The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-26
FIVE ACES WON.
They Were in Uncle JOe's Hand and
He Took the Pot
From the New York sun.


From the New York sun.
| was a conductor on a trunk line rail-
road in the flush days that Immediately
preceded the close of the var and prevail-
ed for few years after the close Money
was plentiful, morals We're rather lax, and
as yet it had not been made part of The
railroad conductors duty to stand guard
over the p0cketbooks of eredulous travel.
ers or those whose oupidity ran away
with their reason, and consequently those
were the halcyon days of travelling card
players abroad for what was in their pro-
fesslon.
used to like a quiet game Of draw my
self, and INDUCED my liking whenever my
duty gave me opportunity. This, OF
course, placed me in sympathy with Others
who played, and one day l got into a
pretty stiff game on board my own train,
while in the actual discharge of my duty
and yet without holding a hand l had
been on the road but a week or two, and
was not yet acquainted with all its pat
rons. In going through the train collect-
ing fares this day speak of, came to
four passengers who were absorbed in a
game of poker newspaper spread on
their laps TO play on.
Fares, please" l said.
People didn't bother muclRabou buying
tickets in those days, and large pro
portion of the fares were paid on the
trains Three Of the men handed over
their money. The fourth, who seemed
somewhat excited, said:
Conductor can't you come round lit
tie later?"
told him must have his fare then and
there. He looked at his companion, hesi-
tated moment, and then said:
"Will you let me take little rake off
for my fare, felowsT'
They declined to do so.
Conductor said he holding up a hand
full of gunwads, them stands for all the
money got. I'm goin to bet EN- on this
here hand, and the mischief of 1t is III
have to call before I've done 1t justice.
This Is the hand"
tHe passed 1t up to me, shielding 1t care
fully from all other eyes. 1t was four
aces. / became interested at once. / had
$50 in my pocket. l reached in and took
out $40 and handed it to the holder of the
Eco aheadr' said 7. "Bet that on 1t,
He did so. Two of the other players
dropped out. The fourth stayed, and
PASSED my remaining $40 to the man with
the four aces. That was my pile, and he
had to call. He hated to, he said, and
hated to have him do IT. with hand Ike
that, but there was no help for Il. lie
called. The other man showed down
straight flush! He got my. money and the
money of the man backed, and | hadn't
even got the mans farel l stopped the
train and put him off, and that was all the
satisfaction got out of 1t. The next sta
ton was the end of my run. That same
evening | saw the man ! had backed and
board an east-bound train.
DO you know any of those chaps2" l
asked the station agent.
Know 'em! he replied. Rather,
They're four of the slpperiest card sharps
on the line of the f., G.. and W..
They had minated me, that was all.
A great many droverS Travelled on the
railroads during the war. They carried
plenty of money, and were generally easy
and profitable game for the professional
card payers. Some of the drovers, though,
had the rpniitati0n of hping handy
with the cards themselves, and Dragged
of it.. / used to hear of Uncle Joe Reddy,
Big Ike Sloati and others as among the
quck-witted drovers who were said to be
able to take care of themselves against
the tricks of the sharpecs. one day | no.
ticed among my passengers a noted card
sharp, known Familiarity as Jersey Jerry.
At way station, a little old man, gray
and wrinkled, but still active and spry, got
aboard the train. He was a very loqua-
ciOuS old gentleman, and gave me the inn
preston that he had been INDUCING over
much in apple jack, that being a belt of
country famous for that insinuating and
within hearing, and finally expressed a
Willingness to play any one a game of
OLD sledge Tor quarter corner. Nobody
paid any attention to the garrulous old
Fellow Tor long time, and then Jersey
Jerry began to take an Interest In him
RMS surprised me, as the old man seemed
to me to be rather small game for that far
reaching Individual. At any rate before
long Jerry was busy playing him old
sledge for quarter a corner and the Old.
man was winning every game, much to his
putting away and producing his stakes ne
displayed a wallet the plethora az which
explained the interest Jersey Jerry was
manifesting in him.
After a while, In going through tho
train, noticed that the game had chang
ed TO poker, and that Jerry had evidently
led ms Intended victim along .until they
we're playing pretty stiff game but the
Old man was winning and he wa Z a1atad
beyond measure and more garlulous than
ever. ! stopped to watch the play 1t
was Ierry's deal | knew somehow that
now ne had worked up to his game, and
that the climax was at hand / felt sor-
ry TOT lhe ola man, but II was not my af-
Iairs lie had ,paraded himself too much,
anyhow As Jerry tossed his Opponents
cards TO him ! caught a glance OF each
ana would have sworn that four OF them
were kings The old man took them up
cautiously and held them close He seerae
ed to gloat over the possession Of them
lie drew no cards. Jerry drew one Then
they began to bet. The old man was
game, ana came back at Jerry without d
hand, but knew that Jersey Jerry had
even hlmselI a better one as well as !
knew ! was there. BY and by there was
man seemed satisfied. He called.
he said.
-Four aces, pop~ said Jerry. THAT'S
Ye hain't got enough on 'em, Jerrvr,,
EXCLAIMED the old man, and Jerry start
ed TO hear his name called. I'VE hain't
goI enough ON EN-, cause / got FIVE on
And the old man, with a grin that meant
a great deal, and a look in his eyes thai
meant a great deal more, spread i've
aces on the newspaper they were nlav-
ing on. and coolly raked the money in
ana slowed 1t In his wallet To the ~
ter amazement of myself and every one
else VINO saw II, Jerry got up without q
old man only grinned the more ana in
In his seat. "7loep
I wonder who that man is?" said to
the mead brakeman as / went oilf no5nt
ing PACK TO the seat where the erfzzIed ola
passenger was asleep. with his head
knew everybody.
who, him. said he, why, that's old
Uncle Joe Reddy, the droyer. ~
Uncle Joseph had played II way down
on the sharper. for he knew him and his
game, and a trick worth two OF his.
CHRISTMAS TIN HORNS.