The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-03
POKER ON THE TRAIN
AN OLD CONDUCTOR TALKS OF THE
HAlcYON DAYS ON THE ROAD.

| Couldn't Lose-The Game In Which DER
sey Jerry's Four Aces Were Beaten b.
Uncle Joe Reddy, the Old Drover.
was conductor on trunk line rail
road i'm the flush days that Immediately
preceded the close of the war and prevail
! ed for few years after the close. l hat
| been on the road but a week or two anG
was not yet acquainted with all its pa
irons. In going through the train collect
ing fares this Gay | speak of l came tc
four passengers who were absorbed in q
game of poker, a newspaper spread on
their laps to play on.
Fares, please" l said.
People didn't bother much about buying
tickets In those days, and large proper.
ton 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 laterS'
told him must have his fare then and
there He looked at his companions, hest
tated a moment and then said:
"Will you let me take little rake of
for my fare, fellowss'
Conductor said he, holding up a
handful of gun wads, "them stands for all
the money l 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 it up to me, shielding 1t care
fully from all other eyes. 1t was four aces.
i became interested at once. l had $50 in
my pocket / reached In and took out $50
and handed it to the holder of the big
hand
$50 ahead" said 1. "Bet that on it
too.
He did so. Two of the other players
dropped out. The fourth staid, and l
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, and l
hated to have him do it, with hand like
that, but there was no help for it. He call
ed. The other man showed down a straight
flush. He got my money and the money
of the man l backed, and hadn't even
got the mans fare. / 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 i had backed and put
off the train and his three companions
board an east bound train.
-a'Do you know any of those chaps?"
asked the station agent
"Know emp he replied. "Rather.
They re four of the slipperiest card sharps
on the line Of the F., 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 J
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 |
Sloat and others as among the quick wit
ted drovers who were said TO be able to !
take care of themselves against the tricks |
of the sharpers One day l noticed among
my passengers noted card sharp, known 1
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 IA very loquacious old gen.
tleman and gave me the impression that
he had been INDUCING overmuoh in apple
jack, that being "A belt Of country famous
for that insinuating and lingering tipple.
He talked to everybody within hearing
and finally expressed a willingness TO play
any one game of old sledge for quarter
a 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-
ry was manifesting in him.
After awhile, in going through the
train, l noticed that the game had changed
to poker and that Jerry had evidently led
his intended victim along until they were
playing a pretty stiff game, but the old
man was winning, and he was elated be-
You'd measure and more garrulous than
ever. / stopped to watch the play 1t was
Jerry's deal. l 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 it was not my affair He
had paraded himself too much anyhow.
AS Jerry tossed his opponents cards to
him 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 DO cards.
Jerry drew one. Then they began to bet.
The old man was game, and came back at
Jerry without quaver. -Four kings was
a tremendous hand, but l knew that Jer-
sey Jerry had given himself a better one as
well as l knew was there. BY and by
there was more than $500 in the pot, and
the old man seemed satisfied. He called
What "a ye got, ye young smartyS" he
said.
-Four aces, pop" said Jerry. That's
all.
aye hain't got enough on 'em, jerry"
exclaimed the old man, and Jerry started
to hear his name called. aye hain't got
enough on 'em, cause 1 got five on 'em
myself"
And the old man, with grin that
meant great deal and look in his eyes
that meant great deal more, spread five
aces on the newspaper they were playing
on and coolly raked the money in and
slowed 1t in his wallet To the. utter
amazement of myself and every oM else
who saw it Jerry got up without word
and went into the next car. The old man
only grinned the more, and in less than
five minutas WINS sound aelaeD In his cont