Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-03-20
GREAT DRAW POKER.
Row TON BROWN WON ALL THR SCRIP OF
HINSDALE COUNTY.
The Entire Indebtedness Of Two Colorado Counties
Staksd in Gams-An All Night Sitting in
Which the Future Scion Displayed
Wonderful Powers.
Kan.a. citr inns.

| IIOOdOly tue most uut4udi pobcI
game that ever occurred in Colorado
was one played in 1875 between General
Tom Bowen, afterward United States
Senator, and Captain w. II. Green,
Clerk of Hinsdale county. The total
county indebtedness of the tw counties
OF Hinsdale and Rio Grande was In
volved, the stakes being the outstand-
ing warrants of both counties.
Gen. Bowen, whose fame as poker
player reaches from Little Rock TO
Denver and from Denver to Washing
ton, had recently come from Arkansas
and settled down into the practice OF
law In the little, half agricultural, half
mining town of Del Norte. the county
seat Of Rio Grande.
Capt. Bill Green, as he was Familiarity
called, had earned his title in the
Second Colorado Cavalry, and had been
a brave Indian fighter. AT the time he
was County Clerk OF Lake City and
Bowen was at Del Norte the two had
often sent challenges to each other; but
eighty-five miles and high mountain
range interviewed.
The meeting was fastened by fate
or may be chance. The counties of Rio
Grande and Hinsdale had both been re-
Gently organized and their respective
treasures were as empty as a cradle
when the baby is gone. The expenses had
for several months been paid by issuing
warrants which were worth about so
\ cents on tho SSllNs. These warrants
were held by the various persons To
whom they had been issued. As attor-
ney for Rio Grande county, Tom Bowen
| had received $500 or $500 worth OF these
promises TO pay, and IL was not long be-
fore he had all the balance OF the war
rants in his possession. To bin the
method of accommodating county script
was simple one. Meeting the holder
| of warrant he would challenge him for
a little game OF draw. county script to
! be stakes. In few weeks he owned
every dollars worth OF script in Rio
/ Grande county and was signing for
more worlds to conquer.
Capt. Green had not been permitting
his talents to go to seed. He, too, was
the possessor of a fat salary warrant,
and in little while the holders OF the
other issues had succumbed TO his
superior proves in holding fours and
maintaining bluffs that were equally
efficacious where he didn't hold tours.
1t was Gen. Tom who opened HOSTILE
ties. Placing his big roll OF warrants
in a pair of rawhide saddlebags, he
mounted mustang mule, and, like Ma
poleon, crossed the American Alps, and
| descended upon the valley OF the Gun
nson. He was escorted by noble ret
inue OF Rio Grande county men, promi-
inent among whom was the editor OF
the San Juan Prospoctor; Adair Wilson,
formerly OF Marshall, Mo-; Alya Adams,
afterward Governor OF Colorado: Gen.
Adams, Indian agent, and sports galore
who came TO make side bets on the
issue.
Capt. Bill Green met his adversary at
the door of his cabin and made Gen.
Tom his honored guest. Lake City was
aflame with excitement. A rich strike
was nothing compared to IL. The sa-
looms were in blast and big bets were
made on the result. The honor
OF Hinsdale county was at stake and
Capt. Bill stood in the breach.
1t was decided that they should sit at
the table and play until one or the other
had won all the warrants, their face
value being $4,000, about equally d.
yided between the two counties.
Gen. Tom and Capt. Bill sat down to
the game at o'clock in the evening.
They occupied stools placed on either
! side OF the G.. Washington hand press,
the platen OF which made an admirable
card table.
For time the opponents played eau
tiously and few winnings were made.
Gen. Tom wore SLOUGH hat, which was
pulled we'll down over his eyes and face,
leaving little to be seen save the long
swarthy mustache and chin. Capt. BIZ,
on the contrary, sat upright with his
hat set well on the back OF his head,
and kept q continuous stream OF pro-
family flowing toward the Silent hgnre
opposite. About 10 o'clock Capt. BIZ
caught a pair OF queens and drew two
more. Gen. Tom failed to ill on three
aces. As result he parted with about
81, 600 worth OF warrants, necessitating
extraordinary activity on the part OF
the bottle holders for a few minutes,
and causing the greatest enthusiasm at
the saloons when the fact was an
nounced.
Gen. Tom did not permit this little
disaster To disconcert him, however.
and about an hour later he found four
aces and caused mourning In the camp
by recoupng his former losses and di-
minishing the pile OF Hinsdale county
warrants 10 the extent Of over $500.
At 2 o'clock In the morning Capt.
Bill had won nearly $1,000 OF the Rio
Grande scrip and Gen. Toms mustache
showed a faint inclination 70 curl at the
end. Then occurred a wonderful
thing. Capt. Bill caught four aces on
the deal and gave Gen. Tom four big
diamonds. They drew one card each
and began to swell the pile OF warrants
ON the table. Ii was a swell, however,
that resulted In woe TO the house OF
Hinsdale. Brown had drawn diamond
and held a straight flush. Capt. Bill
swore in Spanish until he was speech
less and silently parted with all MS war
rants except $500 worth.
Gen. Tom pulled his hat little lower
over his eyes, but never said word.
When the news OF the disaster was car
ried 10 the saloons there was weeping
and waiIing and gnsshiDg Of teeth and
hurryIng 10 and fro 70 hedge on bets.
AIS O'Clock Captain Bill had retrieved
his losses TO some extent, but was still
badly crippled. He brsced up and took
a handsome pat on dead cold bluff.
but he had sworn so much that be was
getting hoarse. and as his voice failed
him he lost his nerve. AT 7 o'clock his
p:ie OF scrip had again dwIndled to a
few hundred dollars. and he YEARLY
threw the cards on the floor and called
for fresh pack.