The herald., 1894-05-08
MONEY AND MORALS AND POKER
Col. Henry WattersOn Lectured
Twice Here on That Subject.
His Very ProfitalAe Second Discourse
at the Press Club Card Room.
He Kept Hts Little Dogs, Big Dogs and
Tigers in Leash simply Because
He Did Not Need Them at
Any Stage OF tho Game.

The boys used to play nice ladylike
game of poker at the Press club during
the weary moments OF the late watch.
But the game has stopped. and there
are several newspaper men about town
who consider Col. Henry Watterson Of
Louisville just as immoral and repre-
hensible as any other statesman from
the joyous state OF Kentucky.
Col. Watterson lecture1 that night
couple of weeks ago-at the opera
house on Money and Morals. He knows
heap about each of those articles, and
so do the sporty Press club men-more
than they did at least before they met
the seasoned old parent OF the etar-
eyed goddess.
After the lecture was over, after the
talk was done, many fellow was broken,
many a Jackpot won; for the colonel
and his manager, Impresssrio Bragg of
San Francisco, OF course came up to the
Preas club rooms. There they discussed
Grover, and silver. and the tariff, with
Captain Osborne, Colonel Mulholland,
General Hewitt, Major Crawley, Judge
Dunn, Referee La Veen, Chancellor
Graf, Admiral Brook end few othsr
distinguished members.
Meanwhile in the card room the late
watch gang was at work, and the tickle
chiplet caresred about the table, while
thoughtful brows were puckered as 5
and 10-ceut bets challenged each other.
There was the musical frou-frou OF the
astebosrds as they were shuffied, and
the click of the chips "a souvenir of a
visit from Tom Grant of San Francisco)
punctuated pleasantly the heavy con-
versation in the adjoining room.
Several times Colonel Watterson was
attracted to the door, and beRignly
cooking his eye Ht the group, smiled
paternally. At last he strolled in and
stood by the table. There was trio
playing, Times and a HERALD man
and tragedian.
The colonel suavely remarked: "Why,
this looks to me like game Of poker"
SIT u.s." blithely responded the actor.
won't you come in?" raahly added
the Times buffer.
What is your game?' queried the
colonel.
Penny ante" encouragingly re-
marked the HERALD youth.
And what limit?'
None. The game ia small, but it's
! wide OPEN" This from the actor who
had dollar and six bits in front of him.
''I'll go in for half an hour" said the
Kentuckian; 'gimme'' Che really said
gimme, this authority on morals and
money! "a quarters worth Of checks.
Come in here Bragg, Ito the impress.
ssric) let's show these boys how to play
poker"
The Judge, at least one of the judges,
came along, and someone said, "Let' 8
make it six handed" and the victim
from the laws habitat unsuspectingly
sat down.
do you fellows play little dogs, big
dogs and tigers p queried the colonel.
"NoP Don't know what they are
Why I've won rows of brown stone
houses IN Louisville ON little dogs.
That's q hand running from deuce to
seven without q pair; big dog is one
running from four to ten spot without q
pair, and tiger runs from nine to ace
without pair. They beat straights."
1t was voted not to play these latest
additions to the noble game from Louis
vile, and as everybody had passed, a
jackpot was made, and the colonel put
his hotel key in as buck. The Times
man opened it for whole big half dol
lar, and it was passed around to the
STAKES were played. The Times man
only had 50 in front OF him, but pluokily
answered, "Oh no, colenel, I wouldn't
think of limiting the play" and the re-
sponse was raise of $8 The Times
man looked at his hand and his pair of
jacks grew as small,as Hervey Lindley' q
chances of going to congress. His con-
fr6res offered to lend him the money,
but for once prudence prevailed, and he
said, Take it, colonel" with one of
those smiles that are so often
seen around poker table and
which are heroic. The smile that the
fox-thieving Spartan boy wore, while
Reynard was lunching on his captor's in
ternal arrangements, was easily given
compared to some of the smiles seen
that night in the Press club card room.
"Oh, how l love money!" said the
colonel, as he rsked in the pot careessly.
As he had the buck and it was his deal
another jack pot was soyed with. Now
the HERALD man had play that he
generally makes once or twice in a
night, and generally with most sstisfac.
tory results, that is to open jack pot
and stand pat On two little pairs. He
thought this was good time to try this
as he scanned the corners OF the squeez.
6rG Q6Alb TO him anu saw buaG n0 n0lQ
two pairs-sevens and fours-so he
opened it for big round silver dollar.
Again nobody stayed but the colonel.
and he raised the opener ~. The HERALD
man thought he had cinch, and so ne
came back with land three" The
colonel stayed, and never winked when
the opener declined to take any cards,
standing pat, end encouraged by the
hopeful countsnances of his confreres.
The colonel did not get excited though,
but calmly drew three cards. The opener
bet a dollar, the colonel raised him four,
and then there was some hard thinking
done for q minute. There was cold
steel-blue glitter in that eye of his oppo-
nent thai somewhat demorslized the
HERALD mans idee of the value of his
svstem, but he called the raise, and the
Kentuckian showed down ten-full on
kings.
"Oh, how l love money! Sgain cried
the colonel as he raked in the portly
pot, and so the game went on. Billy"
down stairs. was called on for loans and
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