The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-02-25
TABLE ANECDOTES.
GAMES THAT FOR ONE REASON OR
ANOTHER ARE HISTORICAL.
Hooks Pun the Cheating Baron
Lord Lytton's Superstition-Clergy.
men Play Whist on a Coffln-Lid.

At social gathering. says the Bos-
ton Globe, few evenings ago, the
turning npon luck a gen.
tleman remarked: 'tAll this talk about
13 being an unlucky number is sheer
nonsense. What, for instance, is luck
ier than holding thirteen trumps at
whist?'
''Humph!" replied another gentle
man. Il held a 13-trump hand once,
and didn't make more than one trick |
with it?"
How could that be?"
well, you see, my partner was
somewhat hot-tempered, and when l
trumped his ace he jumped up and
fired me out of the room"
Henry Lord de Ros was once said to
be one of the best whist-players in En-
gland Subsequently, howerer, it was
discovered that he was in the habit of
aiding his skill by marking with his
nail the high honors of the pack. so
that he might observe to whom they
were dealt.
During the scandal that followed
this discovery a fop who had never
been admitted to his acquaintance
drawled out: 81 would leave my card
at his house. but fear he would mark
itr
'That would depend" remarked
gentleman present, ''on whether he
considered it high honor"
De Ros did not long survive the dis
graceful exposure, and Theodore Hook
is said to have embalmed his memory
in the following punning epitaph:
Here lies the Premier Baron of En-
gland patiently awaiting the last
trump"
Lord Lytton was extremely fond of
whist and belonged to the well-known
Portland Club, in which were many
celebrated players. One member of
| the club was very harmless, inoffen-
sive man by the name of Townsend, for
whom Lytton entertained a peculiar
antipathy, and would never play while
that gentleman was in the room. He
| firmly believed that Townsend brought
him bad luck.
| One afternoon when Lord Lytton
was playing and had enjoyed an unin-
terrupted run of luck, it suddenly turn
ed, upon which he exclaimed: Il am
sure that Mr. Townsend has come into
the club"
| Two minutes later in walked this
unlucky parsonage, Lord Lytton left
the table as soon as the rubber was
over and did not renew the play.
Swift alludes to whist as a favorite
pastime for clergymen, and Hayward
says that about the beginning of the
century there was in country town
in Somersetshire whist club, compos-
ed mostly of clergymen, that met for
play every Sunday evening in the back
parlor of a barber.
On one occasion when four mem bers
of this club were acting as pall-bearers
at the funeral of reverend brother
some delay occurred from the grave
not being ready, and the coffin was set
down in the chancel, By way of Will
ing away the time one of them produc-
ed pack of cards from his pocket and
proposed a rubber, The rest gladly
assented, and they were deep in the
game, using the coffin as a table. when
; the sexton came to announce that eV'
erything was ready.
Goldsmith somewhere tells of an old
lady who, lying sick unto death, play.
ed cards with the curate to pass away
the time, and, after winning all his
money had just proposed to play fol
!, her funeral expenses when she expired
game of double dummy he lost large
sum to member of the Paris Club
He paid the money with the best grac
Imaginable, and merely remarked tina
he thought he saw through the game, ant
n that it might not be such bad invest
3 ment after all. The next night he me
s the same antagonist, played high an
: steadily for several hours. and ROSE
h from the table richer man by $3.50
s 900.
e Still larger were the winnings of Es
Y partero from his foe Marato if tn
d truth is told about them. The stor.
V runs that they agreed to meet private
# lv at lone farmhouse at Bergara t
e arrange truce between their respec
d tive forces. No sooner did Esparter
J. enter the room than the Carlist chic
= challenged him to game of tressilio
d challenge the Christine commando
l. excepted with alacrity. Esparter
); first won all Marota's money. then h
e own conditions for truce. article b
d article, and finally the entire submit:
II sion of the Carlist army. With
1T twenty-four hours Marcia had paid tE
-s debt and the first Carlist war was at a
le end.
& When Lord Thanet was imprisone
,e in the tower for the O'Connor rit
l. three of his friends-the Duke of Be(
D. ford, the Duke of Laval and Cap
% Smith-were admitted to play whi
d with him and remain till the lock u
,e hour of IL.
IS Early in the sitting Capt. Smith fe
$. back in fit of apoplexy and one of tt
er party rose to call for help.
Is s'Stop!" cried another, 1--WE shall
of turned out if we make noise; let oil
of friend alone till IL; we can playdumm
r. and he'll be none the worse for l ca
read death in his face"
Shortly after the close of the sece
sion war Gen. Forrest. and his wi
stopped at a hotel in Memphis, an
It after examining their purses, four
that the sum total of the wealth amour
ed to $3.50. The General. being dl
u that evening at house where he kne
!" poker was sure to be played. propose
= that he should tempt fortune to tt
10 10 full extent of his means, and asked h
y wife to pray for his success. Here
at the story as he told it:
-. ~. They had tables-one was qua
- ter-dollar table, one half, and one a dc
- lar and half. WANTED to make my
~ last as long as could, so sat dow
" to the quarter table. By dinner tin
r l had won enough to do bettar, ar
3 after we had eaten sat down to tt
II dollar and a half table. Sometimes
"a won and then again I'd lose, until nis
10 upon midnight, when l had bett
- - luck. 1 knew Mary was sitting L
- anxious, and it made me cool.
10 Il placed my hat upon the fot
~ and every time won I'd drop the m
"' nev in the hat. l sat there until d;
~ broke, and then 1 took my hat up
ii both hands, smashed it on my hea
1a and went home.
10 when 1 got to my room there S
a a Mary in her gown. She seemed tir
IN and worried and though she look
~ ~ mighty hard at me she didn't say
NJ word. l walked right up to her, ri
1a cmptied my hat right iato the lay
40 her gown, and then We counted
NJ Just 81. 500 even. and that gave me
l. start"
of Happening TO drop into a contine1
VI | II o.,-;,o ono Ia1- Pahart HnnHin n