The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-09-28
MISCELLANY.
Great Game Of FreezeOut.

very fair stories of games of
freeze-out, stacked cards and monu-
mental bluffs had been related
by the drummers, who were in the
town overnight, but it remained for
Charles g. Campbell, retired capital
ist, who 10 known all over the east, in
numbering circles, to relate the bona
fide story of one Of the greatest freeze
outs in the history of the American
game.
at was hack in 1886" said he "that
/ saw one of the most remarkable ex-
hibtions of nerve and incidentally of
properly making use ofthe time-honored
freeze-out game, in all my experience.
AT the time was engaged in lumber
ing operations in the Atchfalay Boyou,
$50 miles north of New Orleans. Bust.
ness called me to the Crescent City,
and, arriving there, found that it was
necessary for me to proceed at once to
Cedar Falls, place on the Ohio near
ly one hundred miles west of Pitts
burg. In those days the great river
steamboats, were in the zenith Of their
glory, and the Mississippi boosted
some of the fastest boats of their kind
in the world. The Great Republic had
left for up the river the day before 30
that found that would have to wait
until evening and go up on the Eliza,
then one of the crack boats plying be-
| tween Cincinnati and New Orleans.
/ had engaged stateroom, and board
ing the boat an hour before it started,
l went down into the saloon and there
met, through a mutual friend, the cash.
Ter of a big New OIleans banking
house, who later learned, was going
to Cincinnati with 100000 in cash as
the agent Of his house to commission
merchants in the City of Pork. He
seemed an exceedingly pleasant fellow
of about thirty-two years of age, was
an excellent raconteur, and, moreover,
had reputation as being nervy
poker player. Time passed quickly in
conversation with him, and we were
both standing on the deck as the gong
rang for the landing boards to be taken
in preparatory to our immediate de-
parture.
"Just before the gangplanks were
hauled in hack drove up to the wharf
and three well dressed, big -mustached
men jumped from the vehicle, one of
them stopping to place a bill in the
| ndhub VI bhO JChu, bhuO III thO
and walked aboard just before the gong
rang to go ahead We both had an
opportunity 10 examine the men as
they stood together near the rail. My
new-found friend, whom, for reasons
the story will disclose, will not name,
closely scrutinized the trio and then
said: Il know those chaps. They are
professional gamblers, and they are
evidently after some lamb to pluck on
this boat. wonder if am supposed
to be their game. If so they may be
disagreeably surprised, for there is
something in satchel in my state
room which may cause them the loss
of few dollars
with this enigmatical remark the
cashier tlowly sauntered into the ga.
loon, and it wasn't ten minutes before
l saw the gamblers engaged in earnest
conversation with him. 1t aiierward
came out that they had heard that the
bank was sending $4,000 up the river
with him, and, knowing that he was a
dyed-in-the.wo pokerite, they had de-
termined to inveigle him into little
game and thoroughly pluck him. I'm
fortunately for them, they reckoned
without big bundle of notes which
was in the possession of the cashier,
but concerning which he wasn't telling
anybody.
"There was jolly crowd of sporting
men on the boat that night, and after
dinner some ten or fifteen repaired to
the smoking room, where stories, quip,
and jest passed quickly amid the clink
of glasses and the glow of fragrant Ha.
vanas. AT about eleven O'Clock, l re-
member-we had just left Natchez-one
of the gamblers suggested little game,
and the cashier consented, although he
had strict orders from his house not to
play with money in his possession, to
play few hands with them. 1t was
suggested that the game be played in
the saloon, and thiIher eight of us re-
paired. While going there the cashier
whispered to me:
"Watch out for something that will
open your eyes. This game won't last
more Than one hand, and there are 60
ing 10 be three of the biggest surprised
men who ever stacked up against a
Tartar on Mississippi boat
"This communication certainly arous-
ed my curiosity and gave me slight
inkling of what proved to be the stiffest
game of pure and unadulterated bluff
that have ever seen in poker game.
1t was evident that the stakes were not
going TO be few picsyunes, as both
the cashier and the trio laid out big
rolls of bills on the table. There was a
tense movement and an expression of
excitement as one of the gamblers pro-
duced a new pack of cards, shuffled
them and handed them to the cashier,
who sat to the right, TO cut. The latter
made the cut, and the deal commenced.
was watching the game closely, and
saw look of great satisfaction come
upon the cashiers face as he picked up
his cards. The ante was $40, and a
limit was made of the sky-high variety.
There was fun for somebody, and all
four players seemed to be after the
lions share of it.
"The look of satisfaction on the cash.
ier's face was observed by the gamb-
lers, as one who was watching the game
closely could see by the covert glances
they cast at one another. The lamb,
however, didn't seem to notice that
they we're sizing him up, but proceeded
| a. 8