Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1896-12-23
A GOOD POKER STORY
The NEW MAN IN TIE NEW HAR.
faCNY SELECT CIRCLE.

He Was In the Grocery Business and
Hadn't Time TO Play He join
ed the Party For Two Evenings and Sold
Out His Grocery Store.
II saw II story in paper recently. "
said an old sport at Willard g the other
day. (which told how two slick stran-
gers from the Windy City MIXED a
poker game in an Indiana town and got
away with ell the money in it. That
reminds me of another story of the same
order
I'm the town Of New Harmony are
located number Of gentlemen of great
taste and considerable means. For
years the mainstay Of this crowd was
playing euchre and whist, but this was
finally changed by the arrival Of two
characters who organized and taught a
class in poker. The first of these was
the son Of "a Frenchman, who lived on
an island down the river His father
was worth in the neighborhood of $780,
600 or $500, 600, and he kept his boy
well supplied with money.
well, this progressive youth organ
lied poker game in the peaceful vii
lage Of New Harmony. There were
about six in the party, and it was their
custom once week or more to meet at
the hotel and indulge in a friendly,
quiet game, but one where the only
limit was the beautiful blue sky. The
Frenchman played game of bluff from
start to finish. He would pike along in
the pots until some one thought he had
a fair hand and would open for few
hundred dollars, when the Frenchman
would shove from So, 900 to S., 600 dol
lars into the pot before the draw, and
nine times out Of ten the other man
would have to go 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 Frenchman. Time
after time the latter would push in his
roll and send the hotel keeper to the
pack. But once in awhile the latter
would catch his antagonist mapping and
would come back at him with another
raise, getting back in one pot all he
had lost during the remainder of the
evening.
Zone spring day well dressed, quiet
looking man drifted into town and put
up at the hotel. In the course of time
he was introduced to all the crowd
about the hotel, and they found him a
most congenial companion. He was only
a moderate drinker, but liked to gather
a crowd around him and smoke and tell
stories. After week of this he told the
boys that he intended to locate there
and open fancy grocery store. He
went away for few days, and when he
returned he opened up near the hotel.
Such store as he opened had never
been seen in the place prior to this time.
He kept imported pickles. canned
shrimps, fine cheeses and everything on
that order, supplemented with stock
Of the choicest wines, liquors and cigars.
Owing to his congenial habits his store
soon became the loafng place of the
poker playing crowd, and they often
gathered there Of an evening to listen
to his stories and to drink and smoke.
Many invitations were extended to the
quiet man of business to take hand in
the game, but he invariably replied that
ne knew nothing about playing poker.
He had, he admitted, played the game
and liked it pretty well, but he would
say: You boys have nothing to do to-
morrow and can afford to stay. up all
night if you want to. l have ~ bust
ness to attend to and must get around
early to open up.
Zone night, however, when the crowd
had been drinking more than usual and
were feeling particularly good, they re-
fused to take any excuse and insisted
that he must go il with them. He had
been drinking himself, and be finally
consented to go to the hotel and take a
hand for awhile In the game the
Frenchman played his same old tricks.
Every time tho storekeeper would poke
his head out Of his hole the Frenchman
was waiting for him with club and
hit him hard. The game broke up about
5 O'Clock i'll the morning, and it was
found that the storckeeper as out
about 81, 600 Was he sore? Well, l
should say he was.s He had told them,
he said, that he didn't want to play !;
that he couldn't play. and that he could
not afford 10 lose the money Finally
he said 4 have Lecn thinking fer some
time Of putting u clerk i'll charge CT my
store, and ! i'm going Gown to Louis
vile tomorrow to get Cne. Then will
have mere time to play With you boys.
True to bis wcrd, he went to Louisville,
and several days later q man came up
and went to work i'll the store. Now,
said he.. aEi ready for a game tonight,
and warn you l am going to bring a
pile of money with me. l am deter
mined to win back what | lost or lose
ali that have left, which is consider
able Well, the gang felt sorry for him.
He was a coed fellow, they admitted,
but he had no business playing poker.
However,, his money was rs good as
any one else's, and if it was in the game
they must go cut after it.
"The game commenced early that
night and lasted until 6 in the morning.
Again the Frenchman tried his old tao
tics, but somehow they did not work.
Every time he came at the storekeeper
the latter was loaded Finally, about 6,
the game broke up, and the fancy gro
ceryman walked down stairs, washed
his hands and face and went to the de-
pot, where he took the first train out of
town He had soaked the Frenchman
for $4,000 and had picked up So, 900
more from the small fry. Investigation
showed that the supposed clerk had
really bought the store, and the last the
crowd heard Of their $50, 900 the smooth
cpnkau stoTnkepner was Snending it