Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-08-04
A DEAD GAME SPORT.

All Sadleryille specialized upon Buck
Bradley's future and not favorably. Sad
leryille was the postoffce of a farmer
community, and the ordinary run of local
events was not sufficient to divert the
inhabitants from pretty liberal discus
sion of the affairs of their neighbors.
Farmer Josiah Bradley had two sons
and two daughters. The eldest son.
Abram. and the daughters, were hard
working and thrifty, as their parents had
always been.
Buck, so called after President Bu-
chanan, had a decided turn for sports,
and while he did not shirk the share of
the farm work that fell to his lot, he did
little IN that vocation with enthusiasm.
The little spending money that came
into his hands he would risk on a game
OF cards or quickly take up what he re-
garded as winning bet. In the main,
ais judgment was good, and for the
amount of capital in hand and the limited
opportunities to play 1t, he was quite sue
cessful.
1t was this fact that caused the Cos
sips Of the village store to predict that
MS gambling instincts were leading him
to ruin.
A horse fair in a neighboring county
gave Buck the chance for which he had
been waiting.
pacing races scheduled and while they
were not of very pretentious order
there was an opportunity to wager big
ger money than was ever exposed to
chance by anybody in Sadlerville.
Buck spent a week at the fair backing
ms Judgment as to proba BILE winners.
his luck did not desert him. and when
he returned to Sadleryille, it was known
that he had averaged as much as $50 a
Gay III winnings which was an astonish-
ing amount in that community for a
young man to get without working for it.
The incident, however, developed into a
scandal when on the following week he
went to a still more distant town where
racing was in progress.
1t became known that he was following
the horses through the circuit and the
villagers at Sadleryille united in an agree
ment that Buck Bradley, in harmony
with their previous predictions, had now
finally launched himself on the road to
perditiOn.
The occasional visits of Buck Bradley
to Sadlerville seemed to revive interest in
his probable future, which was often dis
cussed IN spirit bordering on jealousy.
Ills clothing bore evidence of good tailor
ing, and his manners had become those
of a man of the world.
Former associates whom he used to
beat easily at cards for small stakes could
now win from him without an effort, and
II DcSdA " udWu upon THEM CQaC ne IOSt
trlflng amounts out OF pure liberality,
and because he took no interest in play
except when it was heavy enough to COM
port With his advanced ideas as sport
On one occasion he lifted the veil slightly
by demonstrating to some of the players
what could be done by a professional in
running up a deck, slipping the cut, strip
ping and dealing seconds, to say nothing
of such mechanical devices as sleeve and
vest holdOutS and mirrors concealed in the
palm of the hand.
After these revelations Sadlerville re-
garded him as the greatest poker expert
that had ever been developed.
Farmer Josiah Bradley was taken sud-
denly i'll and the members of the family
were summoned to his bedside Medical
skill was of nc avail, and he passed
away, his last admonition being that,
despite his wild ways, he wanted the
others TO care for Buck if he should ever
be in need.
Buck himself arrived in time for the
funeral, and the minister requested him
not to depart until the will was read.
This document was soon forthcoming.
1t divided the real estate and personal
property between the elder son and the
two daughters. An amount equivalent
to that wiiled to each of these heirs was
reserved IN cash for Buck
This bequeSt, however. was conditional
on the proposition that Buck should per-
manently give up gaming in every form,
and, in evidence of good faith in case he
accepted, he was TO undertake a period
of probation for two years At the end
of that time the money was to be turned
over to Buck by the family pastor pro-
yided the latter was convinced that
Buck had not turned a card or placed a
wager.
The proposition was accordingly put to
Buck by the family pastor, the Rev
Duncan Smith, and he received a char