St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-11
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How High Play and a Duel
Cured a Hot-BlOoded
SoutherneP.
Tale Of an Old-Time Game
on a Mississippi River
Boat.
Four Men Played the Great
American Game for the
Last Time.
Three Swope Off and One
Cashed in His Last
Checks.

They were speaking of poker playing
at the Chicago club the other night, and
some pretty tall romancing about big
hands and queer experiences had been
told, says the Chicago Mail. A man
from Louisville, who, of course, was
called Colonel, "had listened in silence.
"1've nevah played any pohah, gentle
men, since befo' the wah," he began.
II used to be, l reckon, one of the most
incorrigible pokah playahs in the South.
But l could afford it then, and every
body played. was a young fellow of
twenty-fo' or twenty-five, owned one of
the finest plantations in Kaintucky and
had partnership in tobacco ware
houses in Cincinnati and New Orleans.
I've lost 'em all. or most all, Since-loSt
most of my property. in fact, with the
cause. But at that time, the fall of '5S
or the spring of 80, was about as we'll
fixed as any young man in the South.
my business used to take me great
deal TO Cincinnati and New Orleans, as
you may suppose, and | always went
by boat. There were some great yes
sells ON the river then, too-the old
Natchez, the Robert E. Lee, the Pensa-
cola and the old Hayes. They were
floating palaces, and the biggest games
of pOkah evan sat in or evan expect to
see were played in the smoking rooms
and saloons of those boats. There was
a regular run of professional gamblers
up and down the river. but they were
gentlemen, generally squah, as quick to
defend their hOnah as any gentleman,
and generally friends of the captains.
who, they say, stood in with their win
nlngS.
ut was early in the fall of '5S, / be-
lieve, that left Cincinnati on one of
the down river flyers at one afternoon.
There was good passenger list and
considerable merchandise aboard.
Among the merchandise | had about
twenty as likely mules as evan was
foaled that l was going to carry to New
gers was an old gentleman from YAH
lOokin' girl of twenty, and her maid, a
likely-l0okin' quadToon girl about the
same age. noticed 'em that night an
the next day, fob there wasn't any
game till the folks sort of got acquaint-
ed along down about Cairo. The young
lady was mighty fond of hat Niger
girl, and the maid was mighty devoted
to her.
'sThe night after we left Cairo some
body proposed little game, an an
the old man from Vahginny, who was a
rich tobacco planter, as | found out,
agreed to sit in. The other members of
the party were one of the regular
gamblers, fellow known as Col.
Somers, an Niger trader from down
river somewharS. | had about $4,000 on
me, an played with variable luck for
all hour or so, till presently along come
a jackpot an broke me.
'sCol. Somers won it, an he pinched
the old man pretty hard, too. was
a-goin' to quit, but he said: Stay in,
sab. Yo' credit is good with me fob
the value of that twenty head of mules
on the lowah deck An l stayed.
My luck didn't turn, though.
and by 2 o'clock l had lost every one of
those mules. sat out an watched the
game. Presently the nigger-trader be-
gin to play some pretty hard kyards am
smart. 1t run along that way awhile.
back an played 'em close, about $1,000
ahead of the game.
1.-THE ole man from Vahginny had
been a-losing steadily an seemed all of
a sudden to get sort of desperate. He
SAYS: Gentlemen, Pm 1000 into this
game; have no mo- money, but have
very likely Niger gal aboard thaS I'll
put up at 81, 500 fob few mob jack
pots
''They both cons ,nted, an the play
got pretty hot. 1t was mighty mean of
the old man, l thought, bettin' bis
daughters own maid. but he was born
gambler, an had that fab in him that
IN axes man let go of his ovahcoat.
sit was 5 in the morning when the
game broke up, an the old man didn't
have a cent. The niger tradah had
been cashin' his papah an had made
good to Somers. We went on deck, the
old man and I, feelin' pretty blue, he
especially bein' all gone to pieces. 4
doan know what Pm a-goin' 10 do he
said to me. Il can get plenty of money
in New Orleans, but that isn't heah,
an that niggah-trader gets off at Mem
phis. I'll have to give him the wench,
[ eckon, but it'll break Georgia's heart
to part with her.
Quiz CIiOuSuy 1T HLEiuDlji ttlC lfducf
demanded his property, am there was
an awful scene. The ole man pleaded
with him to keep the girl theah till he
could raise the money an come back.
an even pretty Miss Georgia begged of
him. But, gentlemen, he wouldn't do
it. He insisted OIL hayin' the girl. L
hadn't the money and couldn't raise it
in Memphis, or I'd have offered 1t to
him. But just as he Yves leadin' the
pooh, cryin' thing off the gang-plank up
comes Somers, who bows to Miss Georgia
an says: 'Pahdon me, but | can al
vance yo' father anything it's at his
service" The girl thanked him. and
turned to the ole gentleman. He hated
to take it, but SomerS insisted, am
called the trader back.
Jpn give you yo' money fob that
gall he says.
mo. thanks, cunnel; she about suits
me, am reckon I'll keep her.
s.'She is this young lady's maid, an
she wants her. urged Somers. 'I'll give
you $4,000 for her,
"'Not fob twice that said the trader.
She's mine, an Pm going to keep her.
eff you do it will be after Pm dead,
gives the trader slap across the mouth.
cided that the affaih must be settled
right. The tradah stayed on the boat
till we run to woodward, six miles be-
low Memphis. When we got there he
an Somers, the ca plain an me went
ashore. The old gentleman wasn't
allowed to go, because he insisted on
maxim the fight his own, an as his
daughter was alone except fob him we
all couldn't permit it.
"Pistols were chosen, an DIR opped
the hat. Both went off at the same
moment an the tradah dropped dead.
Somers left his remains to be sent home
on the up boat. with s1.500 in notes and
a letter to his folks, an we all went
aboard the boat again an OH to New
Orleans.
1.-THE old gentleman paid Somers
there, an his daughter held both his
hands an thanked him with tears in
her eyes. The old man an L swore Off