Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-09-19

His boats have rolled aside the waters
OF the Mississippi, the Ohio, the mis-
souri,, the Tennessee, the Cumberland.
River towns from Pittsburg to the GuiI,
to the headwaters of the Mississippi, OF
the Missouri, the Arkansas and the keo
are as familiar to him as the missouri
farm on which he was born.
OF course everybody thinks OF gam
bling iL connection with the old steam
boat DAYS, aud it wasn't long Till the
captain got around to that subject.
~ Weld to no man first place In a
knowledge Of the game OF poker" sara
the captain, who spoke in voice gruH'
forceful, trained to command, but yet d
little trembling, and yet l have sat In
Just one game at poker, for either run
or profit, in my life."
Learned poker in one lesson! The
listeners opened their eyes.
SIN my young days l was mud
clerk" continued the captain. "fhat
was the way l began steamboat liie'
Duty was cut up into watches,six hours
on, six off. Mine was first watch, sun
ND till noon, from six till midnight. L
slept afternoons. Those times I'VE
hours did me, but to my cost, as came
later. Midnight should have found me
in my berth, but it didn't. 1t commonly
saw me behind the chair Of gambler
watching poker. They played stlif
game, as rule, and the professional
travellers were the best players
the country ever had. l
watched their play for months,
years; learned their games, their rules
of safety, their methods Of hazard. The
different discards had each different
set OF rules. The game, with deuces TO
SKIES OUT had its rules, with seyens ont
other rules, with Fights discarded still
others; and not seldom the 20-card game
held the board the game that carries
big hands in every deal, and destroys
self control, judgment, the power to
deceive by the looks, things vital to
good play. All this learned thorough
ly.
"But 1 never played. My captain al
lowed no member Of the crew to touch
a card, and obeyed.
"But you did play once" the news
paper fellow put in.
Yes" the captain said, 81 did play
once. 1t was years afterward. | was
then passenger on Mississippi steam
err 1t was an all-night sitting in the
texas-the little cabin on the hurricane
deck for the crew and the gamblers.
1t was as fine q company as ever
sat with. One OF the party was the Ia
nous knife duelist, Colonel Bowie OF
Mississippi. Another was Pennsyl-
vania Major, who lost leg in the In
dian wars under Tippecanoe Harrison.
| mention this gentleman especially.
He was a nervous man who did not car
nv well. BY the eighth or tenth SER
vice he was fustered, noisy and a little
ill-natured. Ii was just breaking
dawn. The major had stood in the
deal as you say now, he stood pat. }"
The rest OF us made our discards, and
all but the Major and myself dropped
out. l drew one card, and IL was the
eight spot.
"Then the betting began. There was
soon a big pile Of silver on the board;
wildcat bank bills were thrown out free
ly. Twenty people looked on, breath
less, spellbound. Such moment Is a
great moment. The Major wants
showdown. With confident smile he
lays down his hand. 1t is pretty SEM
icircle OF hearts, queen flush. Sorry,
Captain he said; it's pity Yes,
Major 7 said, it's a pity and ! laid
out another semicircle, not so pretty,
clubs all, q flush, with king up. The
Major was behind couple OF thousand.
This would have set him whole, just
about. The board was. worth raising
four thousand. lie had bet his heart
on 1t. He lost his head. He was an
CRY with me, because king flush was
su perlor to queen flush In the royal
game OF poker.
"In his passion he attacked, across
table q heavy hickory staff was his
weapon. But the story has gone far
enough-that part, at least. Though l
came out uninjured, it afterward gave
me trouble. 1t was very difficult TO ex-
plain myself clear where l most need
ed it. The story came out In the press
and found its way to st. Louis. 1t
reached q family where | was good
deal interested. l was well nigh
ruined by the notoriety. / made peace
Dy engaging never u lOuCu
card again. made that promise to the
finest woman in Missouri, then and now.
I've never handled pastebosrds since;
and advise all young men TO let them
alone. / think this same woman will
Justify the confidence she vested In me,
but she Is here TO speak for herself"
Elizabeth" said the Captain, half
calling, and there appeared in the door
way leading to a chamber adjacent a
graceful woman, tall and stately, aged,
but beautiful still, and richly attired.
She said sweetly, "Well?"
II thought, my dear, 1t might be
pleasant il you should meet these young
gentlemen who have called TO talk with
me- 1 have been telling them OF the
card incident, and especially Of its Sc
quel."
"Ah, the sequel" the lady replied
archly, "yon will persist in assoclating
me with that game Of cards"
mo, no. associate you with my never
playing another"