The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-19
POKER ON THE TRAIN
~ OLD CONDUCTOR TALKS OF THE
ttAlCYON DAYS ON THE ROAD.


Couldn't Lose-Ths Game In Which Jeu
cay Jerry-s -Four Aces Were Beaten b
Uncle Joe Rsddy. the Old Drover.
Twas q conductor on a trunk line rail
road In the flush days that Immediately
preceded the close of the war and prevail
cd for a few years after the close ha,
been on the road but week or two an,
was not yet acquainted with all its pa
irons. In going through the train collect
ing fares this day speak of I came {,
four passengers who were absorbed In
game Of poker. newspaper spread OF
their laps to play on.
Fares please" said.
People didn't bother much about buyins
tickets In those days, and large proper
tion of the fares were paid on the trains
Three of the men handed over their mon
ey. The fourth, who seemed somewhat
excited, said:
Conductor, can't you come round a
little later9"
told him I must have his fare then and
there He looked at his companions, hesi-
tated moment and then said:
"win you let me take little rake of
for my fare, fellowsf"
They declined to do 30.
"Conductor, said he, holding up a
handful of gun wads, "them stands for all
the money got. I'm goin to bet 'em on
this here hand, and the mischief Of it Is
III have to call before I've done 1t justice.
This Is the hand"
He passed IL up to me, shielding it care
fully from all other eyes. 1t was four aces.
j became interested at once ] had $50 In
my pocket i reached in and took out $40
and handed 1t to the holder of the big
hand.
$50 ahead" said I. ."Bet that on it
too"
He Ad so. Two of the other players
dropped out The fourth staid, and I
passed my remaining $40 to the man with
the four aces. That was my pile, and he
had to call He hated to, he said, aud I
hated to have him do It, with hand like
that, but there was no help for IL. He call
ed. The other man showed down straight
flush He got my money and the money
of the man I backed, and hadn't even
got the mans fare. I stopped the train
and put him off, and that was all the sat-
isfaction got out of It. The next station
was the end OF my run. That same even
ing saw the man had backed and put
OF the train and his three companions
board an east bound train.
"Do you know any Of those chapsi" I
asked the station agent.
"Know 'emP' he replied. "Rather.
They re four Of the slipperiest card sharps
ON the line Of the r., G. and W."
They had initiated me; that was all
A great many drovers travelled on the
railroad during the war. They carried
plenty Of money and were generally easy
and profitable game for the professional
card players Some of the drovers, though,
had the reputation of being very handy
with cards themselves and Dragged of it.
] used TO hear of Uncle Joe Reddy, Big Ike
Eloat and others as among the quick wit.
ted dfovers who were said to be able to
take care Of themselves against the tricks
OF the sharpera One day noticed among
my passengers a noted card sharp, known
fsmiliarly as Jersey Jerry. At a way sta
tion little old man, gray and wrinkled,
but still active and spry, got aboard the
train. He was very loquacious old gen.
sleman and gave me the impression that
he had been indulging overmuch i'm apple
jack that being a belt Of country famous
SO. 10. that insinuating and lingering tipple
He talked to eyeTy bo1y within hearing
and finally expressed Willingness to play
any one game Of old sledge for q quarter
q corner. Nobody paid any attention to
the garrulous old fellow for long time,
and then Jersey Jerry began to take an in
terest In him. This surprised me, as the
old man seemed to me to be rather small
game for that farreaching individual. At
any rate, before long Jerry was busy play
ing him old sledge for a quarter a corner,
and the old man was winning every game,
much to his apparent delight, and In the
process Of putting away and producing his
stakes he displayed wallet the plethora
of which explained the interest Jersey Jer.
~ was manifesting in him.
After awhile, In going through the
train, noticed that the game had changed
to poker and that Jerry had evidently led
his intended victim aiong until they were
playing pretty stiff game, but the old
man was winning, and he was elated be-
yond measure and more garrulous than
ever. i stopped to watch the play. 1t was
Jerry's deal. knew somehow that now
he had worked up to his game and that
the climax was at hand. felt sorry for
the old man, but 1t was not my affair. He
had paraded himself too much anyhow
As Jerry tossed bis opponents cards to
him l caught glance Of each and would
have sworn that four of them were kings
The old man took them up cautiously and
held them close. He seemed to gloat over
the possession Of them. He drew no cards
Jerry drew one Then they began to bet
The old man was game, and came back at
Jerry without quaver. Four kings was
tremendous hand, but knew that Jer-
sey Jerry had given himself better one as
well as l knew was there. BY and by
there was more than 5000 In the pot, and
the old man seemed satisfied He called.
What "a ye got, ye young smartyi" he
said
-Four aces, pop" said Jerry. "That's
ALL"
"Ye haint got enough on 'em, Jerry"
exclaimed the old man, and Jerry started
TO hear his name called "Ye hain't pot
enough on 'em, cause got five on 'em
myself"
And the old man. with a grin that
meant great deal and look in his ewes
that meant great deal more, spread five
Aces on the newspaper they were playing
on and coolly raked the money in and