Telegram-herald., 1890-04-08

.Stsa-l Cosrssgoz1eaos
WAssrS0Tos, April al Eross no ons
~il think an saving aught - the dis
credit Of the late Gen ScheBck because
/ tel poker stofy Of hila- Many u the
besE men In Washington play Poker, ss
DO some good neu the world over. Ths
judgment " the times l. THAI II takes
something more than friendly, quiet
game Of drA 70 make a man very
wicked Gen. Sehenek played poker for
q half century. lie played II well, and
always, I believe. for moderate stakes
The poker story have 10 tell Of him Is
the story Of = moderate, gentlemsns
game. Moreover, 10 Is true story
Many of the poker stories printed about
well known men are imaginary. THIS
story is not imaginary.
About a week before Gen. Schenck's
death he sat down at round table one
evening IN his own house with Gen.
Schoheld, Gen. RuckeT and two United
States senator's. One Of these senators
is a famous poker player. and his init
mate friends call him Charley" The
game was at SO limit. and this senator,
on the occasion in question, sat next 70
the dealer. /, was a jack pot, which
| Gen. Schenck opened at the limit, and
which the senator promptly raised be-
fore the draw. The general "stsid. 8"
everybody else dropping out When he
/ looked over his cards the senator found
the ace, king, queen and jack Of clubs
and the six Of diamonds.
AS il stood, Of course, his hand was
valueless, and he had raised purely as
a bluff. He drew one card, and Gen.
/ Schenck also took one. 1t was obvious
the senator had drawn TO fill either a
| straight or a flush. If he had hand Of
| sufficient value he would not have been
/ likely to let the opportunity 10 open 30
by, inasmuch as there was quite large
numbe of checks on the table. After
/ the draw Gen. Schenek bet the limit
The senator ''saw" him and went one
better. Again Gen. Schenck raised, when
the senator remarked:
General, | have YOU heaten. / think
| have sure thing, and / don't care 10
bet any more money on that kind of a
| hand"
But don't think you have me beat
en-" retorted Schenck. "When / get
enough Of it l will quit"
So the senator raised" the general,
and was quickly raised back. Again and
again the blue checks were tossed into
the middle Of the table, until each had
"tilted" the other dozen times or more.
Then the senator renewed his proposition
for a cessation of hostilities, and offered
to fatten the stakes by a wager of a din
ner for the five gentlemen present. This
was accepted by Gen. Schenck, and the
hands were shown down.
Schenck had started with three mines,
drawn one card in order to make his an
tagonist believe he had simply two pairs,
and had pulled in the fourth nine. Four
mines was formidable hand, but the
senator's hand was stronger. 1t consist
ed of the ace, king, queen, jack and ten
of clubs-a royal straight flush, the high
est possible hand. The senator had won.
But the little dinner for five was never
eaten. Two days before the evening set
for it Gen Schenck died.
Il have been playing poker for thirty
or forty years." said the senator today
"and that was the first straight flush
ever held. If it is TO be the forerunner
of the death Of one Of my best friends
and of one of the most estimable gentle
men and most skillful poker players
ever knew, do not want to hold another
one"
A few weeks ago I wrote letter about
the remarkable number of prominent and
successful men who were once poor boys
on adjoining farms in Ashland county
o. Il know Of another instance of the
same sort, said q gentleman 10 me re
Gently. "At East Aurora, Erie county
n. Y. is 4 country school called Aurors
academy. 1t is neither very large MOI
famous institution of learning, but
was counting up the other day the mum
Der of very successful men who wer,
educated there, most of them farmers
boys from the immedis:e neighborhood
my list embraces Millard Fillmore
president of the United States; Nathan
K. Hull, postmaster eneral under FIJI
more; A. N. Ciapp, for many years pub
lie printer: J. NJ. Humphrey, member o.
congress: Horatio c. Burchard, directo
OF the mint; S. Corning Judd, prominen
Illinois politician and postmaster OF Chi
cago, and Governor Boies, OF Iowa
am sure there are many others OF equa
reputation who started out In life frou
that old school if could only think O
their names"
The house committee on elections ha
decided IN favor Of permitting Gen
Hooker. Of Mississippi. to retain his seat
Gen. Hooker Ia a one armed Confederst
hero. and one of the most popular mel
in congress. Republicans like him a
well az the Democrats o..for he is fin
specimen Of the old style gentleman. witt
politeness that Is fairly princely and
grand way Of salutfng even the hum
bIest Of his scQlaintsDoes. He has thre-
sons. who, fortunately, are as Hike hin
as a lot Of PEGS in one pod. 1t is yer,
pretty thing 70 see the four HOokers
who are all tall and Of fne military bear
ing. greet = friend on the street Al
have the same martial flourish of thp
hand. and somehow al manage 70 salut
At the same instant, a. II they were sol
diers at drill
Gen Hooker was tslkfnr recently O
the difference between the canpai 2
methods Prevailing in the north sTr.
those of The soDth. When Arst cam
% congress. sad he. Fernando Woo,
and otbsr wealthy gentlemen from Nep
York were here. and We were chatteTin.
one day sbost how much it had oo~
them q be elected
''C'ne gentleman ssid his rops5Tn hss