The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-12-22

opened with four chips, Bascomb -.
Willis stood, each drawing three
cards. Harrigan kind of smiled and
bet dollars worth, Bascomb saw him.
but the parson showed In his whole
pile, to the tune of five dollars threw
up, but Harrigan and Bascom b called
him. -Four tens said the parson.
It's your money says Bascomb and
Harrigau, each throwing down full
hand. Then we started in for all it was
worth. Twenty-Five cent ante and the
roof for limit
by this time the young fellow had
just about five drinks, liberal drinks.
of good old corn whisky, and was
gamey as bronco. He pulled out his
pocketbook and showed up credentials
to the extent of over a thousand doll
lars, and, as the rest of us were pretty
well heeled. we started the game. Ny,
but that was a tremendous game, and
the odd thing about it was that the little
parson kept winning. He had us all
broke before long. Then we bought q
lot more chips and went at it again.
We were not uneasy, for we calculated
to rake in the whole shooting match
before long After we had been play
ing with varying luck for an hour or
two I got q beautiful hand Four
queens and q king. only one thing
could beat II, four aces. I gently
showed in about fifty dollars worth.
Bascomb raised me another fifty. The
parson another, and Harrigan went Q
hundred better. put in five, BascN ~
the same, and the parson. after loolsI
at his hand for n minute, showed IN
stack after stack Of his chips, and then
put Ave hundred dollar bill on top OF
that Harrigan borrowed wad from
Bascomb, leaving him broke, and Il
took my last dollar to call him. / felt
sorry for the young chap, but il had TO
be done. Then we showed up. Harri.
gan held four jacks. the four queens.
and Willits-well, he had four aces.
That finished the game, and three more
Disguised men you never saw. How.
after arranging A set-to for the next
evening. we parted at the very early
hour of three in the morning.
Next day ! met Harrigan. 'S'pose
we look up the parson,' says he.
IAN right. Well have to work him
tonight It's no use trying to play
square game with these parsons says
]. SO we dropped around to the hotel
to look for Willis.
'Willits?' says the clerk; why, he
has gone
+" Gomez
That's what Left on the early
stage
II looked at Harrigan and he looked
at me.
Here is a letter he left for you,
colonel, says the clerk.
''Bascomb had come in while we we're
talking. and upon hearing the news be-
gan to swear fiuently. Open yer let
ter and let's see what yer gosh-blahked
preacher has to say
II opened the letter and in it was
five hundred-dollar bill and a note.
"'DEAR COLONEL: inclose herewith a bill
for i've hundred, with which you had better see
what you can do about building that church.
You may know more OF such matters than you
do OF poker Harrigan might preach for yor
and Bascomb could pass the plate They dc
not seem TO be good for much else. Next time
you lay out to skin preacher do not tackle
Yours
FRANK WEBB, ALIAS REV. JEREMIAH WI
LIFTS
Frank Webb yelled Harrigan.
What precious lot of fools we are
For you must know, gentle men, that
Frank Webb was VIGOROUSLY the most
accomplished gambler from the Mis-
sissippi to the Pacific, and that he was
famed for just such little tricks as he
played on us.
I'VE kept mighty mum about the cir.
cumstances, but held a secret session
and concluded to pu I that five hundred
in church. We got the boys about
town interested in it, and, within a
year, we had one of the prettiest edi.
fees erected in the west We three
were elected as a committee to secure
a pastor. and we called Rev. William
Allyn, young man just of the sort
was telling you about. For eighteen
years he labored in this place, and be-
came universally beloved. Under his
care things prospered. The old mining
camp changed it's nature. The dives,
gambling houses and saloons passed
away in few years, and, perhaps, the
biggest thing the young man did was
to convert the old colonel. Yes, tough
as he is, boys, the old man never
touched cards or drank drop after that
night He was a reformed man. Bas-
comb and Harrigan became shining
lights and not many years ago passed
away in an odor of sanctity. guess
y .lAe,,,.4