The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1897-02-06

Was played there away Ddck IN the AUS,
the principal features of which were a
series of strange deals and an enormous
jack pot, says correspondent of the ST.
Louis Globe-Democrat.
AS the neighborhood chroniclers tell it,
it happened in this way: In 1915 the pine
forests around Cedar lake were hunting
grounds for sportsmen from New
York and Philadelphia. Deer were
plentiful in those days and every
fall and winter Isaac Hob
ron, who kept tavern on the Egg Har-
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 shey
put in their time telling stories and play
ing cards in the big reception room Of the
tavern, and it is recorded that enough
money changed hands under the roof Of
the Hebron tavern, before fire swept it
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 stiffest 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 a real swift game Of poker if he
felt disposed any time that the Will
mington quartet happened to be around.
- One afternoon the four men got around
a 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 $1,000 in it was a com
mon thing.
Made Jack Pot.
The four men on this particular after
rn1a If-t1 l.
OF hours, occasionally slowing away
within themselves one of Hobron's fam
Gus apple jack toddies Finally the tod
dies llvened the men up and more ginger
was put into the game. But force it as
they did, it 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 SO
to the man who could win the pot.
Traverse passed the cards to Whtcomb,
who quickly dealt them. Nobody caught
openers and the pack went to Potter,
who 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:
L IL give you all openers, boys, so that
you can get a 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 or the table was a pile of bank notes
that made the spectators eyes water
Il never saw anything like that before"
said Potter, since 1 began to play cards.
These cards have been dealt A times and
nOhOnW oh IT,
jacks. 1t beats the d.
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 or the table
grew gradually and the crowd around the
players became more deeply interested.
The players worked till II o'clock. and
yet the jact pot had not been opened.
Il move that we adjourn for one hour"
said Potter; perhaps IT, we get away
from the table a little while our luckl
change"
The men agreed to take a rest for an
hour. The money in the pot was taken in
charge by Hebron. and the crowd was
treated to steaming toddies in rapid sue
cession by the four players.
Run of Hard Luck.
Il never saw cards run that way be-
fore in my life" said Traverse. Il think
the devils in EN-, 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"
Not 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,"
Whitconh and duncan tool tho sa,,,a
view of it that Potter did and it was
agreed that at l o'clock the game should
be resumed and it was.
The cards were dealt until 4 o'clock in
the morning and nobody had been able to
open the jack pot, which had now grown
to splendid proportions.
Inc crowd surrounding the players be-
came excited over the strange run of the
cards 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 toddies that it was
decided to lay the game over until
the afternoon, when it would be contin-
ued from the point where 1t was dropped.
The cards had been dealt 23S 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
OF the peculiar run of the cards had
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 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
mad last night" said he. wen see how
quick he can shift"
His satanic majesty appeared to be