Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-13


county.
What part of the army are your
queried bystapder, as a delegation of pie
hunters passed in the inaugural parade on
Monday. we are the non-commissioned
officers. was the happy response.
There doesn't seem to be much Western
Kansas drouth in the fact that Mr.. Rain
and Mr.. Drinkwater live neighbors in Gree
ley county.
The Waterville Telegraph recounts the
case of young man up there for whom
prayers were asked in a prayer meeting
| because he played the fiddle on Sunday. 1t
was not indicated which one of the sins
the prayers were intended to reform.
Editor Weldy. of the GaIena Republican.
advertises the loss of a pair of undressed
Kids, and the newspaper boys down in the
| nelghborhood are pounding the life out of
the old man for not providing clothing for
his family.
The edict has gone forth from this Popu-
list administration that no women need ap-
| ply. Rev Miss Brant, who was turned
down for chaplain of the senate, has dis
covered this, just Mrs. Lease and Mrs.
F.. Diggs and the rest of the women agitators
| discovered it when they tried to get into
! the campaign last summer. Women caused
| more trouble during dwellings admins
tration than all other influences combined.
If the Leedy idea prevails there will be no
| women on the state boards or in other
| places of prominence
|
Florence Berry is the name of hand
some Labette county girl who has started
Tor oregon, where she will marry a man
| she has never seen. The match was ar
ranged by correspondence and he sent her
money not only for her fare but also to
pay for handsome trcusseau.
|
"One of the hottest contests which will
take place in the legislature this winter"
said well known ex-member of the state
| senate yesterday, will be over the appor-
| tionment of the state into congressional
districts. There is a great deal of rivalry
between the Popuist politicians and each
will strive to fix up a district suited TO his
| own congressional aspirations. To settle
the contention it may become necessary to
resort to the method employed in the legis-
lature of 1885. which made the last appor-
tionment. Did you ever hear about that
| Well, let me tell you the story.
THE senate committee on apportionment
In that year was composed of the following
gentlemen: w. j. Buchan, Wyandotte; E.
II. Funston. Allen: w. P. Hackney, Cow
ley; George H. Case, Jewell; Eugene Ware.
Bourbon; Perry Hutchinson. Marshall, and
Harrison Kelley, Coffey. Four bills were
referred to this committee, but the choice
finally simmered down to two, one of which
was known as senate bill No. 121 and the
other as senate bill No. Isl. For days and
days the committee wrangled over which
or these should be returned to the senate
as the majority report, three being in favor
of one and three in favor of the other
while Senator Hackney alternated between
the two after fashion which left neither
side sure of him.
One night, after a long session in which
no progress was made, Senator Hackney
was seized with an inspiration which he
materialized into the following proposition:
Boys, let's play a game of "freeze-out'' to
settle which one of these bills shall be re-
ported favorably'
The suggestion found instant favor The
committee adjourned TO Perry Hutchinson's
room at Gordoh's hotel, where Gene Ware
was made master of ceremonies. The first
announcement he made was this: Now.
fellers, this is a mighty important matter
and it ought to be settled in a scientific
manner. To remove the element of luck
as far as possible am going to issue each
of you hatful of chips" With 500
apiece little bit of bad luck won't break
man and in the end science is bound to
prevail
"Suiting the action to his words. Ware
issued each of the players a big, unbroken
box of lucifer matches to serve as 'chips'
and the game commenced with each of the
seven members of the committee In his
place. In the meantime news of the game
had got out among the other legislators
and Hutchinson's room was soon crowded
full OF interested spectators, many of whom
appeared attired only in their shirts, pants
and stockings. Crowded behind each play
er were a dozen or more of his partisans.
who offered all sorts of advice and sugges-
uons as the game progressed. 1 remember
Senator NJ. T. Jones in particular He was
then the Republican senator from Neosbo
county, but is a member of the present
house as Populst. He stood behind Bill
Hackney, and every now and then Bill
would show him his hand and say: 'Jonesv.
how would you draw to that?' Jonesy al
ways offered his advice, and for a time he
proved veritable mascot, Tor every time
Bill followed his advice the result was a
full house or something nearly as good.
Hour after hour the game progressed
sometimes one and sometimes another be-
ing in the lead. Funston fell out early in
tho proceedings and laid down across the
foot of the bed. Whenever Bill Hackney
got a particularly good hand he would turn
around to Funston and say, What do YOU
think of that, old Hayseed?' At one time
Harrison Kelley had his big white hat
nearly full of matches and crowed over his
adversaries in glee. Finally Bill Buchan
caught a flush and pretty nearly emptied
that hat, when jocularity in that direction
ceased at once.
But to make a long story short the
players were frozen out one after another
UNTIL at o'clock in the morning only two
were left-'Gene Ware and Bill Buchan-
and science had triumphed. As Gene and
Bill were both in favor of the same bill. of
course the game stopped when it had
reached an issue between them.
The next morning, Bill Buchan. as
chairman made a report to the senate that
the committee had agreed upon a bill. Bill
Hackney did not exactly gig back, but he
seized the opportunity to explain matters
to the senate. He said: Mr. President
Gene Ware and Bill Buchan beat us hay-
seeds in game of poker last night and
we have got to lie down. never will for
get that morning. There was a Sunday
school delegation from Abilene on the floor
OF the senate and the look of horror which
spread over their countenances when Bill
Hackney made his statement about the
poker game is something easier imagined
than described. c. H. Lebold the Abilene
banker, was at the head of this delegation,
and ever after he spoke in bitter terms of
the men who participated in this famous
poker game. 1t might be relevantly added.
however, that none of these players ever
broke up bank which did not pay 5 per
cent to its depositors.
There you have the story, and 1t is a
true one. The present congressional ap-
portionment in Kansas was determined by
Il poker game, though in this connection ii