The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-25

Loser Forced Out of Business
Cards Marked While the Money
Was Being Secured-AII in Cash.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
Another poker game. or rather the contin-
uation Of one which began when John Love-
Col. Reed, Lucky Sanders, and Paugger Joe
struck the mining camp two months before,
was on. The "parlor'' of the Reno hotel.
with its side door opening into the bar, was
the scene OF the contest. More than thou
sand times the little old marble-top table
had been fairly covered with greenbacks. sill
yer and gold; while seated around it prosper
Gus miners, like these four, had batued with
John Love had come to Reno from the
t East; Big. Jolly and good-natured, he was
une prunt OF all the jokes the horde OF min
ers in the hotel could conceive But he was
poker player. With five cards In his hands
ana high stack Of yellows and blues, he
would back his Judgment until the last check
NAG passed into the hands of his adversaries
and the last dollar from his pocket These
TOUT played for cash and cash only.
Put you papah In the stove. Gentlemen
nevan ask fayors IN a gsntiemen's pokah
game" Col. Reed had frequently observed
when paper was offered in lieu of cash And
the colonel was poker player also. He
played with a calm elaboration which threw
his companions entirely off guard. Lucky
Sanders, SO called because of his good for
tuHe dt poker, Ms urSt name having never
been known to his companions, was a quick
player. glance at his five cards and his
draw settled it with him.
name because Of his anxiety to sDend ali hia
waking hours at the Reno hotel poker table,
s Mhen Plugger got up in the morning his
wouldn't mind sittin' IN" He rarely failed
to have quorum seated about the marble
top table before the dinner bell was heard.
II was so on this occasion. and Love and the
- A.
the game run until Lucky and Plugger saw
their pile Of checks each representing 500
disappear one after the other. Lucky was
oeaIing and ne asked Plugger, who sat at his
right. 10 cut the cards.
'shucks. Go on. III see II can't drap
on somethin' without cuttin'," he said.
GREATEST OF THEIR GAMES.
the pasteboards were dealt without the cut.
The colonel as usual was in calm elaboration
AFTER picking UP his hand. Jones seemed
suddenly to become serious. and threw his
cards into the discard with an oath. Lucky
peeked at his just as Love covered the col
onel's ante with q 500 raise. Lucky's cards
followed Plugger's into the deck. But the
colonel came back at Love with $50 raise
Love looked again and raised the pot an
other $50. The colonel met the raise and
called for two cards.
You uns are up against tother now, l
guess" Lucky remarked. Love stood pat and
CARDS a minute and raised a hundred. Love
raised hundred more. So did the colonel.
Plugser nearly fell from his chair when Love
mace another hundred raise, and suggested
that the limit be drapped' The colonel
agreed, and began to count his pile. Seven
ttSSr r ' he said as he pushed it into
Here's four seventy nine. All 1 got here
III write you an I. O. IT, Love said push
ing his pile into the mass of greenbacks and
gold.
mo gentleman would offah papah," the
colonel said, as he had under similar circum.
stances thousand times before.
The remark seemed to anger Love-
Plugger, burn up all the cards but our
hands" he ordered. and Plugger gathered up
the dscards and deck and threw them into
the open stove.
Colonel, l propose to see them cards of
yourn. VIII you trust me on the honor OF a
| gentleman to leave the room for more money
Write your own name on the back Of each
Card
BANKERS BECOME THEIR hackers.
The colonel did as requested and sassed
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 the institution. George Thomas.
Pulling his cards from his pocket he laid
| them before Thomas, and said:
| George, me and the colonel is a-goin' it.
What's them WORTH"
| Thomas eyes fairly stood out of their sock
| cts as he surveyed the pasteboards 'fTvhem q
wuth the whole sheebang,'i he replied
A few minutes later Thomas, with his peck
cts bulging, accompanied Love to the Reno
hotel parlor.
Colonel, this gentleman sees yo' raise and
raises you thousand Love said. laying a
stack OF bills on the table with the heap of
greenbacks and gold.
The colonel glanced at Thomas ''Wait ten
minutes. No gentleman would offah pupah I"
he said, and he forthwith disappeared from
the room He walked around thu corner Of
the hotel to the Second Bank of Reno. Step
| ping to the cashiers window ne asked fer
BiH Dawson, the owner of the institution.
Bill came around the partition.
BILL look at these an tell me what yo'
think they is wuth.'
-. A glance sufieed BIZ. Holy snakes and
grasShoppers' he said. "Colonel, them is
worth every cent in this bank"
Two minutes later Bill Dawson and the
colonel appeared at the hotel parIor. Dawson
saw Thomas and nudged the colonel The
two bankers glared at each other, but neither
See you, and raise you FIVE thousand. :"
the colonel said, laying pile OF bills in the
BY this time the news of the fierce poker
game had spread about Reno and a score Of
miners were soon crowding about the play
ers. Thus the betting went on, s. 900 at a
time, until the resources of both banks were
exhausted Loves last bet was 81 500 and
the colonel called it.
Every one in the room stood on tiptoe and
the deepest silence prevailed for every one
knew that the fate of one of the two banks
hinged on these poker hands. Love looked
StanO1l q
near gazed in wonder at him. With delibera-
ton Re threw his five cards, on which hinged
the fate Of Thomas or Dawson's bank on the
table before him, face downward
Colonel, look at that writin and tell the
boys if those are the five cards I held in the
game" he said.
The colonel looked at his signature on the
back OF each card and after ncd1ing assent
he laid his hand face downward for loves
inspection.
can right, colonel" Love said.
Thomas and Dawson, both confident were
glazing at each other when Love turned over
one card. 1t was the ace Of spades. The
miners leaned forward and Love turned over
the ace Of hearts. Then he exposed the ace
of clubs. Dawson ard the colonel looked at
each other, and both colored slightly Then
Love turned over the tray of spades The
two men looked wonderingly at each other.
They knew that the next card meant life or
death for Dawsons bank. Love did not hest
tate for moment before he turned over the
ace of diamonds. The colonel and Dawson
seemed stunned for a moment. The colonel
was the first to act. Taking I'D his five
cards he tore them in two. and walking over
to the stove threw them into the fire. Daw-
son looked at Love as he raked the pile of
currency, gold and silver to his side OF the
table Then he left the room and three min
utes later the doors OF Dawson's bank were
closed for all time.
TAWPERFn WITH uIS lat