The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-15

which to accomplish The purpose IN view.
I 1t is reasonable and proper thing, too,
| this influence of poker on legislation.
There is nothing like poker for getting at
a mans character, The coward, the cheat,
the migrate, the graspiug, selfish man will
| show himself IN his true colors as sure as
| guns if he plays poker. Sit down with a
| man for an hour or two in little poker
! game, and when you get up yoa know that
man like book. You are ready either to
| drop him or back him as man
Some years ago" continued this sena.
| tor, Il was in charge of the credit depart
| ment of prominent mercantile house in
| which l was a partner. A country mer-
chant came UP to town and wanted time
on large bill of goods We did not know
him very well, and so said he would have
to wait few hours till could make some
inquiries about him. ! went down to Brad
streets and asked for the rating of my
man. It was not very good. Then | want
ed to know what the matter was, and they
said nothing except that he gembled.
We'll, how does he gambler inquired
He plays poker habitualiy with some of
the other business men Of his town. Any
thing else" Nothing that we know of
So / went back to the store, and when the
country merchant came in | put on nv
steFnest look and said to him: Sir how
dare you come here and ask for credit when
you are addicted to such wicked practices
as you are" 'Whats' he gasped. DO you
mean to say went On, that you do not
gamble two or three times a week at your
home" OF course do, he replied; 'once
or twice week some friends and l get to-
gether and play poker, five dollar limit,
that's all Now that you have confessed
your SIM said, there is one thing more
want to know. Are you a good poker
player? Do you manage to win as much
as you lose or are you sucker?' Well
he said, I generally make the boys hump
TO take care of Themselves Then l
added, you can have the credit which you
want at this store. Mind you, do not ap-
prove gambling and 1 guess it must be
bad business, but if you are able to keep up
your end we are not afraid of you as a
debtor. Well ship your goods in two or
three days That night l sat in a little
game with our country customer at my
house. l had become interested in him and
wanted to see what sort of a chap he was.
Well, in a five dollar game he won more
than enough to pay his expenses up to
town and back, and displayed one of the
most magnificent nerves have ever seen.
When he went away told him to draw on
us for anything he wanted, as his credit
was unlimited. / knew man who could
play poker as he did would make his way
in the world. He is now one of the wealth
lest merchants in the state of Iowa and
leading man of his section, prominent in
the church and all public enterprises.
wish he would come down to congress.
would like to get even on that last game"
One of the senatorial poker PLAYERS is
Senator Vest, Of Missouri, though it is
hardly fair TO mention names in this in
stance. Vest is a bright, snappy little
man, very popular among his associates,
and every one of them is glad to hear that
the Missouri statesman has recently struck
1T rich. Two years ago he as worth prob
ably ten or fifteen thousand dollars. Now
he could clear up quarter of million.
He has made this by some lucky specula-
lions in western mining properties, which
he was induced to 90 into by such good
friends rs Senator Hearst, of California,
and Martin MaginniS, of Montana Vest
has plenty of nerve, and 1 am told that he
put about the last dollar he had in the
luckily it was money well placed
"Cncle George" Hearst, by the way, has
a fondness for helping his friends make /
money. He is so familiar with the mining
business and the men who are in the bust /
ness that he can generally tell where the .
prospects are good and where they are not. /
He has helped two or three senators and I
at least a dozen members of the house to
g.
When Uncle George" first came to .
as senator he was feeling so .
good over his new position in life that he .
formed the habit of going about the drink /
ing places in true western fashion, throw
ing a twenty dollar gold piece on the bar
and inviting every one present to step up
and imbibe. lie Kept this up for few
weeks, till all the old judges and ma
jors and colonies in which Washington
abOunds got to sending out scouts in order
to learn of the jolly senator's whereabouts
AS soon as they heard where he was after
of the senate they started on
his trail, and never let up till they had
filed their old skins as full as they could
get them at Uncle Georges expense. Now
senator Hearst does not throw his money
about in that way, though he is still fond
If taking a number of ms brother senators
Town to Chamberlin's after adjournment
'or an hour or two OF sociabiljty before
Inner. Almost every afternoon the jolly
Did miner may be seen riding down the
avenue in an open carriage with Joe Black
)urn, Pugh, Voorhees,, Vest or some other
senator's with him, bound for the famous
drinking place in the fasbions BILE west end.
When Hearst first came to the senate he
wanted to make speech on the occasion
# the death OF a California member of
congress. So be hired a newspaper man to
write an eloquent address for him and paid
he scribe g, 800 for his services. But the
newspaper chap, being lazy and dishonest,
played a scurvy trick on his generous en-
'lOyer. Instead of putting his wits to work
t the writing of an original address, which
10 WAS fully capable of doing with salts
action to both orator and audience, he
tole all his rhetoric and sentiment from
he obituary addresses TO be found in The
Record during the past ter
II fifteen years. RoBERT GRAVES.