The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-07-12


Great injustice has been done TO q
good man in all that poker-playing
gossip about Minister Schenck back
in the rios" II was one of Washing
toms front-rank lawyers who said this.
Then he continued in spirit OF re-
miniscence: ~ recollect, however, q
taste of high life which Schenck gave
me while minister, which pivoted on
poker. was in London on business
Of a transatlantic sort. l had known
Schenck. in America, and, OF course,
called on him. He was then American
minister at st. James.
"sBy the way, said Schenck, rs we
were about to separate one morning,
what are you going to do this after
noon?
"sNothing Of moment / replied.
No programme in particular.
There's going to be poker game
1T the Langham,' said Schenck, and If
you care for the exercise, I'd like to
have youth. The prince Of Wales will
be one OF the party"
ssThis last rather dazzled me. I re.
fected that it isn't given TO every
American citizen tobluff and raise and
draw cards against prince born in
purple. I would 60. cared not .
whit for poker, but it would be an ex-
perience whereof to tell the babies
when they grew up. Tell them how
papa beat the prince of Wales. Told
Schenck I'd be there. He seemed de-
lighted, and no doubt was, for he was
o royal good fellow. and liked to put
his friends ia the way to be pleased.
One thingI forgot-the limit. ~ had
neglected to ask Schenck the limit.
But had couple of thousand dollars
ID London and felt elegantly, even
superciliously safe.
4Three o'clock came and I repaired
to the Langham. The others came in
later. In addition to the prince Of
Wales, came also Anslem Rothschild,
of the bank of that name, and the
duchess Of Marlborough. I'll say right
here the lady was the best player OF
the lot. With these three Schenck and
sat down. just after was present.
ed to the prince, asked Schenck, in .
whisper, what limit usually obtained
at these poker festivals. He replied
also in q strong aside that there was
no limit.
1.-THE prince never plays with q
limit whispered Schenck, 1T would in
fringe his dignity as prince.
II felt bit cold after this My two
thousand dollars blinking in the Bank
OF England vault with its yellow neigh
bors didn't seem such wad Of money.
In fact, it began to diminish and APP
pear paltry and mean. when made to
face the proposition of limitless play
against highlands heir apparent, with
the whelo island to draw on. to say
nothing Of the Rothschilds. It started
the perspiration, but ! was In and
get out hastily made up
my mind to stay long enough to lose
one hundred dollars or so, and then
grow i'll and extricate myself
It was q happy thought. Cold feet
would pull me out, if my losses became
too towering.
'.As we sat down. however, two
things happened to disturb. my dream
of cold feet as means of escape.
Schenck was to bank the game, and
the first thing the prince said was:
"'Give me one thousand pounds
worth of chips'--five thousand dollars
And he said it with no more of notice
or emphasis than if he had said: Pass
the pie
II began to realize that was liable
to lose my two thousand dollars the
first hand, before cold feet could come
to the rescue. To add TO my grief the
heir of the Rothschilds placed book
made up of signed checks by his elbow,
with blank place for him to write
in the amount. This he did with
blue pencil of the editorial brand. The
Rothschild didn't buy chips. He played
in these checks. No wonder began
to sweat. to be caught between the
banking house of the Rothschilds and
the British empire with only two thou
sand dollars. The one ray of encour-
in it all was that the duchess
fine old lady, too-only bought one
thousand dollars worth of chips
steered by that and although grooming
bought one thousand dol
lars worth of chips also. Shenck
smiled approvingly. learned after
wards that did right. 1t would not
have been etiquette to buy as much
as the prince. was glad of that
II would have been in fix If eti-
quette had taken another shoot.
well, it's hardly worth while to 60
into the details of the game. The ante
was ten pounds-four call ten. / got
good enough hands, but was scared to
death. / didn't dare bet them. The
prince would look at his cards in