The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-03-06

was played there away back in the '4Os,
the principal features of which were a
series of strange deals and an enormous
jack pot, says a correspondent of the st.
Louis Globe-Democrat.
AS the neighborhood chroniclers tell it,
1t happened in this way: In 1845 the pine
forests around Cedar lake were hunting |
grounds for sportsmen from New I
York and Philadelphia. Deer we're I
plentiful In those days and every |
fall and winter Isaac Hob |
Dor turnpike, In the heart of the pines, |
did a land office business.
When the sportsmen were not out rang |
ing the woods In search of game Siey |
put in their time telling stories and play |
ing cards in the big reception room of the
tavern, and 1t Is recorded that enough |
money changed hands under the roof of
the Hebron tavern, before fire swept 1t
out of existence, to buy every inch OF
land in Atlantic county at $40 an acre.
William Traverse, George Whitcomb,
Harvey Duncan and Richard Potter, pros
porous merchants from Wilmington, Del,
played the sttffest game that was put up
| at the tavern. They came to the pines
regularly every fall and stayed two
weeks, during which time any man who
happened to be around the premises could
/ get into real swift game OF poker II ne
| felt disposed any time that the Will
mington quartet happened to be around.
/ One afternoon the four men got around
table and started a game. They rare
ly played together, and when they did
their playing was watched with good
deal Of interest by other guests, because
a pot with $4,000 or 5000 in 1t was com
mon thing.
Made n Jack Pot.
The four men on this particular after
noon played a listless game for couple
70 ST. asAO YiT1er y
within themselves one of Hobron's fam
GUS apple jack toddies. Finally the tod
dies livened the men up and more ginger
was put into the game. But force it as
they did, 1t was impossible for one Of
them to get much the best of another,
and at the end of three hours playing
they found that each had pretty nearly
his original capital.
| At last Traverse dealt and he was "giv-
en-" an opportunity to make a jack pot,
which he did. The ante was 81, and every
time the widow" was fattened meant 50
to the man who could win the pot.
Traverse passed the cards to Whitcomb,
rrhn quickly dealt them. Nobody caught
"opeEers" and the pack went to Potter,
VINO failed to do any better than Whit
comb had, and the cards went to Dun
can who said as he picked them up and
/ prepared to deal:
I'm give you all openers boys, so that
you can get little fun for your money"
But he didn't. The best hand out was
| held by Traverse, and that was ace high.
Ten times the cards were dealt, and no
body caught an opening pair. In the CEN
| ter of the table was a pile of bank notes
that made the spectators eyes water.
Il never saw anything like that before"
said Potter, ''since began to play cards.
These cards have been dealt A times and
nobody has got as high as a pair of
jacks. 1t beats the ID"
Some sort Of witchery appeared to have
gotten into the cards. Forty-four more
times they were dealt and not a man
caught openers.
The game began about o'clock in the
afternoon and it was now about II o'clock
at night. The pile of money on the table
grew gradually and the crowd around the
players became more deeply interested.
The players worked till IL o'clock, and
yet the jact pot had not been opened.
Il move that we adjourn for one hour"
said Potter; perhaps If we get away
from the table a little while our luckll
| change"
| hour. The money in the pot was taken in
charge by Hebron, and the crowd was
treated to steaming toddies in rapid sue
ccssion by the four players
A Run of Hard Luck.
IT never saw cards run that way be-
fore in my life," said Traverse. 81 think
the devils in 'em, and he may stay there
for month. I'd be just as well pleased
to let each man take his money out of
the pot and stop the game.'
mot much" said Potter. "If the devils
really in the cards I'm going to stay with
en- till he comes out. That jack pots
worth having now, and I'm going to try
to get It,"
Whitcomb and Duncan took the same
view of 1t that Potter did and it was
agreed that at 1 o'clock the game should
be resumed and 1t was.
| The cards were dealt until o'clock in
he morning and nobody had been able to
open the jack pot, which had now grown
o splendid proportions
The crowd surrounding the players be-
came excited over the strange run of the
2ards, and they began to wager among
themselves that certain deals would bring
openers to some one of the players. AT
last some of the men became so bolster
gus through their interest in the game
ana the exhilaration of Hob
ron's toddles that it was
decided to lay the game over until
he afternoon, when 1t would be contin-
ued from the point where 1t was dropped.
! The cards had been dealt 238 times and
no man had held as high as a pair of
Jacks. The jack pot now had something
like SllOO in 1t, and each man was anxious
! to win It,
The players went to bed, hunted in the
forenoon and at 4 o'clock IN the afternoon
sat down to finish the game The story
spread throughout the neighborhod, ana
, when the four men sat down to the table
the big room was crowded with men,
many of whom had driven a dozen miles
to witness the playing.
Changed the Deck.
A new pack of cards was demanded by
Traverse. IF the DEVILS in that pack we
had last night" said he, wen see how
quick he can shift"
His satanic majesty appeared to be
1 q n h. Toe 10
after deal was made, and not a man was
strong enough to open the pot.
Ill Supper was brought to the players, and
they ate 1t from the card table. After it
was over playing was resumed, but with
no change in the run of cards.
. Finally Potter suggested that Hebron
be permitted to cut the pack He did,
I but 1t made no difference. Then different
men were called upon to ''slice'' the pack,
but that brought no change.
!, At / O'clock Wh1fNnnnh ray,oo rlrny5 .