Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-07-20
GAME.
:

from Mariposa county as he leaned
against the bar of down town hotel
last evening and toyed with tumbler.
''P'r'aps,. though, " he added glancing
around inqhiringly, you fellows never
heard Of him. -
A withered old miner from Nevada
county limited that ''mebbe he was re-
lated to the Bill Cox who was hanged
at Red Dog i'll 1861"
This the Mariposa man disputed on
the ground that Seth during his life
time was too square a man to have
even been thirty eighth cousin to the
chap who had come to such an ignomine
ious end at Red Dog
"Why, shop he went on, turning
from the Nevada man to the four other.
bystanders, ''Seth was as square man
as ever met in California He would
fight, if necessary, and would drink as
much as the next man, and what more
was wanted in those days?"
''But that amt what I was going to
tell you about. You see Seth had one
cussedest kind. All one had to do was
to take stand on anything, and Seth
would as naturally take hitch on the
contrary side and outhold your hand
somehow, even if you had all trumps.
''Seth was marshal of Indian Gulch,
up our way, as far back as 1862, and
being so stubborn he carried things
pretty much his own way. If they
didn't go his way, they were not likely
to go any way"
The man from the butterfly county
paused to gaze through the bottom of
his tumbler for moment, and then re-
sumed.
''Now, sho! Just to give you an idea
of how stubborn Seth was, I'll tell you
Of little incident. He had a discussion
with miner about turkey buzzards,
and just because the miner said they
were sinking things Seth maintained
that they were second to nothing in the
poultry line. Well, the miner thought
he'd take fall out of Seth, and the
next day brought him a turkey buzzard
and dared him to eat it. Yes, wagered
him $40 on it. Did he win? Why. sho!
''Seth ate the buzzard, and as he was
picking the bones inquired if there was
anybody else around who was anxious
to pay him for eating one of the most
delicious morsels in the world. That
was Seth all over. He'd never give in
on anything he undertook, sho!" and
the Mariposa man reflled his glass.
zone day." he resumed briskly, just
as the Nevada man was about to say
so xxrhn cold hn
hailed from Chinese Camp, ambled into
the gulch and made himself quite popu-
lar before night, treating everybody
time and again at Red Ryan's saloon
AS Marshal Seth thought it his duty to
make the acquaintance Of the strange
pilgrim who was so well heeled appar-
entity with dust, it wasn't long before
Seth and the newcomer, who said his
name was Dan Fletcher, were bucking
against each other at poker.
s'Now, sho, that was all right, but
Dan, while they were playing, began to
tell how he had made the pilgrimage
all the way from Poor Shoat to Angels
and cleaned out every poker sharp on
the road. Seth, in his bullheaded way,
said he reckoned if he had met Dan ON
that journey Dan would have had to
take to the wilderness for want of
clothes, he would have been so cleaned
out.
s'Then there was hurricane Of an
argument, and finally Seth boosted that
he'd put everything he had up against
all Dan had and play poker until one or
t'other was busted. Dan jumped at the
offer, and arrangements were made.
s'The game was to be played in
room at John Hanson's hotel, and each
mans wealth was represented by rs
$40 pieces, which they used as chips.
Seth, as marshal, proclaimed a holiday
in town until he had cleaned Dan out,
then he promised big hurrah. The
whole town was gathered around Han
SON. S place, and at intervals of an hour
signs were hung out as to the game.
One time it would be Seth is hundred
ahead, and at another Even game,
with Dams ante up. There was lots Of
betting on the result. Red Ryan wa
gered his saloon against a claim that
Seth would win. And, sho, all the
time Seth and Dan sat there Tipping
their cards like machines and not MOTTO
ing anything outside of the gameP'
After stopping to clink glasses with
his interested audience the man from
Mariposa took fresh twist in his rem
iniscences.
"Ahout 10 o'clock that night Dan was
out $500, and when some Of the boys
took up supper for the players, for they
hadn't eaten anything, you know, he
growled out to take it away, as no man
could play cards and eat and drink too.
Seth was so stubborn that he wouldn't
stop either. for fear Dan would think
he was weakening. The boys set down
the supper and left 'em. In the morn
ing breakfast was put down alongside
the untouched supper. All they wanted
was half a dozen new decks of cards.
They had worn out four packs. Sho! no
mistake
"Well, now, there's no use drawing
out the agony on q thing that turned
put SO serious as that game. As any
body at Indian Gulch can tell you to
this day, Seth and Dan played there for
five days and for five nights, a-seesaw-
ing and a-seesawing but each as stub
born as the other and determined not to
give in. They hadn't touched the meals
we took up to 'em, and they hadn't slept
either. You may say it's impossible, but
just 90 to Indian Gulch, and you can
prove it. The two men were like skel-
etons. and Seth was SO weak that he
could not deal the cards and swear at
the same time,
son the evening Of the fifth day some
Of us boys met at Ryan's and decided in
the interest Of humanity to interfere
and make Seth and Dan quit until they
got into condition. But, sho, when we
went up in the morning they were both!
stretched out on the floor dead. Yes,
Stree, dead. Each had five cards in his
hand, and Seth was elutching bis last
$40 as if he had just been calling Dan
when he rolled over,
"'And he'd "a won, too, howled
Ryan as he looked at the hands. Then
Ryan wanted the match declared IN
favor of Seth, but the boys wonlae'l
AIA