Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-08-14
GOOD POKER STORY.

|
the other day, (which told how two
slick strangers from the Windy
City MIXED a poker game in an
Indiana town and got away with
all the money IN it. That reminds
me of another story of the sam
order.
Ia the town of New Harmony
are located a number of gentlemen
OF great taste and considerable
means. For years the malnstay of
this crowd was playing euchre and
whist. but this was finally changed
by the arrival Of two characters
who organized and taught class
IN poker. Tne first OF these was
the son of a Frenchman, who lived
on an island down the river, His
father was worth In the nelghbOr.
hood of 100000 or 100000, 9aud
he kept his boy we'll suppliad with
money.
well, tlIs progressive youth
organized q poker game in the
peaceful village OF New Harmony.
There were about six in the party,
and it was their custom once a
week or more to meet at the hOte
and indulge in a friendly, quie.
game, but one where the only limit
was the beautiful blue sky. The
Frenchman PLAYED game of bluff
from start 10 finish. He would
PIKE along IN the pots until some
one though: he had fair hand
and would open for a few hundred
dollars, when the Freuchman
would shove from $4,000 to - 600
dollars into the pot before the
draw. and nine times out of ten
the ether man would have to 90 TO
the pack.
There was another player IN the
game, the hotel keeper, who was
also after the spuds. He was the
only one who could beat the
French Time after time the
latter would push in his roll and
send the hotel keeper to the pack.
BIT once IN awhile the latter would
catch his antagonist mapping and
would COT e back at him with an
other raise, getting back in one
pot all be had lost during tue re-
mainder of the evening.
'One spring day a we'll dressed,
quiet looking man dritted into town
aud put up at the hotel. In the
course of time he was introduced
to all the crowd about the hotel,
aud they found him a most con
genial companion. He was only a
moderate driuber, but liked to
gather a crowd around him and
snake aud tell stories. After a
week Of this he told The boys that
he intended to locate there and
open a fancy grocery store. He
went away tor a few days, and
when be returned he opened up
near the hotel. Such a store as he
opened had never been seen IN the
place prior to this time. He kept
imported pickles, cauned sbrlmps,
hne cheeses and everything on
that order, supplemented with a
stock of The choicest wines, liquors
and cigars. Owing to mis- congenlal
habits his store sooh beclm9 the
loafiBg place of the poker playing
crowd, and they often gathered
there ofan evening to listen to his
stories and 20 dIlnk and smoke.
Many Invitations w,re extended
to the quiet man of business ioI
take a hand in the game, but he
invariably replied that he knew
nothing about playing poker. He
had, he admitted, played the game
and liked it pretty we'll, hut he
would say: you boys have nothing
TO do tomorrow and can afford to
stay up all night if you want to. ]
have my business to attend
to and must get around early to
open up
One night, however, when the
crowd had been drinking more than
usual and we're feeling particularly
good, they refused to take any
excuse and insisted that he must
90 in with them. He had been
drinking himself. and he finally
consented to go to the hotel and
take q hand for awhile. In the
game the Frenchman played his
same old tricks. Every time the
storekeeper would poke his head
out of his hole the Frenchman was
waiting for him With club aud bit
him hard. The game broke up
about 8 o'clock in the morning, and
it was found that the storekeeper
was ont about $4,000 Was he sorei
Well, | should say he was. lie had
told them, he said, that he didn't
want 10 play: that he couldn't pla, 4,