The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-17
ms 500 SHIRT.
A Good Poker Yarn. and Two More Stories
OF the Gsreen Cloth.
From the Chicago Dailv Tribune.

from the Chicago DdiiD Tribune.
"Taltlng about expensive clothes,' said q
business man to a party OF friends the other
night. II wore q shirt once that was worth
500. / don't mean TO say IL cost any such
amount OF money, but II was worth $500 to
me, and | cashod Il In for Just that sum In
gold and greenba ks"
An incredulous smile went around. and some
stinging Inquiries were passed as TO what new
brand OF hop was on the market. but the
speaker never nlnched.
Crack away. boys" he continued. but
when / come to eX plain the matter you will
see that 1t Is really n simple affair. and some
thing which might happen to any man who
was similarly situated. One night In the fall
OF the Worries Fair ear a party OF six gentle
men. OF whom ] was one, was playing pukcr
In a hotel ON Dearborn street.. As the night
was warm aud the room small and close az
OF us threw OF our coats aud played In our
shirt sleeves. At first the game was light,
the ante being a dime and tho limit so cents.
IL was an all-night session, and late in the
evening the limit was raised TO So, and mouey
My. low the cards did run that night. I
have never had such luck since and can't
reasonably EXPECT a, repetition OF It. l would
stand u raise and draw four cards TO An a e
once | bad picked up my hand and found three
small cards and the ace and king OF clubs.
there was a fHt pot % right for 30 | came IN
draw Of three. at the same, time turning my
ace and king face up ON the table 81 all the
players could see them. The draw gave me
the queen. jack. and ten Of clubs. making a
rovai flush. There was number of strong
fours and a full. Everyday. OF course. played
me for holding an ordinary flush or a straight
and thought | was burning UP my money
when j kept meeting all raises. ] was too foxy
To do any OF the tlltlng myself. BY simply
meeting the raises II was easy to conceal the
other PLAYERS think I had got tangled up TO an
extent where u was imperative Ia, protect
Ing. When the play was over and the ha..ds
sho an down. what y howl there was. One
man, u good fellow and a clever card player.
BY the way. was 40 angry at what he called
fool LUCK that he tore up tho cards and
kicked his chair over.
I'm settling IN tho man nearest TO me reach
ed oyer and wrote On my shirt front his | OF
for his indebtedness The EXAMPLE was con-
~taGious, and the other PLAYERS followed him.
The game lasted several LoGrs longer, and as
my run OF luck held good and the losers CON
tinucd To write their ! q IS on my shirt that
garment WAS soon covered with valuable mem
Jranda. Al the close OF tho play the shirt bore
evideu a OF al Indebtedness OF 500 due me by
the five gentlemen with whom l had passed
1T was some days before any OF them gave
a sign OF settling. and how dI guard that
was fairly well liked financially and had a
safety deposit box IN the vaults under tine First
National Bank. The first thing | did when the
game broke up was tc put On q clean shirt and
lock the 500 garment carefully away in the
sSatt { 4. " hsd a |e time before Sns al OF the S SeS dsb MSrs
came TO tho onice TO settle | would take him
over to the safety dcpo.it vault. unlock tho
box. and erase the amount OF his pay inent from
the shirt. Nv the time the payments were al
made the shirt was In pretty bad condition. but
cleaning lime last spring. when u fresh do
nestle. ignorant OF its interesting history.
used u to scrub windows. and one OF the most
valuable shirts ever worn by mortal man thus
came to an ignohle end"
: That's a regular kokoloona," Grunted the
douhter OF the party. but then one does ex-
pericncc strange things AT the card table occn-
%sionally. l rememo Der ono night when Jack
HARDING, a sport known all over the country,
last goat. Jack had a v~aluab!" dog that he
s.'i wan SSr o. of rh THl'h w r. ,nSsSh La a. m much ,6 as
question, When his last cheek was taken in
the dog. saying; No supper TONIGHT, Old
fellow suddenly a bright idea struck him,
and he said to the dealer.
=" In Jack good for S10E
Sure thing answered the dealer. well
knowing the dog was cheap NJ that money, ard
that Jack would rustic hard to redeem him..
Pass him over
Tine dog was led to the rear Of the table and
was given $40 worth OF checks, lie could not
shake of his bad luck and was soon broke
,gatu, Jack put In n pretty tough niEht, revil-
Ing himself Tor letting tGe dog pass into tho
Gaze OF strangers, and was Unhappy until he
fortunately met u man the next day who staked
time he played In better form and went along
o~erefully accommodating n pile OF checks until
his share Of the winnings amounted to 500.
The dog. which was still ticI to the dealers
chair, seemed TO know the moment for his be-
ing taken on! OF n " hal arrived, for lust as
witch made up the $50 Nero set 10 a series OF
JOYFUL harks. and ms the debt was paid the dog
broke the string with which IL was fastened
and went bounding u the side of its Laster.
II was natural for the animal to want TO get
back int" the possession OF It's owner, but what
puzzles me Is how that dog knew Jack had
won enough TO take him out of pawn with. and
why lie lay qulet until the last check ,neces-
sary To make up the $50 had been Won"
Every faro dealer OF note IN the country has
ut some time had Little Dick" In hook for
$500 or more. lp the DAYS whcn, CONFIDENCE
men we're making hlg money working the rail.
way trains canada Iiill lad rs IA side partner
u dapper little fellO" named Dick Cody. II was
the fashion those times for the dudes TO carry
ed heads. These we're to SMALL for use as
walking stichs and were Intended for show
change. his clothes two and three times n day,
and always looked as II he had Just stopped
a trick" AS the robbery OF the innocen;s was
termed Cody would strike for the nearest large
city 70 have a good time, and this to his mind
q bout AT faro. lie was II careful, mcthOdical
little fellow, and ON reaching town would plant
only 5000 or $500 for his spree.
After his meal and wine he would march to
nono favorite faro, bank and tackle the tiger,
game closed or the dealer turned m the box.
II ne lost. as he generally did. Dick would be.
he always carried, and the dealer knew what
was coming. Handing over the cane Cody
would say In cool. natural manner, the sa No
Put Little Dick in for 5000. please"
And no dealer who vas on, 10 his job, ever
around promptly to take his cane out of pawn.
The stick Itself was not worth at the outside
mor", than $40. but .ody could go into any
Of $500 or any reasonable sum on It. II was
his way OF giving a promissory note for, the