The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-30
"a Great Whist Hand That Melted the
Holder Only One Little
Trick.
Robert Houdin Showed q Greek a
Trick That Was Worth
Two Of His.
Clergyman Play a Rubber on a Comm
Prayer aud Good Iuck Helped
Gen. Forrest Out.

lucky number is sheer nonsense. What
for instance, il luckier than holding thir
teen trumps at whist?"
''Humph,' replied another gentleman
II held a thirteen-trump hand once ant
didn't make more than one trick with it,
How could that be?"
s'Well, you see, my partner was some
what hot-tempsred and when ] trumpsd
his ace he jumped up and threw me out o.
the room'''a
Henry, Lord de Ros, was once said to b
n of the best whist players in England
subsequently. however, it was discovered
that he Was in the habit Of aiding his skill
BY marking with his nail the high honori
OF the pack 80 that he might observe to
whom they were dealt.
During the scandal which followed this
discovery a fop who had never been ad.
mitted to his acquaintance, drawled ont
II would leave my card at his house but ]
fsnr he would mark it,"
sThat would depend" remarked a gen
tleman present, ION whether he considered
u q high honor"
De RIOS did not long survive the disgrace
OF an exposure almost exactly like that
which has Just overtAken Sir Gordon Cum
ming, the Prince at Wnes' friend.
Happening to drop into a continental ca
sino n day Robert Houdin observed a
Greek reaping q rich harvest at ecarte. and
as soon as a seat became vacant he took it.
The Greek, dealing dexterously, turned a
king from the bottom OF the pack. When
this deal cnmo to Houdin he observed:
7 when I turn kings from the bottom of
the pack / always do it with one hand in
stead of two; it is quite as effective and
much more elegant. See! here comes his
majesty Of diamonds" and up came the
card.
The cheat stared at the conjurer for a
moment and then rushed from the place
without waiting to possess himself Of his
hat, coat or winnings.
Swift alludes to whist asa favorite pas
time for clergyMen, and Hayward tells us
that at about the beginning of the century
there was in a country tow in Somerset
shire q whist club composed mostly OF
clergyrhen, that met for play every Sun
day evening in the back parlor of a barber.
On one occasion, when -four members of
this club were acting ms pail bearers at the
funeral Of a reverend brother some delay
occurred from the grave not being ready
and the coffin was set down in the chancel.
By way of Willing away the time one of
them produced a pack OF cards from his
gladly assented and they were deep in the
game. using the coffin as a table, when the
kexton csnae to that everything
was ready.
Goldsmith somewhere tells of an old
lady who, lying sick unto death, played
cards with the curate to pass ava the time,
and after winning all his money had just
proposed to play for her funeral expenses
when she expired.
Mazarin also played cards IN his death
bed, and while he was 80 weak that he had
to have some one hold his cards for him.
~ Ar,aV& ard flrorvi1lasc daupfiop1 Ia 1ybyo%
there is the following we'll authenticated
story:
One afternoon, intending to start cut for
Paris, he ordered his carriage at Graham's
at four. When it came around he was
playing whist. At 10 o'clock he sent out to
hour or two yet and that the horses had
better be changed. Again six hours went
by and the coachman appearing was ordered
to change them again. Three times at in
tcrvals OF six hour were fresh horses put
in before he was ready to stalt. When the
cards, and the ambassador, it was reported,
was the loser to the tune of $4,000 or
ElO, 600.
But a still longer sitting at the card table
was that in which Gov. Stokes, of North
Carolina and Montjoy Bailey, a s~ergeant-at-
arms OF the senate, were two OF the players.
They sat down to cards on Thursday even-
ing, played all that night and the next day,
only stopping occasionally for refreshments
The game was continued Friday night and
Saturday, through Saturday night and all
day Sunday and Sunday night. the players
camc much exhausted. Monday morning
the game was in full blast, but at 10 O'Clock
Bailey moved an adjournment, alleging that
his official duties demanded his presence at
the senate chamber.
Stokes demonstrated, but the sergeant-at-
persisted and rose from the table.
The governor Rrumbled and scOlded, but
finally gave up, swearing" that if he had sus-
pected that Bailey would break up the game
thur prematurely he would have seen him
to speak-before he would have invited
him to join the party.
When Lord Thanet was imprisoned in the
tower for the O'Connor riot, three of his
Laval n Capt. Smith, were admitted to
play whist with him and remain till the
lookup hour Of eleven.
Early in the sitting Capt. Smith fell back
in a tit Of apoplexy, and one of the party
rose to cali for help.
'Stop!" cried another; 1--WE shall be
turned out If we make n noise. Let our
friend alone till Il; we can play dummy
and he'll be none the worse, for ] can read
death in his face"
Shortly after the close of the secession
var Gen. Forrest and his wife stopped at a
uUbel III bAcuipulbs duu hlVoE examining
their purses found the sum total of their
amounted to $780,. The general,
being due that evening at a house where he
knew that poker was sure to be played, pro-
posed that he should attempt fortune to the
full extent of his means, and asked his wife
to pay for success. She would not promise,
but he felt that she was for him. and knew
how il would be. But let him tell tho rest
In his own words:
"They had tables-one was a 25-cent
table, one so cents. and n SLIGO. l wanted
to make my 81 last as long as l could, SO
rat down to the 25-cent table. By dinner
time ! han won enough to do better, and
after we had eaten sat Town to the $1.50
table. Sometimes l won n then again
I'd lose, until nigh upon midnight, when /
had better luck. l knew Mary was sitting
up anxious and it made me 90.
II sat my hat upon the floor and every
Time ! won I'd drop the money in the hat.
sat there until day broke and then l took
hat IN in both hands, smashed IL on my
head, and went home.
when l got to my room, there sat Mary
her gown. She seemed tired and worried
though she looked mighty hard at me.
the didn't say q word. ! walked right up
10 her aud emptied my ha. right into the
lap Of her gown, and then we counted it.
lust 1880 even, and that gave me q start"
A Mr.. Purdy Of New York, az the end of
his bachelorhood drew nigh. let his old
know that he intended to give M
as soon a. he was married.
On learning that they put their heads to-
md u day or two after the wedding
HIM to a little dinner at belmont