Omaha daily bee., 1895-09-30

ern steamboats, In the first twenty-five years
after they began to run. That was their
heyday. Competing railways there were
none. and the few stage lines across country
served merely as feeders to them. There is
a touch OF grim tragedy in the story OF one
river gambler. He was well born and we'll
bred, but a shooting scrape at college sent
him away from home. He went to Mlssis-
sippi, where his father had established a
plantation, but the country quiet did not
suit him. He rode away to Port Gibson,
then a big gambling center, and in six
months he was noted, among its profess
SIGNALS even, for his nerve and his phenom-
email luck. But fast as he made thousands,
he spent them still faster. He certainly
burned life's candle at both ends. He was
never still. On shore he would ride or hunt
or dance all day, then drink and gamble all
night. While his luck lasted he had heaps
Of friends. Gamblers do have friends when
they are square, as he was from first to last.
But by and by chance turned her back on
him. He lost as steadily as he had won.
Quick consumption set in, too, and in six
weeks he was at deaths door. One Of the
river men with whom he had travelled a hun
dred times, finding that he was penniless,
got a doctor who was going up the river to
cake him as far as Paducah, then a tiny
village at the mouth Of the Tennessee river.
The captain had a friend there. to whose
care he consigned the sick man. A dying
man he was when they came to put him on
land. The doctor said to those who came to
receive him.:
Here is money to bury him; he will be
dead in three hours
Bet you fifty to a hundred l live till
tomorrow morning. the sick gambler said
They were his last words. but he won the
bet. The sun had risen next day before his
scant breathing ceased. When his friend, the
captain, heard of 1t, he said:
THAT was like poor Charley. He just lived
by force Of will SO he might win enough to
bury himself
Though there were many gamblers who
played fairly, there were also plenty Of the
other sort. Two famous among the crooked
ones were old DR.. Bennett and Tom Suckett.
The doctor looked a heap more like a bishop
than a sport. He always dressed in black,
and never by any chance wore more jewelry
than a dark seal ring on the little finger.
His conversation, too, had a clerical tinge, he
even quoted scripture now and then. That
was before he had more than one bottle of
wine. The second made him a witty cynic,
the third a vulgar and blasphemous brawler.
He knew that as well as anybody, and didn't
go beyond one bottle more than once a
month.
A SHARPER TRAPPED.
"Suckett was as unlike him as possible in
every way except in inscriptions shrewd-
ness. The two were great friends, and liked
nothing better than to play with each other.
Suckett wore gaudy clothes and rings on
both hands, besides a blazing solitaire
anu u Ndltn, WnOS Heavy BUIu 1UD
held a bunch of seals as big as the fist. He
never went anywhere without his valet. a
smart negro, who could play any game nearly
as well as his master. 1t was whispered, in
deed, that Suckett often played with him in
private, practiclng the tricks of sleight and
palming he had devised to beat other players.
He had, among other things. a coat with a
spring pocket in the sleeve, whence he
could slip cards as the exigencies of his hand
required.
"Dr. Bennett found that out, and got him
self as pring table-that is, one with a secret
drawer just under his hand, which was
opened or closed by a spring underneath, to
be worked by the players knee. After a
week or so he begged Suckett to come up one
night for & game of brag, in which both were
thrice expert. Suckett came, with his darby
at his heels. as usual. Soon the two gam
hlers were playing for dear life. 1t was
truly Greek against Greek. The valet, lying
on the floor a little way Off, caught the steal
thy motion Of Benefits knee. and OWNED
the reason of 1t. The stakes were by this
time in the hundreds. He dropped down on
the floor and muttered sleepily:
"'Marster! see som'p'n.'
Listen at that rascal! He's fast asleep
and dreaming Suckett said. complacently,
breast. Shut up there! I'll break your head
If we hear any more from you
THE darby grunted more sleepily than
ever and lay keeping close watch through
almost smut eyelluS. AFTER a Wnlle, when the
stakes were still higher, he called, this time
in Joy:
"'Marster! I see som'p'n else!'
Csc do II Suckett said, laying down two
bullets and a %bragger.' What have you
got, doctor? Does that take the pot?'
ct would, only we have both got a queen
of spades. Hadn't we better divide?' DR..
Bennett said urbanely.
THE darby got up very wide awake.
"Us better had go home, marster!' he
said, AN you two gentemens better had go
and play som'p'n else on yother folks dan 20
own SETS
DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.
"The two men laughed and separated, but
each vowed secretly to best the other. A
month later Suckett came at his adversary
with a false die, one with six on each face.
He bantered the doctor to play with him at
500 the throw, skies against aces, and the
doctor accepted. The doctor had his own
dice, perfectly trustworthy, and the game
was begun with them; but 1t was the easiest
thing in the world for Suckett to slip in his
little joker at about the third or fourth cast.
He had lost twice in the initial three; now
his winning was phenomenal. But his ad-
versary was game and did not finch until
5000 had changed hands. Three thousand
more might have gone the same way had
not a bystander cried out that one Of the
dice had six on three sides of it. At once
Suckett sprang up with a great show of in
dignation.
L ulu not LINK you WOulu uO II, uOCtuT,
he said, reproachfully.
Bennett had taken in the situation The
dice were supposedly his; a false one would
be laid to his discredit. He got up and pat
ted Suckett on the back, saying:
Tommy, my son, be quiet! How much
is it l owe you? Here's your money-take
it with my blessing-but leave me that nice
little contrivance.'
Then he pocketed the dice and sauntered
off. Next day he was missing, nor did he
come back for a month. His headquarters
were Port Gibson. When at last he reap
peared it was to tell Suckett with a beaming
smile how he had slipped over to Mobile,
found a rich cotton planter there who had
just sold his crop, and won from him by
means Of that bit of ivory a cool 81, 900 in less
than three hours"
Advice Concerning Jewels.
Do not wear thumb rings on your collar
bone. They might fall off.
If your ear is shaped like an oyster put a
pearl in 1.-THE effect is startling.
Don't use sapphires in a tiara-be sensible
and put them on the coal scuttle.
If you would win a husband do not give
precious stones to the poor. He will want
them all himself.
Do not wear your diamond collar button
when you are trying to borrow 81. When