The Van Buren press., 1898-01-29
Poker With Stevenson.
TIE N0yELtsT's INTRODUCTION TO
TIE CANE IN HAMAIL
se<<<se&s<s<<e<@<<<e&<<S
TIRNEB {. N0RTHRUP. q eaiifor


nia grape grower, who Taught Rob
sft Louis Stevenson how To play draw
poker. spent few days in Washington
presently, He IS . typical California
ranch owner in appearance. he sort Of
man that Stevenson indicated 3 liking
for IN many Of bis works.
- met Stevenson when / went down
TO the islands 70 look into the coffee
raising business ii Hawaii about eight
years ago," said NJ. Northrap. steven
sen nas then living With his family IN
comfortable frame house at waikiki,
. pretty suburb Of Honolulu. Every
day he would come into Honolulu in
= dssrepu&ableslooklng old top buggy
driven hy kanaka boy. On these oc-
easl0ns l-s aould dismiss bis eoaehman
for az hour of two and proal content
edaY through he streets Of Honolulu
lie would usually wind up these hours
by repairing 70 the docks. where be
would engage the Kanaka longshores-
men Il talk (he could speak their Lam
gaags psiI), and pick folklore sto-
sies ont Of them, treatin9 them geBer-
o9sly 20 their beloved ssH the while.
Comparatively short as steyenson's
residence was In Honolulu. suppose
be got 10 know more OF the KaDakas
sheFe end Was better liked by them
than many Of the whites who have
spent years IN the islands.
Il was down al the wharf one after
in, A Honolulu newspaper man was
with me. He pointed out 10 me = man
leaning sbstraetedly against a pile OF
fruit crates, watching the debsrkation
Of the passengers. He was a dark, thin
snail, with Chinsse sort Of mustaohs,
dressed IN spotless white duck, and
pulled somewhat over his large, pierre
ing eyes he wore broad -brimmed
straw hat, with a wreath Of red and
white flowers around #.
That's Stevenson my newspaper
friend told me.
The man that wrote the "silyersdo
Squattefs" ! asked, for had read that
book, and il had struck me SIS being a
mighty fine book, although didn't
know much about the writer Of il, en-
espt that his name was Stevenson, and
that be was eonsumpiiye Seotchmsn.
! told the newspaper man that I'd like
10 meet Stevenson, 30 be took me over
20 him
Friend Of mine from the coast
who raises grapes, Was the way the
newspaper man presented me 10 the
Se9tohmaB. Stevenson seemed 10 eGtch
al the words, and he sized me up aud
gave me q grip with his long bony right
hand. which had 4 lot of strength In il
for man who looked 80 delicate.
"A raiser Of grapes p said he. You've
an enyiable lot, Ar. Northrup. never
perceived the truth Of the dioium,
paris is France" Rather il should be,
"FrBnee's vineyards are France" IL
distraets me TO see 20 acres Of grape
vines IN bearing. ! have longed for the
life Of grapeman ever since first | saw
this picture
well, this heotohman had me on
my hobby, and We began TO talk
grapes, II did Aoi take me more than
a minute TO see that he was well up on
the subject, and he talked Of the phyl-
loKera aud the black rot like man
who had been born ia vineyard.
asked him where be had picked CD his
knowlsdge Of The vines
i went into the matter with some
care when IN ff6rcs, be said. look
Ing hopefully 10 The day perhaps, when
I might be able 10 put The Information
10 some use
Il suppose Stevenson must have
taken some sort Of fancy for me, for
when the hustle on the pier was all
over be invited me 10 drive out 10 the
Waikiki place la his diiapidated old
buggy, ! went along. Of course. for
The man who could write a book like
The 'silserad0 hquatters' wac pretty
iear right with me, and he was an ln-
ieresting mau TO hear talk, besides.
] spent ieo or three hours of that after.
noon al his house, and the brand of
Scotch whisky that he gave me 10
drink was the kind Of stun yoii,sauldn't
expect Ia run across on hn Island in the
Pacific ocean couple 81 thousand miles
from nowhere. Stevenson got away
with just A. much Of II as did, but
II app ired 10 have absolutely no effect
whatever on him. ! often noticed this
thing when 1 visited him nfterward.
iis could drink Scotch whisky aud