The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-21
POKER FOR HIGH STAKES.
BOUT WITH CARD sHAHPERs
ON 4 MISSISSIPPI BOAT.

Part Taken by Woman In y Scheme 20
Fleece n Cotton Factor In the Ola Flush
DnSs-sIeight OF Hand which - Cattle
Man from Texas Used Against Gnmbiers.
II have always found IL hard TO believe the
stories used to read about tho luxury OF travel
and the magnilcence OF the appointments on tho
great Mississippi River steamboats," said the
gray haired IS Dung looking man In the club smok-
ing room. II seems to be the generally accepted
belief that forty years ago or so people went up
and down on the bosom OF the Father OF waters
in floating palaces. enjoying something Ike the
extreme OF sunptuous luxury. Maybe that Is
true. didn't travel tho rivor so long ago as
that, a nd OF course. I cant say what the condi-
ton OF things may may not have been when
wasn't there to see. What ] can say positively
Is that II II was true In those days. the war or
some other disturbing cause changed things very
materially before became rs familiar MS did
afterward with the river boats. Ny notion Is
that tho whole thing Is tradition. re't-
ing ON very little foundation excepting
comparison. The mere fact Of having q
statcroom to sleep III. with only one stranger rs
roommate. and n seat at n table with room Tor
q walter to pass behind you. served to mako
you think you were In luxury. because yon
hadn't CT perienced II before. And I imagine.
from what know OF q later period. that that
was about the oxtont of the luxury. Certainly
none Of the boats was over on. in tho eos and
'70s. compared with tho North River or the
Sound boats Of tho same time. And even those
would not seem very luxurious to travellers Of
the present day.
But there were good many stories tod
about the old time Mississippi boats that am
fully prepared to believe. That the game Of
poker iourished on tho river as It never has
elsewhere, before or since. seems entirely prob
able. have seen gamos that made me hold my
breath because OF the size of tho stakes, and
because OF the fact that knew tho players wcro
all armed, ana shot or q stab was certain to
follow n hnsty word or a suspicious act.
1T was on trip from Memphis to hatcher
that first saw n woman gamble in public. Tho
boat wasn't Gro v ded but there were perhaps fifty
passengers on board. and among them were siI
or eight ladies and this woman. That she was
n social outlaw was evident enough at n glance.
Not only were hor clothes OF q fashion too pro-
nounced for respectability and her jowelry too
ostentatious for daylight wear. but there was
q frank devilry In her eye. and defiant swing
almost n swagRer-in her carriage that told the
story all too plainly. Her behavior was correct
enough. She was. or seemed To be. travelling
alone. and che took tho somewhat too conscious
avoidance Of the ladies In perfectly good part,
pretending to be utterly unconscious OF II. and
ignoring them as completely as they did her
Neither did she Give any overt encouragement
to the efforts that some OF the men made to cul-
urats her acquaintance. il was evident that
while she took no pains to conceal her character.
she did not propose to make herself obnoxious.
Naturally every one was curious to know who
she was. and soon learned. as I supposed the
! other passengers all did. that she WAS notori-
Gus character In New Orleans. where she was
known Us Flash Kate What her business had
been In Memphis | did not hear. but n dozen
| tnIb - b,rr ~
cussedness, md among other things It was said
| that she was n confirmed gambler.
| After supper. tho fret evening We were on
| board, the tables Ia the main saloon were
| cleared. and, us II It were q matter OF course,
two games Of poker were soon In progress. II
was plain enough that two of tho men in tho
! game that watched at first were professionals,
but the game was small. and found no great
excitement In 1t. though II was, In a way, inter-
esting to notice how easily the others were being
neeced. firing. after n time. OF watching so
bold a fraud. sauntered over to the other table,
md found n very different game In progress.
I'm the first place. IL was n bigger game.
| They were playing table stakes. and each man
hal q wad OF green backs lying ALONGSIDE his
| chips. White chips were dollar. ana bets OF
ten or twenty at once wero common. There
| were several Thousand dollars IN sight and II
looked AS II any moment might bring on a
| struggle between hands that would draw dow n
| biz money. Then 1t did not take long for me ia
ds,ermine TIA. two OF !h s men s ia mi" game
table knew. He was cotton factor from
New Orleans. who had been IN the river on a
he and his partner had made to the planters.
He was yonny-not over 10, should say-but
speculator. and II did not seem surprising to see
| him at cards. The other two men-there were
so1ier 9Sn e"ad tell III tnn. rom ss IisrS
bearing without waiting to hear him addressed
as Major but an ex-soldi-r Of either army
might bs anything from n gam bier To ban
President. The other was nond-scrpt, There
dIdn't seem To be any points about him to dis
iingni' him from anybody else, but after
ward learned that lie was cattle dealer.
The game lasted far into the night. and was
what 10 my surprise. there WAS no very DIES.
prraie struggle over any single pot The hands
held. but no two unusual ones happened 70 he
held In the same deal So far ms l could sec, the
play was absolutely fair. and wondered a little
Later on understood It, They were laying the
foundation for tile second nights play. and
ting. Accordingly they did so. and ono pulled
out soon after midnight, saving with a laugh
serious extent. The other two were ahead.
forcsons conclusion that the gam. would i" Ss
renewed as II WAS. tho next evening. After
supper the i've seated themselves without loss
OF time. and the spectators stood. two deep
inside Of n few minutes. The clerk Of the boat
was banNcr. and fu 'nished the carl and sold
the chips. ns n matter OF courSe.
For half an hour or so there was no specia
play. hut tho lookrr..on were pat lent, and the
excitement grew with every deal II WAS III,
first time ever saw ladies look on at publ,
gambling, hut there we're three or four on bonrt
who walked In. holding their husbands arms
ard watched the proceedings with keen Inter
est. Presently, how"vrr. FLASH Kate Sam
tered Up alone. ami the ladies. seeing her, quietly
withdrew. She paid no attention To this. bu
stood apparently absorbed In the game, an,
cdgng forward from tim. to time TIL She stoDt
directly behind tho cotton factor.
Tho betting grew heavier The ante wa
made ten dollars Rni he bet was often fty. bu
still there wn- no contest between unusun
hands Weall knew IL was coming, though, AN,
noticed that three or tour ~ the men near IN
were breathing hard. Flash Rates eye
sparklrd like ~ SNAKES and her tips were parted
hut she was Nc silent "a W" all were. Even tn,
, players said nothing outside OF the Few word
the game called for.
, suddenly heard n sort of gasp from the ma
, next me. and at the same instant saw tho fel
low they called keens hold ont mn ace. II wa
cleverly done, and yet marveled at his nery
In tying such trick under so many watchin
eyes. He relied, Of course, OH his skill, whic
was really marvellous, but | had studied sue