Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-25
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS


story today that is being eagerly retailed
in every boudoir from here to Bar Harbor.
OF course. you all are aware of the poker
playing that has been INDUCED in here for
the past few seasons by a bevy of we'll
known society women. They began in the
Usual way with penny ante. but pretty
soon the bride was loosened, and during
the past season three Kentuck,' with white
chips at 80 cents and table stakes the
limit, has been the rule. The fact is, the
ladies who have been INDUCING in the Sc
ductive charms of bluff have grown to be
inveterate gamblers, as almost every day
until hot weather came they met at the
house Of this or that one. and not only
played the morning hours away, but took
of pretty good slice OF the afternoon as
well. The result has been that a scandal
Is brewing that may break forth any mo-
ment that two husbands happen to meet.
A story which 1 can almost swear to the
truth of Is something like this. Early In
the spring one Of the ladies afYiicted with
the mania l have described got shy In her
account with another member Of the group
and demand was made for a settlement.
The losers husband is q very careful and
methodfcal man. who kept his eye open, 50
far as his substantial possessions were
concerned. SO his wife dismissed the idea
of pawning her diamonds, and went to a
dressmaker and ordered four fine gowns.
The garments were sent home accompanied
by bill something over $500, and the hus-
band cheerfully handed the amount to his
wife I'm order that ii might be liquidated.
The latter took the funds which were SUM-
cient to settle her poker debt and leave
her a good stake remaining. settled with
her adversary and began to plunge. With
the natural hopefuiness of a gambler she
was sure that she could recoup her losses
pay her dressmaker and let no one be the
wiser. But you fellows know how that is
Inc lady am speaking of was not def
cient In luck. but she didn't know the value
OF a poker hand, while two CT three Of the
other players were shrewd at the bust
ness as politician from the southwest.
She lost her stake money went deeper into
debt and put off the dressmaker from time
TO time until the latter got tired. The other
day her lord and master was sent bill
Tor the four gowns for which he had given
ms wife the money a long time previous.
w men ne demanded an explanation from
his erring spouse she broke into tears and
confessed everything. and then had the
Mysteries. She told him i'm the lucid inter-
walls the names of the other women she
had played poker with. only ore of whom
happened to have husband living. The
indignant gentleman wrote each one OF the
poker players demanding the immediate
return OF the money won from his wife, &C.
tompanied by the threat that failure to
comply with the demand would result In
publicity OF the entire affair. The other
husband in the case is not In town, but
he is fiery individual. who knew that his
IL,
and there is liable to be proceedings OF in
terest when he meets the stronger half of the
loser at the game. The unprotected females
are waiting to see what the outcome Is
before they dtsgorge."
THE officers and crews OF ocean-going
steamships fairly hate to See a passenger
come aboard with a pet In the shape Of
bird or beast" said N. r. Sidney of PhiIa-
delphia at the Arlington this morning
They XII ow the individual will be forever
in the fidgets about his animated possess
sion, and from captain to cabin boy a groan
goes up when q dog or q parrot comes over
the side. Many OF the companies charge
heavy fare for pets. and the French line
that runs to Havre demands $40 passage
for dog or q monkey. and 81 for q parrot.
II the pet Possesses any striking physical
peculiai1tfes the sailors are pretty apt to
endeavor to bring IT to grief before the
voyage Is fairly begun, for they are sure
that the animal is a harbnger of bad luck
Several years ago l was a passenger on the
Arizona. and an English serfo-comic singer
aboard had ugly cross-eyed pug dog
with her. The second day out big piece of
lifting tackle accidentally fell on the dog
and broke its back. The singer was in
Mysteries over her darling's death, but the
ether men In the crew clubbed together and
bought months supply Of tobacco for
their shrewd companion who engineered the
accident"
Il am inclined to believe that II the
House OF Representatives agrees to the
Senate amendment to the agricultural ap-
preparation bEl giving sl.OOo.OOO for the ex-
termination Of the Russian thistle from the
Dakotas and other northwestern states that
a new crop industry will begin 20 flourish
in our section" said Charles r. Lovett Of
Sioux Falls at the Riggs House last night.
THE Russian thistle Is a terrible pest I'M
doubtedly. but its increase is due entirely
to TIE carelessness of the farmers them
selves. 1t Is really q terrible weed and Is
an animal. The first time IL was heard OF
In this country was out near Yankton early
In the SOS. and a decade later II had spread
through both Dakotas. well as portions
of Minnesota. Nebraska and Iowa. The
reason for this was because the farmers
allowed the internal things to grow In
patches instead of blowing them under or
moving them down and burning them dur
Ing their growing season. They don't be-
gin to have seeds before the middle of
August. and either of the means I have in
Dictated would have done away with them
long ago IL the farmers had acted IN unison.
for they are very easily killed.
THE time the Russian thistle gets in its
work Of distribution is in the fall The
plants, which range in size from two to
twenty pounds, die In the autumn and
break of close to the ground Then the
every time they move they scatter seed A
small thistle will contain 2OoO0 seeds, whiia
the big ones will sift out 200O0O before they
get through. The crop will get a good deal
bigger if the government begins appropri-
ating money for its extinction. as a million
dollars will provide a mighty big per capita
fo- the popula ticn in the thistle districts
who will get the work of removing them"
Nothing will build up a broken-down
system better than a good sea voyage" said
S. Randall Price of Boston at the Ebbitt
yesterday. ''and for the wearled and worried
business man such a trip affords absolute
rer enthe. There Is another quality about
such an experience that may not be gener-
ally known. If Job had lived in these mod
ern days he could have gotten rid Of his
awful malady In short order by taking pass
age in a steamer for a Transatlantic Jour
rey. Several years ego l was worked down
to rock bottom and my blood got I'm such a
terrible condition that 1 became a sufferer
from boils No sooner would che leave me
than another would appear All the medi-
cine took did not appear to do me the
slightest good. SO l made up my mind to 60
abroad and geek relief at some Of the nu-
NJ rous springs. l did not feel the necessity
for treatment when l reached the other
side. The boil 1 had sailed with had dis
rod ovA haI