The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-05
NERVE TINT HELD FIST.


TRENTON, N. J., April 4.-"There
were some pretty stiff poker players
around Trenton in the early days."
said an old settler the other day in a
discussion Of the merits and dement's
of the great American game. "a fellow
could get almost any kind of a game
that he wanted in those days, from a
dollar limit up to the extent of his pile,
and he didn't have to look very long
for it.
"One of the nerviest players that ever
put his legs under a poker table was
Watt Williams, Of Cape May county.
Watt was interested in the oyster bust
ness and always carried a roll of bills
in his inside pocket as big as your
arm, and he didn't keep 1t idle, either.
He would make it fly when he got
started, and for that reason fellows
who didn't have much money to travel
on hung pretty close to Watt when
ever he showed up in Trenton, which
was regular as the legislature sat.
He would come up the second week
of the session and never leave till the
legislators went home 1t was his an
nual picnic, and he enjoyed it from
start to finish. AS I was saying, Watt
was poker player, and when he got
into game he had it understood be-
fore the cards were dealt that there
was to be no limit to stand in the way
or mans winning something worth
talking about when he had the cards
to do it with.
when a fellow struck town that
wanted to get into a good stiff game.
he began to impure for Watt, and he
was pretty easily located as a general
thing. L remember that Watt once ran
up against man who had Just as
much nerve as he had That man was
thompson, Col. Thompson. He hailed
from Kentucky. seemed to have all
the money that he wanted and was
a pretty good fellow. He was here
When the legislature sat and had made
a good many friends among the Tren-
ton fellows who found out his mettle
at the card table and concluded to in
troduce him to Watt Williams lust as
soon as Watt showed up.
THE second week Watt came IN and
IN less than five hours he had met Col
thompson. The two men didn't get to-
gether over the cards for a week
One night they came together in a
North Warren street restaurant and
While eating, got to discussing cards
and one thing and another After a
party go to hotel and have a hand at
poker. 1t was agreed and in a short
time there was a game going at full
blast and Watt Williams and Col.
Thompson were in it up to their eyes.
Thompson was having a big run of
luck. He was tapping everybody's pile
right along, and Watt showed that he
wasn't enjoying the way the cards
were running worth a cent After a
while everybody dropped out of a GER
tain hand except Watt and the colonel.
Watt drew two cards and the colonel
took three.
I reckon. says the colonel, after
looking his cards over, that 1 can risk
five hundred on that hand and he
showed the chips into the center of the
table.
I raise that five hundred says
Watt as he dropped chips and money
worth a thousand on the pile in the
center of the table.
I'm in now and 1 reckon I'll have
to stay said the colonel. I'll Sc your
five hundred and raise it a thousand
He counted out s., 500 and tossed the
bills on the pile before him.
THE men who were looking over the
players shoulders began to get inter-
ested, but they were mighty careful to
make no break that would give the
hands of the players away But the
raise OF thOSand didn't freeze Watt
He laid his cards down on the table
and reached into his pocket for his
roll. He counted the bills over and
says:
I've got just 49, 800 here. I'll play 1t. ,
HE threw the bills down and Thomp-
son twisted his mustache looked from
his cards to the pile Of money and then
at Watt, who sat tilted back in his
chair, with his thumbs in the armholes
of his vest and his eyes fixed on the
ceiling.
"It'n cost me $1,000 to play, won't
it? says Thompson.
That'n call me" replied Watt.
VIII you take a check for that
amount" asked tn e colonel, eying
Watt az cat watches mouse.
I'd rather not said Watt. leaning
on the table with a peculiar look on his
face L don't want you to think, col
onel, that have any doubt about your
check being good, but I've ALWAYS
made it a rule never to take checks
when playing poker I'd rather have
the cash
guess I've got it, says Thompson.
pulling roll of bills out of his pocket,
I'll call you
"He laid $500 on the table. Watt
spread his cards out and he had a pair
of tours. I've only got SKIES says the
colonel, throwing down his cards 'but
they're as good as gold. I wouldn't ha'
called you Williams, If you hadn't re-
fused to take a check. You knew that