The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-30
WESTERN POKER GAMES.
Instances Where Mines and Houses
We're Wagered on Small Hands.
F,O,n the Den,,a,. c,,.

Instances Where Mines and Houses
Were Wagered on Small Hands.
From the Denver Sun.
There are stories of man who held four
kings and the man who came back at him
with aces. Kings and aces are the leading
features Of the poker story tellers' roper.
tore, but as Denver expert at this sort OF
thing said recently, there is more down.
right devilment in a small hand than In
aces out OF two packs" There have been
some good poker hands held In Colorado,
but very few of the phenomenal sort. 1.-TWO
pairs" have created widespread consterna-
ton several times.
Poker is Colorado game. It is only ex-
celled in popularity by that favorite of the
mining camp, faro, but those who play
poker do not always play faro, and to these
there is nothing like quiet little ante up-
stairs" The amount of stakes has cut a
greater figure in poker games in the Gem
tennial State than the hands held. There
are instances ranging from the man who bet
his sleeve buttons to the man who put up
bis mine.
Down on Sixteenth street, at the south
west corner of Blake. there now stands a
two-story brick business block, bearing
some evidence of the flight Of time, yet
still sound and solid, and capable of use Tor
years. In 1870 part Of the ground floor of
this building was used by the First National
Bank. and another part by Wolfe Londoner
as grocery store. Overhead were offices
and in one Of these offices there occurred
one evening in April of that year a poker
game. The owner OF the building sat at
this game, and opposite him was q then
prominent Denver man. Both were promi-
nent, in fact. for one held high executive
office in the territory at the time.
Tbara war Va f
but somehow it dwindled down to two and
at 80 o'clock at night large amount Of
money had changed hands and things were
going bad for the owner of the building
There was no limit. His opponent had been
'going hlmn for quite a time, and he was
about at the end Of the rope. There was
already four bank checks up, but the owner
of the block, believing he had good thing,
wanted TO know If his building wasn't
worth 100000, and was informed that il
was. Thereupon he made q written agree.
ment to sign 1t over and the game went on.
He lost the block and it changed hands. it
is said, as a consequence, and the only re-
covery he made from the person who won
1t was at another sitting at poker the fol-
lowing night, when he came out SIS 900
ahead. CT course none OF the hands held
in this memorable game are on record now,
but it is known that not one was remark
able.
In Santa Fe, N. M, there is a record of a
prominent business man giving a bill of sale
for his stock OF dry goods, groceries, etc,
amounting TO $4,000. The bill of sale
went into little, quiet game, played as
long ago as 1864, and was not lost for the
reason that no one could show up anything
excelling king full, which the merchant
considered good thing to cling to.
ibis instance is paralleled by one that
comes from LeadvIlle and credited with
having occurred there in the winter Of 1852.
This game, which occurred in one of the
rooms OF the Clarence hotel, was partic-
pated In by two gentlemen who are still re-
sidents of Colorado and who are now
wealthy. They bad little money at the
time and mine in which they held an
equal interest. The money was not much.
perhaps, as fortunes 90 nowadays. but it