was about to be fought. War
don IS new possession, the negro, accom-
panied the party, and the winner lost no
opportunity of letting the unfortunate
boy understand that he had changed mas
tiers.
ssUnder the bluffs, from which Natchez
takes its name, the men came TO halt;
fifteen PAGES were marked of; Giroux