Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-24
HE ENCELLED In THIS.
Stories of Senator Harris and His
Fancy for Poker.

Fancy for Poker.
From the st. Louis Republic.
The best poker player Tennessee ever
developed is dead" said Major A. l.. Tread
way of Memphis at the Planters. Il refer
to Senator lsham Green Harris. who died
at Washington Thursday. 1 knew the old
statesman. intimately for more than forty
years. and 1 never heard Of his getting up
| from poker game a cent loser. He loved
the great American game as much as he
| loved politics. Few evenings slipped by
during the last forty years when he didn't
| indulge his fondness for the sport IL II was
| at all possible 10 make up a game. He
never played for high stakes; IS cents was
| usually the limit of his games and he was
never known TO go over 50 cents. He used
| to declare that poker was essentially a
gentleman's game. but that when IL was
played for high stakes too severe a strain
was put on gentilty for the good OF both
the players and the game.
Senator Harris. you know, looked more
like Chinese mandarin than a Caucasian.
and he seemed to be proud OF II. 1t was
probably his wonderfully immobile face
that made him such a successful poker
! player. / have watched him by the hour
while playing, and 1 never once the
least change of expression on his face.
When he was last elected to the Senate in
January, 1S6, the opposition made a big
demonstration TO Brighten him. He hurried
personal direction Of his forces. The pa
pers said so much about the fight being
made on him that i became frightened,
quit my business and went up to Nashville
to help him out. When 1 arrived there L
hurried to his room in the Maxwell House
and found him playing poker. I tried to
get him TO quit the game long enough to
tell me what the situation was so I could
proceed inteligently and with some sys-
TEN. He dismissed me rather CURLY with
the assurance that he would see me in two
hours. When the two hours were up /
Went back to his room, and he was opening
Jackpots with the same interest he dis
played at first. / sat behind him and told
HIM of what appeared 10 me to be some
dangerous inroads the opposition We're
making on him and urged him with all the
force at my command 10 get to work and
cbeckmate his enemies.
Finally he turned on me impatiently and
said: 'Treadway, these fellows are the best
poker players L have run up against since
the war, and i would not quit this game
wftle l am loser TO be sent back TO the
United States Senate How much are YOU
loser?' inquired. The senator counted his
chips carefully, and then said I am 30
cents behind now and was only - cents be-
hind when you came back. You have
bothered me much with your talk that
L haven't been able to keep up with the
game as 1 ought to. The sooner you get
out of here the sooner I'll get even. Then
III see what my enemies are doing
The game went all that night With
out interruption, and il was Nearly freak
fast time before the senator got even. He
showed up In the dining room, looking as
fresh and vigorous as IL he had had a good
nights rest, and devoted the entire day TO
strengthening out the senatorial tangle. At
night he got the same party in his room
again. and they resumed their game with
the eagerness of gamblers playing for high
stakes. L learned afterward that during
the entire series of games not as much as
- changed hands"