The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-04
NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Some Stud Poker Games That
Look Like Those OF the
Early Days.
The Marrow Escape of Some Boys
Enjoying Themselves on
Hallow's Fen.
Main street New Pavement showing Signs
OF Needing an Original Foundation
of Planks.

Main street New Pavement showing Signs
of Needing an Original Foundation
OF Planks.
The past few weeks. at intervals, have
witnessed some pretty ''tall' stud poker
games In Helena--almost 90 tall, 90 far as
the stakes involved. IA the historic sitting
OF the early days when one Of the players
dropped az much as $50, coo before he CON
cluded he had enough. In a game which
took place at a down town gambling house
about a week ago there was about $4,000
among oil the players. Yet. though the
game lasted twsnty-four hours, go varying
was the luck with the players who sat it
through. that the highest winning was not
over $500 when it closed. There were
other and smaller winners, while the
individual Losses ranged from q
few hundreds to over q thousand.
The only men who staid in the game from
start TO finish were "true blue gamstets--
three of them, either ono of whom would
have made a subject Tor Bret Harte. The
others who took a hand from time to time
were only "occasionals." men who like the
game once in a while. The largest amount
In the center of the table at any one time
was $4,000. At one stage of the game, u
veteran of "the three went nearly broke.
In order to be able to keep up his end he
went for more money, leaving what he had
aft in the shape of blue and yellow chips
standing ON the table. II was as cafe there
a. in the bank Of England. Still, as al
ready stated, there were thousands in
volved, the winnings and losses were COM
paratively small, both individually and
in the aggregate. Not SO with the
sitting" that broke up yesterday after
noo There was represented probably
$4,000 among all the playe 8 who took
part. Two of the crack players who had
been in all the big games recently were Ill
this. There were several others from time
time. the most prominent being a man who
recently won SIT, 900 in Butte at stud-poker.
When the game ended his $4,000 had
swollen to $50, 600, he being $4,000 winner.
One of the veterans was 81 5000 out. another
$40 The largest pot was So, 200 on any
one hand.
TIL Developments of yesterday prove
pretty conclusively that some Of the
youngsters who were enjoying themselves
on Hallow Zen had a narrow escape from
injury or perhaps even death. One of the
pranks put up by the east side boys was to
get possession OF the bell in the tower of
the central school, and hanging it over
somebody's porch. When the advance
guard Of the boys got on the steps of the
school building and tried to open the
door, they hoard a movement inside. and
next came the click Of a pistol hammer and
then a shot. The boys retreated to places
of safety and held q council of war. II was
decided that the %jnnitor had staid in the
building to head the boys off in their fun.
This was bad enough, but for a big
herman to shoot at q lot Of little fellows
stirred them up to the fighting point. They
determined to camp right there until the
offender came out and then give him a
sound drubbing. They waited until they
thought they had better show mp at home
or there might be a rod in pickle for them.
Then they adjourned to bed. after passing
resolutions that a man who woul break up
a boys fun by such warlike demonstration
was too mean to lose any sleep over.
Naturally the affair was talked over the
next day and each succeeding day. 1t was
yesterday, however. that it became known
that the boys surmises were wrong. The
janitor was not in the building that night.
nor had he any intention of going there to
head off any of the Hallow Fen fun. Put.
ting the various things together ID ia now
generally believed that the men who
held up and robbed Groceryman Weinstein
had concealed themselves in the building
to await a favorable hour for going out te
plumber. Hearing the boys at the door,
the hiphwaymen evidently thought it was
some one that had discovered their hiding
place, and fred to scare them off. Had the
boys succeeded in gettinn inside before
they were frightened off. the chances are
that their Halloween fun might have had 6
tragic ending.
A gentleman standing in front of tht
Bailey block yesterday afternoon was no
ticed to start suddenly and clutch the arm
of the fellow who was standing talking te
him. In a stage whisper he requested hi
companion to watch the new wooder
block pavement when the next
hack or heavy vehicle went ove1
1t. In the busy traffic of that part Of MAR
street there wasn't long to wait. A hack
drove rapidly past. did you notice any.
thing?" asked the nervous gentleman
'Why, yes that pavement rises and sinks
like the waves of a river" was the response
Thanks. I wasn't quite sure whether my
eyes were going back on me or whether tina
last oyster cocktail was too strong" 1t il
not the frst time that the condition of thi.
part of the Main street pavement has beer
noticed. 1t rises and sinks with q way
motion at the passage of every
heavy vehicle, showing that the foundation
for the wooden pavement there ii
not solid and that the blocks are supportin.
themselves by means of the arch they form
When the Main street paving matter wal
mp in the council, and it was decided to us.
wood. Alderman Lissner strongly advo-
Gated laying planks between the sand o
the foundation and tie blocks. He WAL
unable to get enough of the other alder
men to think his way, and it was decidet
to have nothing but broken stone and sand
The idea was that tho plank would be tos
much extra expense. 1t looks like tn,
work of tearing up and replacing such pot
tions of the pavement RI lose their presen