The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-06-18

:" I REMEMBER" said the old set
tier. when, away back in the SOS,
wedding was postponed on account of
jackpot in which the prospective
bridegroom was deeply interested.
In those days poker was more COM
monty played at the state capital than
it is to-day, and there were some pretty
stiff games pulled off in the hotels and
star chambers around town when the
legislature was i'm session. One of the
hardest players with which the regulars
had to deal was young jim Rawson. of
Egg 1arbor. He ran "A general mcr-
chandise store down there, and was
mixed up in the oyster trade, so that he
always had money to burn, as the boys
say nowadays.
I'm the winter of "a Rawson came to
Trenton to help push bill in which he
was interested through the legislature.
and one evening he got mixed up in
game of poker in the United States hotel
with Sol Travers, Jerry Holcomb and
Dick Collins, three of the gainicst play
ers that ever drew cards. The game was
innocent enough when it started, but
along about three o'clock the next
morning it had assumed proportions
calculated to make an ordinary player
gasp when the bets were made. Raw
son was the youngest man at the table
and had probably played poker less than
any of the others, but he had money
and nerve, and the way he used both of
them made the other three keep their
eyes open. There wasn't much diff
ference in the mems winnings up to
breakfast time. but all of a sudden the
cards got freakish. as they will some
times, and began to run against Raw
SON
The players wouldn't give up the
game and had breakfast brought to
them. They laid down the cards long
enough TO eat, and then went n { il again.
Rawson's hard luck kept up. He turned
mis- hat around. crossed his legs. got up
and walked around his chair. rung in |
new packs of cards. and did everything
that the superstitious poker player does
to change his luck. but il wouldn't |
change. His money kept drifting away |
liz
he counted up his assets and found that
he had 5000 left. lie had fed about 81 500
TO the tiger, and naturally felt little
sore. At last jackpot was started |
about half-past ten o'clock, and the
cards were dealt around a dozen times
and nobody got openers.
Hurry up, boys. and open it, said
RnxySnn iva
train. I'm going to be married TO-
night, and / must be in by five o'clock,
dressed for the OCCASION
But the boys didn't seem to be able
to hurry. They dealt and dealt. but
somehow the right kind of openers
wouldn't fall, and finally there was
snug little pot of about 5000 on the
liable. at 1880 Travers opened the pot
Tor SlOo. Ilolcomi and Collins STAYED.
feel just as If ! was going to win
mat pot, said Rawson. writing some
figures on piece of paper and throwing
y on the center Of the table with what
money he had left. I'm shy $50. boys.
out | guess I'm good for t.
Your check is as rood as your
money, said Travers. ,
Every Bit said Holcomb and Col
Inns. my WI
but you'll never catch that train |
remarked Travers.
by thunder!' explained Rawson. 4
iorgot all about that lie looked NJ his I
watch and found that he had three
minutes in which to get to the station ,
. lheres no use trying to make II nov, !
oe SAID. they'll have to postpone the ,
.""eudinR. III telegraph that I've missed )
'0s valn.' Al ll:45 a messenger was