The morning times., 1896-03-25

One evening last fall, when the Wash
ington BAH players were sitting around
their boarding place relating hard luck
stories in revenge for a bad drubbing they
had received at National Park that after
noon from the Brooklyns, Jack Crooks
broke in ON the chorus with recital OF u
rocky experience of his own:
I'm tell You a hard luck story that has
nothing 10 do With baseball, said the
doughty second basenan.
1t was like this: We were coming over
from New York and had a little game OF
draw a-going. NY luck had been fair to
middling and L was Il dollar or two ahead.
joyce was also winning, as usual, and
it had been my prayer Tor months 10 get
one good smash at his pile OF chips, just
TO hear him holier There was about six
of Us in the game, and il was my deal in
a jack pot, that had gone around several
times and begun TO assume very respectable
proportions.
Joyce sat next to me and he opened the
pot for its size An dropped out rs none
of them had better than two pair, and the
way he opened evidenced that he had as
good as threes.
lit passed up to me- skinned down my
hand and found three large, juicy aces.
"Ah. hal thinks / TO myself; I'll knock
was so full of JOY over the prospect of
paralyzing Joyce that the color of my face
almost gave me away. l figured moment
and decided not 10 raise before the draw.
CAUGHT THE CASE ACE.
Joyce stood pat / was staggered a
bit. but drew down TO my hand. Imagine
my ecstacy when ace No. 4 fell into my mitt,
/ could see Bill jumping out OF the window,
l / SlK blood
down the aisle.
Bill bet a stack the size of his open.
knew his play too well to think for mo-
ment he was bluffing on the pat hand,
and after steadying myself, showed in my
whole pile, saying at the lime; see you
and raise YOU the bundle without twltch-
ing a muscle. Bill said: l drop out; /
opened on a flush
He spread the flush out before me and
/ got Up and said a few things. Now some
people may think il good play TO lay down
a flush TO two card draw. but don't, ana
il made me so mad that tore up the deck,
cashed in and quit.
I'm leave 1t 10 any poker player If 1t
wasn't enough to make an angel weep TO
get four aces and then have man lay
down a pat hand without even calling your
raise
TEXAS STEERS COMMENCE WORK.
Ted Sullivan, the owner-manager of the
New Haven club of the Atlantic Coast
League. departed for Norfolk last night.
He viii gather bis club at Norfolk toda,
and commence preliminary practice at once
The following pla yers accompanied Man
a ger sullivan from Washington: Jack
Thornton, George Kcefe, Harry 0'Hagan,
and Earnie Hodge Pat Boyle, shortstop.
and Jimmy Gilmer, second base, came on
from Cleveland yesterday and went down
on the boat with the others. George
Kelly OF this city, Will join thcclub ina few
days.
Ted is very confident that he has picked
a strong team for the Atlantic League and
is of the opinion that the Texas Steers"
viii stand one-two-three at the end Of the
season.
The steers will play twelve games
before returning TO Washington TO fiji
the dates of April and with The Senators
and they are sure To be in Il condition
10 give the big leaguers hard contest
each game.
ZIAiAIER AND BURKETT SIGN.
Yesterday at Hot Springs. Ark, where
the Clevelands are taking their spring
pra ctice, Charley thinner and Jesse Burkett
signed contracts perfectly satisfactory to
themselves and to the Cleveland club man
accmcnt. A que estion OF salary stood
between lntSe pa dEtiS ol tiN 'iup D"'
everything was adjusted and no further
trouble will result.
Cher Zimmeris one of the star catcbers
Of the lea que and held the record for
continuous work behind the bat until Jim
Mcclure of the Senators, wrcsted ii from
him last season. The chief has many
friends in Washington, all Of whom will
be glad to hear of the settlement OF his
difference with the Cleveland management
Rurkett is the champion batsman OF the
National League and is very fast fielder.