Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-18
NERVE THAT HELD FAST.
Two Specimens in an Old Poker
Players Experience
A kentucky Colonefs Lucky
Wagers Of $1,000 on a Pair OF
Sixes-Four Jacks Against -FOUR
Kings in a Burning Building


KINGS in a Burning Building.
"There were some pretty stin poker
PLAYERS around Trenton in the early
DAYS" said an old settler the other day
in q discussion Of the merits and de-
merits Of the great American game
"A fellow could get about any KIND Oh
game that he wanted in those days,
from a dollar limit up to the extent OIL
his nile and he didn't have to look
very long for it.
"One Of the neryiest players tha'
ever put his legs under the table was
Watt Williams. Of Cape May county
Watt was interested in the oyster ousl-
ness and always carried a roll oil ollls
in his inside pocket as big as your arm
and he didn't keep 1t idle elther. ne
would make it fly when ne gos s'attec y
and for that reason fellows VINO olun
have much money TO trayel on huns
pretty close to Watt whenever ne
Showed I'D in Trenton, when was as
regular as the legislature sat.
SHe wOuld come up the second week
Of the session. and never leave Till the
LEGISLATORS went home. Ii was his an
maj nicnic and he enjoyed 1t from
srort m finish. AS l was saying, Watt
was a poker player, and when he got
inrO a came ne had 1t understood pc
fore the cards were dealt that there
MS no limit TO stand in the way OF a
mans winning something worth talk
inc about when he had the cards 20 do
Il with. 49,
when a fellow struck town that
wanted TO get into a good, sim game
he began to inquire for Watt, ana ne
was pretty easily located as a general
thing / remember that Watt once
ran IN against a man who had just as
much nerve as he had. That man was
THOMPSON, Colonel Thompson. tie
hailed from Kentucky, seemed TO have
an the money that he wanted and was
a pretty good fellow. He was mere
when the legislature sat, and had
made a good many friends aIaoag Hle
Trenton fellows who found out MS
mettle at the card table, ana concluued
10 introduce him TO Watt WlIlans
Just as soon as Watt showed up.
THE second week Watt came up,
and in less than five hours he mad met
Col. Thompson. The TWO men dldn |
get together over the cards Tor a week
one night they came together ID d
North Warren street restaurant anu
while eating. got to discussing cards.
and one thing and another. Alter
awhile somebody suggested that the
marty 20 to a hotel and have hand az
poker. Ii was agreed, and in snort
time there was game going al Iu!I
blast. and Watt Williams and Col.
THOMPSON were in it up TO their eyes.
THOMPSON was having big run OF
luck. He was tapping everybody
pile right along, ana Watt showed LnaI
he wasa't enjoying the way the eards
were running worth cent. AIIer
awhile everybody dropped out Oh a GER
tain hand except Watt and The colonel.
Watt drew two cards and me cOloneI
AtOOk three. os...
, .. reckon said the colonel, AFTER
looklng,SstS cards over, that car rlsA
S5aA-es hand, and he shovel me
obips mo the center Of the table
s-'Pu raise that $500, says WaJt, as
be dropped chips and money worth
81, 900 on the pile in the center OF the
able
I'm in now and reckon III have
20 stay said the colonel Y IL see your
5000 and raise it S1,00e. He counted
put $1,000 and tossed The bills on the
pile before him.
The men Who were looking over the
PlayerSsCsd SHOULDERS began to get inter-
ssteE. but they were mighty careful 10
Rake no break that would give the
AOf the players away. But the
Isl 600 didn't feaZe Watt. He
als down on the table and
his pocket for his roll.
he bills over and says:
bust $500 here. III play
ew the bills down and
twisted his mustache,
ON his cards TO the pile OF
nd then at Watt who sat tilted
his chair, with mis- thumbs IN
nholes OF his vest and his eyes
bn the ceiling.
cost me $500 to play, won't
Says Thompson.
That'u call me- replied Watt.
will YOU take a check for that
nount? asked the colonel, cycling
Vatt as a cat watches a mouse.
ed rather not says Watt leaning
on the table with a peculiar look on his
face. 4 don't want you to think,
colonel. that 1 have any doubt about
your check being good, but I've always
made it a rule never to take checks
when playing poker. I'd rather have
the cash
"T guss I've got it, says Thomp-
Son. pulling a roll of bills out Of his
pocket III call YOU
"He laid $3.50 on the table. Watt
spread his cards out and he had pair
OF fours. I've only got skies says the
colonel, throwing down his cards, but
they're as good as gold. 1 wouldn't
ha' called you. Williams, if you hadn't
refused to take a check. You knew
that my check was as good as cash, and
I concluded you were blufing. and
wanted to force me out Of the game in
that way. / made up my mind
wouldn't be forced that way
THAT pot cleared the colonel about
5000. and if you ever saw champagne
run in streams in your life you can
imagine how things looked in that
room an hour after the colonel laid
down his pair of skies.
THAT was one kind Of nerve" said
the old settler, biting off the end Of a
fresh cigar. but it wasn't the kind that
I saw shown once away back in the
winter OF 1850 In those days there was
a fellow who lived down in Atlantic
county, John Staples. He was all the
time trying to get into poker game,
and he never had much trouble finding
somebody to accommodate him, be-