The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-26
FORMER WINS $4,000
SOUTHERN MANS NERVE FAILS
AT A CRITICAL MOMENT.
Eastern Plunger Takes Down a For
tune On Bluff With a Pair Of
Elves, Winning Twenty-four of
the Planters Slaves, Who Buys
Two Back.
Chicago Inter ocean.l

land one winter / was living at a
town in South Carolina where a lot OF
card players used to gather for mutual
pleasure and profit There was a club
in the town, where the gamblers used
to meet. but the fact was kept from
the female part of the population that
it was a gambling house. All kinds Of
games went on there, but the prosper
ity of the place was Short-liVed. Inc
house, however, was not closed the VIM
ter [ was in the town. AT the clup
one night somebody said that Colonel
Wallace, the crack poker player of the
state, had been fixed to play Pete
Welch, one of the biggest Dlungers
from the east. Pete was coming down
| the next week, and the sports were all
anxious to see what he could do with
! the colonel. who was a stiff player. me
colonel was universally lucky. Inc
cards rolled to him without the asking,
and every year his cash accounts snow
ed good profits from the game. he
! owned a valuable plantation not far
from the town. and he was enOted for
having one of the finest bodies OF
slaves in the south They made the
plantation yield rich returns; and there
was no need for the colonel to deoend
! on his playing for money, for he was
better off than many of the nlanters
/ who risked their fortunes at the club
/ when the colonel heard that Pete
was coming to rake him, he turned ms
! lip and said he was not afraid to play
! forty Petes on the biggest kind CT
! stakes. If Welch can do me, then all
! well and good was the way ne put 1t,
| but [ want you fellows to know mat
can play him to a standstin. L nave
| heard much about your swell eastern
gambler who Drides himself on never
| having been caught on a bluff. Well
| we all don't know about that. When he
/ comes will play him a single handed
game, and you chaps can watch it. I'll
say, though, that I'm not extra wealthy
this winter and can't lose much stuff.
/ I've got a limit fixed in my head, and
when he passes that I'll simply quit,
| and WEIGH can take my money and
| talk all he pleases.'
GAME IS $1OO JACK POTS.
"Welch got into town one Sunday
! Morning. His stage drove to the only
| hotel in the place, and the news of his
arrival soon spread through the sport
| ing part of the town. A messenger Who
came in for Colonel Wallace's mail car
ried a note back, telling of the safe az
rival of WEIGH Pete sent word TO the
colonel that he had heard of him. and
I was anxious for q fight. He asked the
colonel when he could play Not more
i than an hour after the messenger start
/ ed with the note he returned u the
| hotel with a paper for WEIGH. The col
f, onel wrote that he would be in town
at o'clock that afternoon, and would
bring his money with him.
Now. we want to keep this game
quiet for once said Squire Boggs, the
president of the club for 10 good can
come from so much talk. Besides. this
club is getting too much noturiety of
| late.
"A dozen salty gamblers were at the
club at O'Clock. Pete got there ahead
of the colonel. and the local element
kept it's breath while Pete told wonder
ful stories of great names in the east.
He ratified off the stories faster than
the tin horns could listen, and they all
thought him something 70 De feared by
| the colonel. At o'clock the colonel
drove to the club and sent his man TO
1.-THE hotel I'll come there when / need
you, he said.
In fifteen minutes everybody had
taken a drink or two ana become So
cable with Pete. I don't know what
you want to play said the c5loEel.
your man. Some of these gentlemen
think I'm too nervy for my good, but
let that go. How will 800 jack l,ots
suit you?
Good enough, said Pete. but that's
what 1 call dinky game. If II suits
you, though, it's good enough; It's good
enough for me, dear colonel
All right, then, let her 50 at that
WEIGH WINS $4,000 CASH.
The cards were dealt, but they
shuhied badly and passed around five
times before the pot could be opened
The colonel held the openers and bet.
tered his hand in the draw, and finally
won, but not until Pete had done some
heavy betting. After that the colone
= played ahead and the local sport:
thought Pete easy. Pete couldn't draw
When he opened a pot the cOlone
would win it, and the game was too
much one way to be interesting. Pet
crossed his bridge at last, however anC
the cards went to rolling his way. HI
got finer hands than did the colone
during the first part of the playing
and the sports who looked on saw tn,
coloneTs pile of gold gradually growing
less. One package was emptied anC
another was brought from the old-fash
toned locker in the club. After that tn
betting got fierce. The game appeared
perfectly square, for WEIGH would no
have turned a bad trick had he wante,
to, for too many eyes were Watchin;
the deck Colonel Wallace took al
kinds of wild chances. Another drinl
viii help me- he would say, as he lost
though he did not allow his head t
get clogged When his last stack O
chips crossed the table ne showed bacl
his chair and said his pile was gone
1t was getting late on at night Their
but the gamblers didn't notice that
'Welch, you've got an even 5000
there, if you will count it. [ brough
that much with me, and 1 may hav
, been foolish. 1 believe if L had more
could get it all from, you in half
dozen hands.
"T'n gladly give you the chance, col
here can accommodate you?
Nobody spoke. The colonel rattle
on the table.
'Welch, he said, when the silenc
got oppressive, I have no more read
cash, but l have property that is a
good as gold any day right here
, this town. never did it before, but
will play you twenty-four Of my bes
slaves against $4,000. The negroes ar
worth fully that amount, as these ger
, tlemen will testify. The slaves are tn
best in the state, but if you think tn
! value too high we can arrange it other
! wise. Will you finish the gamer
: If these gentlemen say the slave
; are worth that much, then fix you
? papers while 1 count this money.
never like to turn my back to a goo
! thing.
!. FORTUNE WON ON A BLUFF.
: Everybody got up and tooks,a drln
on tine strength of the new gam
When the papers were arranged tn
players got a new deck of cards an
. there was not a word passed while til
;. cards were being shuffled. The SIX