The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-14
GAMES FOR QUEER STAKES.
MEN WHO lost THE CLOTHES p
THEIR BACKS.
In the streets OF This City-An Indians Loss
OF WIN. hoy and Every Garment. In n
Climbing PnLer llama In the Mcst.

81 never saw anything like that" said the
gray-haircd, youns.looking man in the club
smoking room, except once, and that was
among the Indians"
They had been talking OF practical jokes. As
some OF them were old enough to remember
Kcnward Philip. OF course they talked OF him..
and one man had told how Tody hamilton ono
night brought Philip to utter and complete dis
comAturc. Philip. as tho story goes. had played
some prank upon n friend Of Hnmilton's, which
had transcribed the limits. and Hamilton had
vowed vengeance.
The two met. one summer night, near Alder
man Lynch's place. and. after the usual clvilities.
fell to matching pennies. IL happened that luck
ran in a most astonishing way in Hanilton's
favor. Philip never could resist the fascination
Of any game of chance, and doubling the stakes
again and again, but losing Mt almost every turn,
he was soon pcnnilcss. Hamilton saw his chance
and took Philips money remorsclcssly, leaving
him without even his ferry fare though no knew
Philip lived In Brooklyn.
Philip proposed to play further. and put up
first HIS hat, then his coat, vest, shoes, nocktic,
and socks. Hamilton won them all. As each
article was lost Philip handed It over. and at tho
last he stood barefooted, with nothing on but
his shirt, undcrclothcs. and trousers, while
Hamilton had "A bundle OF second hand clothing
OF no earthly use to him. His resentment of
Philips i'll treatment OF the other man. however,
was enough to fill him with satisfaction when
the Joker, beaten for once at his own game,
started uncoinplainingly for home. 81 wouldn't
have done 1t TO anybody else on earth" Ilainil-
ton says when h. tells the story, hut IL was n
very slight punishment for what he had DONE
That was the story that called forth the re-
mark from the gray-hnired, young looking man
about Indians and blackberry jam.
yn, Jidn't knoNy thara aypr ,ypa m town huilt
with tho proceeds OF blackberry jam !" he asked.
"Why that's an old story. It's away up in the
northern part OF the Michigan peninsula, and
its called, or 1t was when | was there, Church's
Landing. Church was a Yankee whit went
West long ago TO seek his fortune, and happen
ing along toward the Straits OF Mackinac in tho
blackberry season, was amazed at the sight OF
the wild berries growing there. II was a wilder
ness then, but II was the most fertile kind OF n
Wilderness, and, better than that, 1t was right on
the shore OF the great natural waterway from
the West 10 the East.
Church had some moncy-not a great doal,
but enough to start with. lc also had Yankee
gumption. and best OF all, no had a wife with a
business head on her. Anybody else could have
done what ho did, providing no had had those
three things and had stumbled on just that OPP
portunity, but as II happened, he was the man.
What he did was TO embark In tho manufacture
OF blackberry jam, not by tho gallon, but by tho
hundreds OF hogshcads. You sec, his fruit cost
him nothing but tho gathering, for II was Uncle
Sans land until 1t n%fterward became Church's.
There were miles and miles OF II. all covered
with fine fruit. growing wild. And i It seemed as
II Providence had made spccial provision for tho
gathering. for there were great numbers OF the
most worthless Indians ] ever came across living
right there. and although those Indians would
IA tV,ppatrAna 1tt10 IN ~ a. thatnaelNna from
starvation, they would make their squaws and
children pick berries for just about IA little as
Church was willing TO pay them.
The result was. as | told you. that he built a
village with the proceeds OF blackberry jam, and
I, was no slouch OF n village. either, when l was
there. | should think it likely that II is n city
now; md "a make q small bet that Church
and his wife are still alive they own the whole
~ Il. There wCr" saw mills and yrist mills and
various shops and n general store there when I
water front: and steamboa,s -, | don't know how
many Dc 'h,m. carried freight between Church's
/ an u'Hcr plrc"s on the lakes.
"rh" Indians never did much except cat and
dl.un. Church traded with them some. nat
"hr,hcr Il was mora, or business, principle that
prevented him, J couldn't say. Bu' the dusky
yasahoufH would get liquor sometime and
! Gr'nk!n: until IL was all gone. I've seen three
or four ot thr,n lying dead drunk alongside of a
! discarded wDiskcy barrel that they had stolen
somewhere and taken to the waters edge. They
would POUR a few gallons Of water into It and
rTG1n, II ~ gr ang lri sIiii iha IN yna had weak y fro;, ,S and
would srt hOli OF the carcass Of any Kind Of an
animal They would sit down and eat until it was
] al conc. Perhaps they wouldn't eat again for "A
week. but they, would gorge themselves like
Lp,ynrds when They hnd food. u was then that
| formed my estimate Of Indian character, and |
never saw the noble rcd man OF tradition, there
/ or anywhere else.
no, WA" o yro9 tSor ,h" % u in '"H tHSv there her, was Vas
worse gamblers | ever saw any whore, and 1t was
there tha. saw the match 10 tho story OF Ken
81 suppose these Indians. like others. have
their own gambling games; which they played
before thcy acquired the white mans vices, but
stand poker, and that when two or three Of them
get together there is pretty certain TO be a pack
OF cards. never saw them use chips. Just
why they don't is not very clear, but i imagine
they can't appreciate the fact that counters may
bly,. TOO. they feel sure that no Indian would re;
deem chips with money in case he lost, even II
.hey We're to DO redoemed. Anyhow, they seem 10
prefer actual assets in tho pot.
When l was at Church's Landing It was to.
were a good many Of these tame avagcs around.
Tho squaws and children were thorc to work,
aud tho bucks wore there TO take their money
away from them AS fast ns they should get Il,
They had u sort OF camp. u little way out of the
villaEc-perhaps half a mile of. for Church
would not let them camp near by-and visitors,
when they had time, used to walk around the
camp from curiosity; The Indians seemed per
| l'NNl1 ~ Alll'A'l y Nv N'AHAihs NV Wv HNb
icCtcd To ~ long ~ the strangers did not neglect
to throw n few coins 10 The children. They would
sit. sInOkin:. eating, or drinking, ns calmly rs II
no one was ncpr, and even when they were play.
ing upkcr n did not disturb them 20 he watched.
"Vh, day was there two big bucks Were
having a gimo % cards, and probably n Dozen
~ her, were looking on. 1 heard a%ftcrward that
there was illlrrliuE bet w'cn ihgm, though not
enough to provoke biocdshri. and thar. both
hrius gamblers, II was n struggle for reputation
- we'll ~ gain. When | came up and Joined the
iOohcrs.On one OF tho two had just lost the last
Oi his money and had thrown his blanket on tho
ground for IN ante, for they played on the bare
ground, sIuatting on their launches. The other
player, who was the larger Of the two. dealt tho
tnrdN, and, after looking N his hand, threw in
h's own blanket withou! a word. Each drew
three cards, and the dealer, after looking again
put up 81 hill. The other man calmly pulled
or his hoes aud hid them beside the bill. II was
a call, and rhc pig man won with two small pair
In perhaps half p dozen deals more the
smaller man lost his hat, coat, shirt, and trou'
gnrs. and giving then, up ,tolidly as he lost, was
lott - naked ~ he WAS born, save for a brccch
ClOUt, which, 10 my NmrscIn"ut, | found he had
under his trousers. While this was going on
noticed that thry didn't play jack pots, hu; tha,
II the dGolcr didn't Xix" his cards he threw them
down. and the ngr man rev back his ante. And
! also noticoi that while the smaller man had
nothing but collateral to stake, the other seemed
pcrfOuily contcntcd 10 play Tor anything at all
hat nut t.t,ttinv ~, tt,npnN In tNrnfrrop,n 0,