The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1897-01-29

1-ssoArS 11ne 20 6Aa5-S0WeVers He Join
ed the Party For Two Evenings and Sold
Ont His Grocery store.
81 saw a story IN a paper recently, {"
said ga old sport at WilIard's the other
day, which told how two slick stran-
gers from the Windy City MIXED a
poker game IN an Indians town and got
away with all the money in it. That
reminds me of another story of the same
order.
I'm the town Of New Harmony are
located number of gentlemen Of great
taste and considerable means. For
years the mai1ztay Of this crowd was
playing eachre and whist, bat this was
finally changed by the arrival Of two
characters who organised and taught a
class In poker The first of these was
the son CT a Frenchmaa, who lived on
- island down the river. His father
was worth in the neighborhood of $780,
600 or $500. 600. and he kept his boy
well supplied with money.
"Well, this progressive youth organ
lied poker game in the peaceful vii
lage Of New Harmony. There were
about six IN the party, and it wes their
custom once a week or mere to meet ct
the hotel and indulge in a friendly,
quiet game. but one where the only
limit was the beautiful blue sky. Tho
Frenchnan played game of bluff from
start to finish. Re would pike along in
the pots until some one thought he had
. fair hand and would open for few
hundred dollars, when the Frenchman
would shove from 81, 600 to So, OOO dol
lars into the pot before the draw, and
nine times out Of ten the other man
would have to go to the pack
There was another player in the
game, the hotel keeper, who was also
after the spuds. He. was the only che
who ceuld beat the Frenchman. Time
after time the latter would push in his
roll and send the hotel keeper TO the
pack. But once in awhile the latter
would catch his antagonist mapping and
would come back at him with another
raise, getting back in one pot all he
had lost during the remainder of the
evening.
lone spring day well dressed, quiet
looking man drifted into town and put
up at the hotel In the course of time
he was introduced to all the crowd
about the hotel, and they found him a
most ocngenial companion. He was only
moderate driEker, but liked to gather
a crowd around him and smoke and tell
stories. After a week Of this he told the
boys that he intended to locate there
and open a fancy grocery store He
went away for q. few days, and when he
returned he opened up near the hotel
Such a store as he opened had never
hsen seen Ia the place prior TO this time.
He kept imported pickles. canned
shrimps, fine cheeses and everything on
that order, supplemented with a stock
Of the choicest wines, liquors and cigars
Owing to his congenial habits his store
soon became the loafng place Of the
poker playing crowd, and they often
gathered there Of an evening 20 listen
70 his stories and to drink and smoke
-1Iany invitations were extended TO the
cuics man OF business to take hand In
the game, but he invariably replied that
he knew nothing about playing poker.
he had. he admitted. played the game
and liked it pretty well. but he would
say: You boys have nothing TO do to-
morrow and can afford to stay up all
night If you want to l have my bust
ness to attend to ard must get around
early to cpen up.
lone night, however, when the crowd
had been drinking more than usual aud
were feeling particularly good, they re-
fused to take any excuse and insisted
that he must go in with them. He had
been drinking himself, and he finally
consented TO go to the hotel and take
hand for awhile In the game the
Frenchman played his same old tricks.
Every time the storekeeper would poke
his head out of his hole the Frenehman
was waiting for him with q club and
hit him hard The game broke up about
5 O'Clock IN tie morning, and it was
found that the storekeeper was out
about $4,000. Was he sore? Well,
should say he was He had told them,
he said, that he didn't want 10 play;
that ne couldn t play, and that he could
not afford TO lose the money. Finally
he said: i have been thinking for some
tine of putting q clerk IN charge ef my
store, and am going down 10 Louis
vile tomorrow 10 get one. Then | will
have more fine to play with you boys.
True to his wcrd, he went 10 Louisville.
and several days later a man came up
and went to work IL the store Now.
said lie. / ssEn ready for game tonight,
and warn ycu an going "a bring a
pile of aancy with me. / an deter
mined TO WIN back what / lost or Lose
ali that | have left. which Is consider /
able Vel, the gang felt soITy Tor him
Ee was a coed fellow, they admitted,
but lie had no business playing roker- !