The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-01

A PAGE FROM THE uNwRITTEN HIS
TORY OF A UNIVERSITY.

Young Man Who Kept Step With His
Not Brilliant Autecedents.
"Talking about poker" said q mid
die aged man to coterie at Chamber
Inns reminds me Of something that
occurred about 90 years ago at the Uni
versity of Virginia. That was about the
liyeliest epoch in the history of the
university since the war, or for that
matter of that before it, when the life
led by the students is taken into con-
sideration. There was big crowd of
devil may care young men there, most
of them with plenty of money. and
they made Charlottesville and sur
rounding Albemarle fairly hum. These
kindred spirits formed a society which
took the name of Eli Bananas.
Here the speaker smiled at evidently
amusing "reminiscences. "There is no
telling what the Eli Bananas didn't
do. For the quintessence of mischief
and devilment they took the laurels.
There was nothing downright bad about
them, but their antics were awful. Fan
tastio were the tricks they played and
grotesque their jokes. Between freaks
customary down there for the players
TO assemble at this or that Students
room. That brings me to my story. One
coterie of poker players comprised sons
of some of the best known and wealth.
est men in the south, and into it was
introduced a young Virginian who was
gifted with many attractive traits appar-
emily, but whose antecedents were not
particularly brilliant. I'll call him Dick
Lurk, but that wasn't his name
"Most of the other fellows in the CO.
terie had roommates who were boning
up for the final examinations. 1t was
we'll along in the spring, and Lurk had
quarters to himself on East Lawn. Con-
sequently the poker began to be played
exclusively in his room. When the
evening seemed propitious, the word
would be passed around at supper that
three Kentuck' would be in order, and
at 8 o'clock or thereabout the players
would assemble at Turks. Turks luck
was stupendous. He won steadily, and
as the game was pretty stiff his win
nings were substantial. 1t was noticed
after awhile that he always passed out
when somebody had a particularly big
hand on somebody else's DEAL but that
he always held a top hand when there
were big ones out against each other on
his own deal. Then somebody noticed
that the seals were always broken on
the half dozen new decks Of cards pro-
vided each night before the game began
and that Lurk in dealing always closely
scrutinized the cards as he gave them
out.
"At last one night the son OF IA
nous Confederate general who now
lives in Baltimore became convinced
that Lurk was cheating. Picking up the
deck that Lurk had just dealt and out
Of which he had got hand with four
queens against an ace full held by
young Kentuckian the young man said
quietly:
"'Some one is cheating at this game.
and, Lurk, think it's you.
"Now, at the University Of Virginia
such q declaration, if improved, meant
somebody's death to certainty, and in
an instant the party was on its feet.
"'Just wait q minute, gentlemen
said the accuser quietly. I've been
watching this man. Let some one exam
inc the backs of these cards with this
magnifying glass;
"The Kentuokian took the glass and
closely scanned the geometrical designs
on the backs of the cards.
BY CesarP he calculated. Every
court card is distinctly markedp Exam
ination by the other players quickly
proved the truth Of this.
"There was consultation over what
should be done with Lurk, who stood
with head hung down, overwhelmed
with the proof against him. 1t was de-
cided that he was not worth calling out.
as he was not gentleman, and the YER
dict was that he should make restitu-
tion of all the money he had won since
his participation in the game and suffer
ostraoism in the university. He was
compelled to sit down and write out q
check for all tho money he had won,
the memorandum books OF the other
players showing the amounts they had
lost at various times, and he was kept
under surveillance until the Charlottes'
Vile bank, in which he kept heavy
account, opened next morning. One OF
the party rode down to charlottesville
and cashed the check, and then the SEN
tence of ostracism went into effect
"That fellow had the unheard OF Ell
frontery to remain at the university un'
til the finals were completed. he was
there six weeks. No student or professor
or servant or townsman, no man or wo'
man. white or black, spoke to him OF
took any notice of him. He attended the
final balls, and no one recognized him.
He was not quizzed in lecture room OF
addressed by professor. Still he re-
manned until the university closed fol
the season, but he might as well have
been in the middle of the Sahara deser'
so far as intercourse with people wai
concerned. Washington Star.
Imported.