The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-14
POKER WRECKED A BANK
Four Men Who Played for Cash
Only.
A BANK AGAINST A BANK
The Great Old Game as IL Was
Played When John Love. Colonel
Reed. Lucky Sanders and
Plugger Jos Got at II.

when John Love. Colonel Reed. Lucky
sanders and Plugger Joe struck the
mining camp. two months before. vas
on. The ''parlor' of the Reno hotel,
with its side door opening into the par.
was the scene of the contest. More
than a thousand times the little old
marble top table had been fairly cover
ed with greenbacks. silver and gold.
while seated around it prosperous min
ers. like these four, had battled with
Dame Fortune.
John Love had come TO Reno from
the East. Big. jolly and good natured,
he was the brunt Of all the jokes the
horde of miners in the hotel could con-
ceive. But he was a poker player.
With five cards in his hands and a
high stack of yellows and blues, he
would back his judgment until the last
check had passed INTO the hands Of his
a~dversaries and the last dollar from
his pocket. These four played for cash
only.
Put you papah in the stove. Gen
tlemen nevah ask faVors In 4 gentle
meme pokah game" Colonel Reed rad
frequently observed when paper was
offered In lieu Of cash. And the colo lel
was a poker player also. He played
with a calm elaboration which threw
his companions entirely OF guard.
Lucky Sanders. so called because Of
his good fortune at poker. his first
name never having been known to his
companions. was a quick player. A
glance at his five cards and draw set
tied IL with him.
Plugger Jones had acquired his
Christian name because Of his anxiety
To spend all of his waking hours at
the Reno hotel poker table. When
Plugger got up In the morning his FIRST
act was to low tn some n that he
"would'nt mind sitt,n' n" lie rarely
failed to have a quorum seated about
the marble top table before the dinner
bell was heard. Ii was so ON this oc-
casion. and Love and the colonel SEEM
ed to a all the luck. Thus the game
ran until Lucky and Plugger say
their piles Of checks each representing
800 disappear one after the other.
Lucky was dealing, and he asked
Plugger, who sat at his right. To cut
the cards.
"Shucks. Go on. I'll see II can't
dpp on somethin' without cuttin'." he
sad.
ThA p~asteboards were dealt without
the cut. h colonel. as usual. was
in calm elaboration after picking up
his hand. Jones seemed suddenly to
become serious. and threw his cards
into the discards with an oath. Lucky
peeked at his just as Love covered
the colonel's ante with "A $50 raise.
Lucky's cards followed Plugger's into
the deck. But the colonel came back
al love with a $50 raise. Love looked
again and raised the pot another $50.
The colonel met the raise and called for
two cards.
"You'uns are up against t'other now.
! guess" Lucky remarked. owe stood
pat and bet 500. The colonel studied
the cards a minute n raised 800.
owe raised 800 more. So did the coll
onel. Plugger nearly fell from his chair
when Love made another SlG0 raise.
and suggested hat the limit he drap-
ped" The colonel agreed and began
to count his pile. 'Seven for;y-three."
he said. as he pushed 1t into the center
Of the table.
Here's -four sc~venty-nine. An got
here. III write you an I. -. a. Love
said. pushing his pile into the mass Of
greenbacks and gold.
mo gentleman would offlh papah."
the colonel said. as he had under sim
liar circumstances a thousand times
before.
The remark seemed to anger Love.
'Plugger. burn up all the cards but
our hands" he ordered. and PlugSer
gathered up the discards and deck and
threw them into the open stove.
Colonel, l propose To see them cards
of yourn. Will trust me ON ihe
honor ~ a gentleman to leave the
room for more money? Write your
name on the back Of each card"
The colonel did as requested and
passed over his hand face downward
for Love to mark. Then Love left the
room. He bent his footsteps toward
the larger OF the two banks OF Reno.
At the doorway he encountered the
president OF h institution, George
Thomas. Pulling his cards from mis-
pocket he laid them before Thomas
and said:
George. me and the colonel is ago
in IL. What's them WORTH"
Thomas eyes fairly stood out OF their
sockets as he surveyed the paste
boards. 'Them's with the whole shee-
bang" he replied.
\ few minutes later Thomas. with
his pockets bullying. accompanied Love
To the Reno hotel parlor.
Colonel. his gentleman sees yo'
ra'se and raises YOU a thousand Love
said. laying a stack OF bills ON the
table with the heap Of Greenbacks and
gold.
The colonel glanced at Thomas.
Wait 10 minutes. No gentleman
would ofah papah.' he said. and he
forthwith disappeared from the room.
He walked around the corner Of the
hotel to the second bank Of Reno. Step
ping to the cashiers window he asked
for Bill" Dawson. the owner NJ the
institution. Bin came around the par
tit'on
bill. look at these an tell me what
yo' think they Is wuth."
\ glance suficed BIN. Holy max
and grasshoppers.' he said. Colonel,
them is worth every cent i'm the bank
Two minutes later Bin Dawson and
the colonel appeared al the hotel utr-
lor. Dawson saw Thomas and nudgei
the colonel. The w bankers glared a;
each other. hut neither spoke.
See you and raise you 5000 the
colonel said. laying a pile or bills IN
h heap.
by this time the new OF the fierce
-. - $500 AkANuW naHn1