The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-20
POKER THEIR SALVATION
An THE MEN IN TOWN lose THEIR
MONEY 10 IHE PREACHER.
Then They Went to His Revival Meeting,
SO ms to BE as Near as Possible to
Their Late Capital.


life OF the Southwest" said the man
nom Arkansas. occurred 1T a little
mushroom town that sprang into life
about forty miles to the south Of Cam
den before the Iron Mountain railroad
was laid down in our Stete.
Everybody knew that a railroad was
going 10 be nuilt somewhere through that
region. and bands Of grangers from Tex
as and northern louisiana, as well as
river men from the Ouachita district, used
to travel about taking up claims and lay
ing out little villages, 50 as to sell out at
"a good round pront IN case they Wee in
luck enough to set in the way Of the rail-
road company.
There's nothing like the report Of
railroads going through TO start activity
i'm God-l0rsakcn district like that, aud
IL half the land schemes down there had
ever got any further than wind and Ia
per and a few cabins and tents the loss
10y food during the next spring freslots
would certainly have been appalling.
The Gown where Preacher Pellet made
his rema.i. t1lc crusade against poker and
cleaned tho entire male population out
OF money and wickeducss was about thu
most hopeful settlement Of this mush-
room class, and while IT lasted made
record for evil and good that wasn't app
preached ~ any other village in Arkae-
s-s.
After staS.ls out the home claims and
building a CIV cabins and hanging "A gen
eral store sign over the wagon that car
ried the prolsiJus. we didn't have any
thing To occupy the citizens time az FIRST
except TO sit around and speculate on
which would get TO town first, the rail-
road or the spring froshets.
Eventually time began 20 hang pretty
heavy on the corporations hands, and 1t
was the most natural thing in the world
that all the men took to playing poker
10 drive away the blues. For the same
reason the women took 10 religion.
There was only about 500 in cash in
the entire outfit, and the way that 500
circulated i'm that poker game was some
thing 10 arouse the envy Of Il bond SYM
dicate.
como day one man had most OF the 500
and the next day the money lodged in
somebody olse's clothes. and then for a
change the cards would run evenly ana
the coin would be distributed pretty
equally.
III got to be the secret ambition OF
every male inhabitant from the oldest
down TO the youngest % get hold OF ev-
cry one oil those 500 and have bis. seat
az the town meeting vacant the next
morning.
Every player at the game had been
brought up on poker and could cheat.
but q game Ike that Is apt 10 be pretty
square for one man is likely 10 be as
smart as another and afraid OF his neigh
Dor and the consequence ls that an Ar
kansas game among Arkansas people IS
generally on the dead level
The town ought 10 have erected
monument 90 those 500. for certainly cV-
erybody owed them a bis debt Of graft
tude for the time they killed for us while
we were waiting 90 hear something drh-
mite about that railroad.
They would certainly have been miss
ed II they had taken wings and departed.
and the chances are that the entire cole
ony would have gone 90 pursuit ot them,
without waiting 90 have ID swim away
in the spring washouts.
As &c was. they seemed 10 be perfect
ly meXhausuble. and every one OF them
opened more Jack-pOts and backed more
pairs and got away with more blun5 than
fifty times the amount has done I'D other
sessions OF poker at which have been
present
Meanwhile the women ia the colony
were about gs industrious in their rels-
ious exercises as their husbands and male
kin were over hfty-tw0 cards.
They built q platform near the gem
eral store wagon. about 300 yards from Tile
poker game. and testimony and hyma-
singing and cNhoriing went along Ike
q continuous performance. only there vas
a noticeable absence OF men from TIE
proceedings until Preacher Pellet came
on the scene.
"IIe was very tall and very thin and
as pale as if be had lived all bis nfe
in a cellar iIc had a decent. open sort
.tr fr... .af .IIl IA
he met You near the general store In the
morning that made the men rather lAe
what little they saw of him.
1.-THE women folks had got 10 he rath-
or tired of home talent al their meetings..
and the way he managed 10 rouse them
and put Jew life into their gatherings
was wonderful.
They began to beg Us TO just 30 over
and hear him. saying that ii we would
only put in an appearance be would do
the rest but of course We We're too busy
trying TO get hold of the 500.
Then he sent us messages asking MS
TO come to the platform for just one sun
day, and even went so far as 10 print
handbil with varnish brush and tack
10 mp on the general store wagon.
I'VE couldn't help admirins his grit
and the way he stuck to trying every
way TO get us. but nobody paid any at
tcnton, and We thought he would give
it up ass a bad job.
but he didn't.
cone night. after the meeting WAS over
he dropped i'm at the poker game, and,
without saying anything pulled out a
handful Of coin and sat down 10 the ta-
bic.
III there's anything ON earth more un-
popular down in Arkansas than man
from Missouri, its hypOcrite, and the
thought passed around the table like an
electric shock 10 get hold of Preacher
Pellets money and treat him TO a suit Of
tar and fathers and give him a ride out
OF the town on a tnOrn-apple rail after
the game was over.
The 500 happened 10 be about evenly
divided when he sat down, and we made
"a jack pot i'm his honor. Nobody opened
IL until the deal came around to him. He
took the cards l have seen magicians
do tricks with cards over and over again.
hut / never before or after saw anything
that could begin 10 touch that preacher.
Every one OF the nfty-two cards SEEM
al 10 recognize him. and know him, and
ind an Old friend in him the very mo-
mcnt he placed his hands On the deck.
The way they sizzled. and whistled,
ana Mapped. and spun. and darted in and
ont under those long. pale fingers of his
was enough 10 make a man dizzy.
You may be very sure that his neigh /
Dor on the right gave those cards q good
deep. careful cut before passing them
back 20 the preacher. who picked them /
mp again with a sort of on electric jerk. /
and began TO deal them SO fast they /
seemed 10 fV off rho mack of their own 7