Arizona republican., 1898-02-21
HOW THEY PLAYED.
Some Intellectual Giants Who En-
 joyed the Game of Draw"

Roscoe Conkling was as fond as the next man of little game of draw, and he was as charming poker an- tagonist as ever tried to fill an in-the- middle straight or bobbed to a flush. Conkling was unquestionably man of great natural hauteur, yet I have always believed and maintained that the somewhat arrogant and dcmineer- ing manner that he exhibited in pub lie, and that often caused him to be so thoroughly misunderstood, was more or less of a pose. The newspaper writers set him down and paraded him as an Ajax from the very beginning of his service in Washington and it suited Conkling's fancy, when he per ceived that it would be quite impos- sible for him to clear himself of this reputation, to study the part that he had Derforce to accept, and to portray it with consistence and elaboration throughout his public career. But in social life, in daily intercourse with men that he knew and liked, Conkling was a prince, and as gracious, gener- GUS and accomplished a price, too, as ever gained the affectionate esteem and admiration of his friends
 He liked, l say, to play poker, and during the last four or five years of his senatorial life he would drop in at John Chamberlin's occasionally while congress was in session to sit into a game there with friends. all of them prominent public men, who liked the mental stimulus and excitement of drawing cards, and who were always more than willing to engage in a game in which Conkling was one of the players-for the cultured intellect and well stored mind of the New York senator never shone more brightly nor more variously than during these memorable sessions ac tards with his friends. Quite often, these among us who were not fortunate, or unfortu- nate, enough to be swirlers in the vor- tex of public life would be invit9d to take hand at these delightful poker seances; and I. for one, possess TO more valued recollections than those that often recur to my mind of tha dozen or so occasions on which played draw poker with Roscoe Conk- ling sitting opposite to me.
 General Phi Sheridan was often one of the players at these meetings, and when General Sherman was living in Washington he, too. would occasional
  Chamber1in's was in progress and take hand. With Conkling and Sherman in the game, the talk at the poker table was good deal more interesting 10 some of us than the game itself, for both men would constantly exchange witty dabs at each other, and the oral sparring between these two remark able men was brilliant and entertain ing in the extreme. Their pOkes at each other were always perfectly good natured and harmless. Different as they were in profession and tempera- mert. Copkling and Sherman were ahout evenly matched in wit and their mastery of repartee, and both men seemed to find huge pleasure in prac- ticing on each other in their hours of relaxation. especially at these card meetings.
 "Conkling," said Sherman enc night to the New York senator when the game was in progress, that Hyp orion curl of yours may now assume an ada ed twist, the effect of woe, and that Hercules chest prepare to array itself in tunic of penitential sack-cloth- for I've got you licked. Full house. jacks upon eights," and Sherman spread his hand out on the table.
 Sherman" said Conk1ing a beatific smile f1ickering at the corners of his mouth, when you marched to the sea at that exceedingly theatrical period of your career, and reached the sea. had it not been better for you if you had kept right on marching, even to the point of complete and final sub mersion, thus to have spared yourself the modification of being thrashed right out of your boots at this epoch of your history by mere civil an? Four sevens," and Conkling raked in the pot with a flourish, grizzled "Old Tecump" chewing the butt of his ci gar thoughtfully.
 ''But Conkling played his hardest against General Sheridan. The two men were great chums and confidants. but when they got into a joker game together it was, of course, in good natured sort of way, give and take no quarter. When Sheridan was in the game Conkling simply devoted all of his study and skill to the task of beat ing the hero of Winchester, and, on the other hand, Little Phil" would pay hardly any attention at all to the other players, he was so eager to roast his friend Conkling. Very often the rest of us would, at sort or tacltly understood signal drop out, even when we had good, playable hands, just for the fun of seeing Conkling and Sheridan at each others throats.
 "Phil," said Conkling one night when he thought his hand was invin- cible, ''be advised. I have your in terest at heart. We all admire your historical and present rashness-but, aaf- ural aversion to pipe; if you proceed with me on this, you'll be compelled to smoke a pipe practically until your retirement. This time, you are not alone twenty miles away: you are 2O.- 900, 2O,OOO,O0O. miles in the distarce, and you really can't traverse the ground Call me"
 "Conkling," replied Little Phil" with those two red fighting spots of his burning brightly on his cheek bones. you're a stupendous buffer.