The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-10-21

| lu' up with Ilckel ; Ih'erier.
ence lnr some time. and then |
laid aside my cards. receiving TO
down that Red river mar if il lav
in my power. | invited all hands
to jnin me in drink, and then
eXcased myself, saving: "l'm sui.
tering from toolhache and will
60 to my room!'
In a shott time | returned and
took in the hall near the stove.
MIR. Picket and a number of gen
ilemen were sea,el around, and
we soon got t. telling stories. MY
tooth ached SO badly (?) that |
could not enjoy the stories, and
constantly complaining of pain. A
great MANY remedies were suy
gested. Finally, the barl,eeper
recommended hot salt. to lie held
on the side of the face. asked
him il he had any. He said no,
that | could get it in the pantry.
. got up and went for the salt. |
returned IN short time with a
package Of salt about lhe size of IA
guose egg, which was twisted up
in a piece of paper. put il on
the stove, and when it go, ho, |
held 1t to my face until i, cooled
off. then ! put it back on the stove.
While lhe sal, Was getting hot a
second time, | went to my room to
get something. The barkeeper
said TO the crowd:
LETS have some fun out of De.
VOL"
81 saying. he opened the pack.
age, threw ont the salt and filled
up ,he payer with ashes. ! came
back, picked up my salt and held
it to my fac. Plcke. asked me if
it was doing my tooth any good.
| told hlm Thought i. was. Then
they all laughed a; the idea of hot
salt being good for the toolhaehe,
and Picket said:
"Devol, do you know that when
salt gets hot 1t will turn into
ashes y
mo, | don't. What do you lake
me lory You mns, have been
drinking" replied.
They all laughed again, and
Picket spoke up, saying,
I'll don't believe you have any
salt in that paper
set the package Oh The stoye
again and replied
"You must take me for a id
fool, sare enough; ; but you don't
look like YOU had any more sense
than he laws. | got that salt out
Of The salt bag and | tasted il be-
tore wrapped 1t up, and know
il is salt and that settles it,"
"Bn', Devol. salt does not turn
TO ashes when il is hot; and | will
bel the drinks for the crowd that
there is no salt in that paper on
The stove"
Then they had another big laugh
at my expense, and | got mad. |
jumped up aud said
IL will bel you five hundred dol
lars that there is nothing in that
paper but salt"
Picket jumped up also, saying !:
81 will jnst 60 you once. anyway"
put up my $500 with The bar.
keeper. but Picket did not have
but $3.50, and he wanted 10 bet
that. l told him he could back
on, but | would not bet less than
what | had put up. Then he put
up his watch and chain for the
other $50. One of The men who
had been enjoying lie fun said:
81 will bet you 500 that Mr..
Picket wins the money"
replied: 81 will not BET you
less than $780,"
Then Picket said "Ile wants TO
bluff you cut but he can't bluff
me worth a cent"
SO The man pnt up his $500, and
| covered it. Everybody was ex-
cited and some OF my friends who
had seen the trick that was being
played on me told me moi to bet,
but was mad and would not lis.
ten TO them.
When all was ready The pack
age was taken off The slove and
handed to the barkeeper. He un-
twisted The paper and spread il
out on The counter, and in it was
as fine white salt as you ever saw
in your lie.
The barkeeper tasted some Of il,
just as l did when put up The two
papers just alike, and then hand
eli me over The money and Mr..
Pickel's watch and chain.
Mr. "Red River took a large
Linch OF ihe bait, and it Tor the
loss Of his money and watch J came
near stransling him. lie did not
entirely recover from the effect
while he remained on the boat foi
every time he was we'll enough to
come out Of his room, some one
would say "Sali." and that would
make him sick again.
/ have caught a great many
suckers in my time, but Mr.. Pick.
ct was the first one ever salled
down.
Under the heading Of "General
Remarks" "Uncle" Devol has the
following to cay:
When a sucker sees a corner
turned or little spot on a card IN
three card monte, he does not
know that it was done for the pnr-
rosc Of making bin think he has