The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-20
FIVE ACES no v.
They Were In Uncle Joe's Hand aud lIo
Took the Pot from the Mnn with Four.

They were In Uncie Joe's Hand aud IIe
Took the Pot from the Man with -Four.
was n conductor on a trunk line railroad in
the flush days that Immediately preceded the
close OF the war and prevailed for a few years
after the close. Money was plentiful. morals
were rather lax, and as yot 1t had not been
made part of the railroad conductors duty TO
stand guard over the pocketbooks of credulous
travellers or those whose cupidity ran away
with their reason. and consequently those were
the halcyon days of travelling card players
abroad for what was IN their profession.
used to like n uuiet game Of draw myself.
and INDUCED my liking whenever my duty gave
me opportunity. This. of course. placed me In
sympathy with others who played, and one day
! 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. / had been on
the road but a week or two. and was not yet
acquainted with all It's patrons. In going
through the train collecting fares this day
speak Of. l came to four passengers who were
absorbed in a game of poker, a newspaper
spread on their laps to play on.
Fares. please" snid.
People did't bother much about buying tick
cts In those days, and a large proportion of tho
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 o little
later ?"
/ told him I must have his fare then and there.
He looked at his companions. hesitated q mo-
ment, and then said:
Will you let me take a little rake Off for my
fare. fellows 2"
They declined to do so.
conductor said he. holding up a handful
of gunwads. them stands for all the money I
got. I'm poin' tn het 'em on this here hand and
the mischief of 1t is I'll have to call before I've
done it justice. This is the hand"
He passed 1t up to me. shielding it carefully
from all other eyes. 1t was four aces. l be-
came interested at once. Ihad $50 in my pocket.
I reached in and took out $50 and handed 1t TO
the holder OF the big hand.
GO ahead" said l. Bet that on 1t. tool"
lie did SO. Two of the other players dropped
out. The fourth stayed. and | passed my re-
naming forty dollars to the man with the four
aces. That was my pile and he had to call. He
hated to. he said. and l hated to have him do II.
with n hand like that, but there was no help for
1t. He called. The other man showed down a
straight flush! lie got my money and the money
Of the man l backed, and l hadn't even got the
mans fare! l stopped the train and put him
of. and that was all tho satisfaction I got out
oft. The next station was the end of my run.
That same evening l saw the man l had backed
and put off the train and his three companions
board an east-bouDd train.
do you know any of those chaps ?" I asked
the station agent.
Know 'em! - he replied. Rather. They're
four of the slipperiest card sharps on the line of
the F., G. and w"
They had initiated me, that was all.
A great many drovers travelled on the rail;
money, and were generally easy and profitable
game for the professional card players. Some
being nSe very 1ry' handy Twin With e cards sn the reseiiSe.on and Hi
Dragged OF II. used to hear OF Uncle Joe
~Quick-witted drovers who were said to be able
to take care of themselves against the tricks OF
the sharpers. One day l noticed among my
passengers "A noted card sharp. known Familiarity
as Jersey Jerry. At q way station, a little old
man, gray and wrinkled. but still active and
spry. got aboard the train. He was a very To-
Quacious old gentleman, and gave me the i'm
preston that he had been INDUCING overmuch in
that insinnatinS and lingering tipple. He talked
to every body within hearing, and finally eX-
pressed a willingness to play any one a game Of
old sledge for a quarter a corner. Nobody paid
any attention to tho garrulous old fellow for a
long time. and then Jersey Jerry began to take
old man seemed to me to be rather small game
tor that far-reachinR individual. At any rate.
sledge for a quarter a corner, and the old man
was winning every game. much TO his apparent
delight dso9nnjr and In the process re Sa Of putting ad . sW1y and
plethora Of which explained the interest Jersey
Jerry was manifestinR in him.
After n WHILE, in going through tho train. |
noticed that the game had, changed to poker.
and that Jerry had evidently led his intended
victim along until they were playing a pretty
he was elated beyond measure and more gar
rulous than ever. | stopped to watch the play.
II was Jerry's deal. knew somehow that now
he had worked up to his game. and that the
climax was at hand. felt sorry for the old
man. but 1t was not my affair. He had paraded
himself too much. anyhow. As Jerry tossed his
opponents cards to him ! caught a glance of
were kings, The old man took them up eau
tiously and held them close. He seemed to gloat
over the possession o. them. He drew no cards.
The old man was game. and came back nj Jerry
without n quaver; Four kings was n tremen-
dous hand, but knew that Je~:sJ IErry had
given himself a better one as well as . ,Ssew |
was there, BY and by there was more ssan
fed. He called.
-Four aces, pop" said Jerry. That's ALI"
" o hain't got enough on 'en, Jerry" ex-
claimed the old man, and Terry started to hear
'em, cause ! got five on 'em myself"
And the old man. with n grin that meant n
great deal, and n look in his eyes thgt meant II
per they were playing on, and coolly raked the
money IN and slowed IL In his wallet. To the
utter amR2ement of myself and every ono else
wen, saw jnio IT. ;ne ,er nsx. got caT up T TIsh0 "Ia a m wSTd o and
Rrinned the more. ana in less than five minutes
was sound asleep In his seat.
81 wonder who that man isf'' said TO the
head brenKman as | went ont, pointing back to
the seat where the crizzled old passenger was
asleep, with his head thrown back. The head
brakeman knew everybody.
who him ~ said he. "Why, that's old
Uncle Joe Reddy, the drover."
,tnclr Joseph had played it way down on the
sharper, for lie knew him and his game. and "A
trick worth two OF his.