Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-04-07

Little General WarSed the story kept
Quiet. but 1t was Too Good.
II was in a poker gamo," writes q
correspondent of the Washington Star,
s'in the winter of 1879, when Senator
Conkling and General Phil Sheridan
were players. Ii was q four landed
game, and John Chamberlin was tho
other player. This game at Chamber
Inns was always for IS limit ut first,
with the understanding that alcug to-
ward morning. after a couple Of hours
of warming m. auybcd7 could sHppest
the removal u the liIlit if be watscd
TO. Tho vEy C9nsiiUa and sheridan
blufed each c.her tbnf ant Yves caU-
ton. Both men seemed 10 strike ont
luck altogether as az elarst 10 shelr
good natured play ag.inst e4eh 0ther,
and as both 20 tEers oavFht 6ue ads
occasionally when engaT d - this tug
OF war of Bin fling neither q them c0Gid
get an exact lire On the other and 10
was better than z play to study their
faces Ut tie show doysna. CcaE was
having all the success during the latter
part of the night, and it was fun TO
hear Little Phil softly after dark and
woolly things under his breath when,
time after time. Conhllpg wcrid shaw
q hand consisting 81 n1tning ERll after
having scared Sheridan out o. produce
a gorgeous set Ct fours or a full hand at
such times as Sheridan. deciding tIi.t
the senator was hlaEing, would csll
him.
"'Bite him. Sheridan Charberlin
would say amusediy on these occasions,
and Sheridan would tell ChsIDteriin 10
60 to the dickens and call for another
deck of cards.
1--WE started the last round of Jack
pots with a new deck. Sheridan ,dealt
the first mess himself. and after il had
gone around and none Of the thfee Of us
could open it Sheridan opened ii him
self. Neither Chansbeliin nor ! had
any right to stay on our hands. SO ii
was left between Sheridan and Conk-
ling, who staids Conkling took three
cards and turned his little pair into
threes. Sheri5sn dsshed himself cut
three cards and bit bis cigar hard when
he saw his hand. He made q S. bet to
draw Conkling ont, and the senator
raised him $25. Itpassed between them
with these $25 bets until there was
nearly $500 in the pot, both men scru-
tinixing each other pretty carefully at
each bet.
"'I don't know SO much about you
this time, said Conkling ilnally, and
] think I'll Just call you for safety.'
both laid their hands down at the
same time. Conkling had three mines.
and he looked at Sheridan strangely
when he saw the color Of Sheridan's
three aces Both Chamberlin and my
self also cav what was wrong At the
Same instant. but we only smiled and
let the two men have 1t out. Sheridan
had 3 broad grin on his face and was
just about to rake In the pot. Conkling
was gazing Mt the little man OF iron
with . puzzled look In his eyes.
"'Oh. ! say, there. Phil, inst wait .
minute. said he. DO you really thip
thak pot belongs to your
belongs to me?' said Sheridan.
We'll, it.does If the nose on my face
belongs TO me- And again he reached
over to hoo in tho pot
"Conkliag ran bis hand through bis
hair and again stopped Sheridan with .
gssture.
81 .don't rsmsnher ever having seen
that sort Of thing BEFORE. no said did
you, Phil?
See whatssort Of thing before?' said
Sheridan What in 5lazss are you talk.
Ing abouk yConkiingys
For reply Conklias put oDs finger
upon one Of Sheridan's aces and then
pointed "a. another one ~ the acek
noEee NV . jack pot won with
three aces. two OF which happened to
- aces q diamonds said Ccnkling,
smiling.
"6horidan looked 81 Ais hand. lying
noe mp On the table before him. and
his faos became fiery red. The conster-
nation % his a~pnntenaxce was really
funny.
why sid he after Q minute,
blamed II I don I believe I'm. nothing
bettsr than ~ inyoluntaxy swindler.
That other o Jos rec, IL = club
vcpsusd the pos On . pair az red aces,
and they wera. Of course. these sccs Of
<0iamondA Chambcriin. turning 70 the
amused bonif>cs. 'tuxs mo out Of doors
49, fraud and . short card player. will
your
"1And have the army fire q yolley
<over the ruins OF my houss?' replied
Ohamberlin. 'Eardly. Anyhow, I'd
rather see yen and Conkling Engage in
. rough and tumble fight over the thing.
Go ahead. the pair OF you. Wen seq
dair play, : turning to me.
"Of oonrse tho extra acc Of diamonds
had slipped into the deck accidentally
before it LEI. the manufacturers hands,
but Sheridan. when he had in q measure
recovered from Ills surprise Of the reye-
iation. made a humorous pretension
siong and conTulaed the three Of Us by
feelinGiy appealing TO Conkli1g to re-
frain from exposing him to the world
Tor the sake Of his family and all that
sort Of thing. The hand being foul, the
pot was Of course divided"
Irrevs<nhly.