The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-14

&>N/ - Inns with a stack
Ny or two of chips in front of
~ him, contending for their
Jim possession with Malone, of
Nzc~O Virginia; Judge Perkins,
late of Kansas, but lost In
the recent political shuttle, and other emf
nent adopts. While representative. Per-
klns enjoyed the reputation of being one
OF the most dangerous players in congress,
his smooth-shaved, priest-like face, ever
emotionless as that of the sphinx, whether
In contemplation of four-of-a~kInd or bluff
ing with big limit on a bobtail. Since
Malone left the Senate he is said to have
spent about one-half of his time drawing
cards. Senators Don Cameron, Vest and
Aldrich take a frequent hand in this game
at Chamberlin's when they are in town.
A rather serious row broke it up on one
occasion not long ago. The story has
never yet been told. Two senator's, one of
them Vest, dropped into Chamberlin's at
IL o'clock in the evening, finding there
Don Cameron, Dave Littler, of Illinois,
and another senator. The last named, who
is a very famous man and leader of the
upper house, had been dining not wisely,
but too well, but nevertheless was bent on
LIB pOhCl. n SdiuC ao vi SdiiiLSo iOA
small stakes and he lost steadily, which
made him cross. So the others thought it
would be fun to put up a little job on him,
and it was arranged while he was out of
the room for moment that he should be
given four kings with which to bet against
four aces, explanation and restitu-
ton to come after the issue of
the pot. This thing was done,
but the senator from a certain small
New England state, who had come in
with Vest, was so clumsy about it that he
had to deal himself about fourteen cards
in order to secure the four aces required.
1t was imagined that the victim wouldn't
notice this, but the latter's gaze while the
betting was going on became fixed with
stony establishment upon the large fan OF
cards in his adversary's hand, and, becom-
ing suddenly convinced that he did not
see double, he jumped to his feet, seized
his chair by the back and smashed the
New England senator over the head with
it. The other players at once interfered,
and a fight was with difficulty averted. 1t
is only very recently, however, that the
gentleman with the four kings has been so
far made to comprehend the joke as to
consent once more to be on speaking
terms with the senator who manipulated
the pasteboards so unfairly.
Vest is considered the best poker player
in the Senate-a regular robber, in fact.
He nearly always wins. If he did not he
couldn't afford to play, being one of the
poor members of the upper house. A
while ago he was at Hot Springs, Ark,
WITH Senator Kenna. Society there was
little mixed, and so it happened that a
very gentlemanly gambler from st. Louis
made third with them in a little game of
draw. 1t was perfectly fair, but Vest
lost all the money he had, borrowed more
and saw it disappear, and finally had to
give two or three notes of hand to square
himself before dropping out. Thereupon,
he leaned back ON his chair, tanning him.
self and enjoying the sport as spectator.
Presently the st. Louis gambler, between
the hands, began making some compli-
mentarv remarks upon very beautiful
and elaborate shirt which Vest had on.
He took the liberty of feeling the texture
of the garment and, after ascertaining how
much it had cost, remarked that he would
like to own just such one himself.
Gentlemen" said Vest, rising from his
chair with an air of seriousness, Il will
bid YOU good night You NAV rob me of
all the money have and all | can borrow,
but I'm id if you can get my Shirt
One night there was little game in Ma
homes room at Chamberlin's, and it
CHANGED that certain ex-member OF Pres
ident Arthur's cabinet, distinguished for
his youthful appearance, walked IN.
There was very interesting Jackpot IN
progress at the moment, and the host
merely looked up to nod and in
dictate a whisky bottle on the
corner of the mantelpiece. The new
conner poured out a dose into a
glass. and, as is his wont. he took small
Sin of the liquor to try its quality before
swallowing the drink, and spat 1t out into
the omen fire One of the players, with
whom he was not acquainted, looked up at
the moment from his cards, and, not hav-
ing seen him take the whisky, seeing the
exnectorated liquid flame up from the
Goals. cried in astonlshment:
For Gods sake, young man, IL your
snit's as bad as that, the sooner you quit
drinking the better"
A story apropos of whisky is told on Ma
hone which Is too good not to be true. He
had suspected that his choice Kentucky
stock was sampled on the sly by his
colored servant; so he decanted 1t into an
other demijohn and supplied its place in
the first demijohn with strong medicinal
rrenaration calculated to produce most I'M
pleasant symptoms in case any one par
TOOK of it. Unfortunately he forgot all
about the precautiou he had taken when
the next evening arrived, and fetched out
the oIo demiiohn to supply fluid cheer for
a small poker party of his friends. Each
of the latter swallowed a small portion of
II and promptly demanded what he meant
hy offering them such nauseous stuff as
tL.t nrime bourbon He tasted his own
share of the nectar he had been extolling,
and inmediately discovered to his horror
the mistake which had occurred The
game promptly broke up and there was
flight to the nearest apothecary shop for
antidotes.
Bill Grain, who represents the Galveston
district of Texas in congress, tells some re-
markable stories Of poker playing in that
state during war times. 1t was an epoch
there of IawIessness and mob rule, and
personal bravery was the quality of leader
ship. One night he was playing IN game
with three or four others, one OF them
desnarado named Boyd The latter took
advantage of the conviyiality Of the pro-
ceedinos to hold out card, and Grain saw
him do il. on the spur OF the moment,
Caain said BOYD. you are cheating. IL
vas a foolish thing to do. unless with pls-
tol in hand. because IL meant immediate
murder. But 10 the surprise OF every one,
how'd simply turned very pale, laughed ana
hon rds at nv house. YOU