The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-22

started on euchre and the Judge got the
usual good poker hand, and Mr.. Peoples
game was to let him win to make his
final skinning all the surer. lie lost a
couple OF times just to flash his roll and
skun of fves to Billy. They played TIL
supper and the Judge quit sis5 winner.
After supper Billy wanted to open up
the game. but the judge wouldn't have
II. and Billy kicked lie went ashore
and told a friend about the fellow who
had done him. and Just as he was telling
II the Judge came TO the rail and Billy
pointed him out TO his friend.
Why, you sucker said the friend.
that's So-and-So from st. Louis. lie
knows every gambler on the river
billy offered the Judge a 500 suit OF
clothes not to tell the story, but the
judge wouldn't hear OF Il, and all New
orleans heard the story. when the judge
got OFF the boat
Another old gambler was Glasscock
Starr Davis was great old boy. Jim Nc
Lanes mother allowed him $4,000 a year
not 10 come near her. but he was broke
nearly all the time for all that, and he
had 10 gamble TO make his way. Hank
Johnson was daisy, hard player. who
never wore pair OF boots worth less than
w. tiib Cohern and Tom Mackay were
the dressers OF the river. All their VIM
i,ngs used to 90 in clothes: They'd send to
faris for their underclothing, and all that
sort OF thing They were great rivals in
thoSe days, when dress went for some
thing. Then there was Big Alexander.
VINO too worked out OF NatcheZ; Jim Nc
Donald, dead shot with the pistol; Ash
lock, who could do more funny work with
deck OF cards than l ever saw before
or since.
They were good fellows, free with
their money as water. after scheming TO
bust their heads to get It, \ hundred
didn't bother them any more than chew
of tobacco would you And clothes! They
were all dressers; They wore soft black
"a 81 -hagla1 hnntG.
low-necked shirts. with big loose collars
and ties and frilled bOsoms. They had
solitaire breastspln and a big solitaire
ring. and one Of those big. long gold
chains going round the neck three or four
times and hanging down over their breast.
They didn't drink anything but wine. and
they would ride across the street In hacks
rather than get mud on their shoes. They
were fine fellows, educated men, who
could talk to anyone about anything. and
as polite as anything you ever saw.
There used TO be some big games on
every boat Poker was mostly the game.
They played bluff and brag a great deal.
and the betting was high. ! saw man
from Hopkinsville. KY. lose his whole
tobacco crop in one night and get up
and never mind II particularly Many a
time I've seen game player just skin
off his watch and ring and studs and
play them in. Men often lost their goods
playing In their way bills I've seen
them betting bale of cotton at
crack, and 1t wasn't at all uncommon
to hear an old planter betting off his
niggers on n good hand. Every man
who ever ran on the river knows that
these old planters used to play I'm their
body servants valuing them all the way
from $500 to $500 l saw a little cOlored
boy stand up at $500 to back his masters
faith in n little flush that wasn't any
good on earth. The niggers didn't seem
to care particularly about 1t, and IT
was so common that nobody noticed II
particularly. Gambling was commoner
then.
'Why, It wasn't nothing but gamble
from the time the boat left st. Louis
till II reached New Orleans. I've seen a
faro game three poker games, and monte
running in the cabin. and the deck
hands played al chuck-a-luck. The gam
blers would come in disguised in hayseed
clothes TO skin the passengers. Maybe
there'd be four or five on a boat, all
supposedly strangers to each other. and
playing into each others hands. Some
times there'd be a kick and the captain
would get hot.
When a passenger would squeal the
captain would ask him 10 pick out the
man who robbed him. and the gambler,
If nabbed. would have to give up the
stuff and get off the boat anywhere the
captain chose to run her I'm. The boys
used TO have false whiskers and wigs
for these occasions. so that when the
kick was made they couldn't be picked
out under their DISCUSSES. Many a time
have known them TO jump off the boat
and the victim could look at the pas
sengers to find out his man. I've swan |
ashore myself many a time. There wasn't |
much prosecuting then If a fellow was |
caught. The captain was boss, and he |
made the man give up, put him off the |
boat and that settled it. They didn't jug |
a man right away. They were great old |
times then, and they'll never come back" |