The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-15

G0FSe DOVLkes 4 COulu w my O"N " SSHs
1 am now in perfect health"
and 60 did Abel. and there were some
others. The limit was declared OF, and
the deal went on.
"At first. fast as the play was, there
was very little advantage either way,
for It was win and lose. lose and win,
alternately. The bets were tremendous,
The blue chips were pu: up at $1,000
each, and several times I saw a stack OF
twenty on a single BET; Once there was
thfrty-five in n single brf. That was the
largest sum ever heard staiSed OF on n
siagle turn Of card In faro, and the
bank lost It. Luck varied for three or
four deals, but after time It turned In
the politicians favor, and he pressed re-
lentlessly until after time--somethinG
over half an hour, II remember cor
rectly-he had the banks roll in his
pocket.
Naturally enough he WASH! satisfied
with that, He was sin $4,000 out. and
the luck was SIN his way. Neither was
the crowd satisfied. Even against his
run of luck they all believed the bank
had the best chances. So ate? little
more talk, another pool was made up OF
another hundred thousand, and the play
went on again,
'I never saw a man hold his nerve
IKE that player did. He was playing
the heaviest game ever played. and yet
he was as cool as II It had been penny
ante. Win or lose. Il seemed TO make
no difference to him, and he played on
as deliberately and thoughtfuty as-tf
he had some way of calculating which
way the cards would fall And 1t almost
seemed as If he had. for the luck held,
and In less tine than It had taken. tor
him to get away with the first pool he
got the second.
1.-THE excitement was greater and
greater. The players blood was up, and
ne wanted more, though he was now
$4,000 ahead MorIssey and Meade had
enough. though they, TOO, were aaeaa
They didn't like the unlimited game, ana
didn't want % 50 into a third pool but
there were others in the room who do,
for thelV blood was up, and altec some
little talk and hesitation third one was
formed though 1t was not 100000 There
was a good deal OF money In the room,
but the sportlesi men had losva good bit
OF theirs. and others were scared OF the
luck. Something Ike $4,000 was scraped
together, and once more the game
started.
''TbIs time It wasn't played to FIN
lsh, for the luck held with the polsti-
chm till he fairly fought the bank to a,
finish. After he had won $3S,0Or more
the dealer-I think Walton was holding
the box at the time, for they had chang
ed dealers half dozen times or more
lost hFg nerve and refused TO deal again,
And there wasn't a mar in the room who
would take his place. So the game CLOS
ed and the nights record has never been
broken SO far as knoH
This same politician was famous
short card player. too, In hts day" con-
tInued Leigh. TN those times poker
was not played us much as It IS now.
Tor the draw had not been introduced.
I won't undertake TO give dates. but
know that thirty or forty years ago
iegs than forty-poker wasn't rs much
PLAYED as casino, cribbage, Boston and
whilst, II was later than that when
hearts came in, but all these games were
played In the gambling houses OF the
city Mt that time for tremendous stakes.
and the politician was noted Tor his sue
cess at all of them. He played poker,
too. later on. but 1t was toward the time
when he gave mp gambling, ana there
were other men who played that as weiI'
or better. than he did.
III vas perfectly true and he made
his boasts of II that he could hold his
own at any game of short cards with
INV man who would play against hun.
In fact. he more than held his own, Tor
there wasn't a gambler in town who
came out ahead Of him in the long run
M nny came that was played until Pc
Irie best him at cribbaRe, and that wgs
done by trick. II was q simple one, ana
very neat. but 1t was Pctric's own IN
yention, and he played 1t before any
one else got on to II.
The politician knew rs much about the
cards as anybody and wasn't the least
bit afraid Of crooked play, believing ne
could surely detect Il, but Prtrtc did
him up for several thousand dollars be-
fore anybody else thought OF ms sam
thing
"As I said. II was worry simple, Pc
trio wotld play two or three hands per
fcctly straight. holding HIS own In the
game fairly welt. for he was rattttus
good player, but not Worrying In the
-icpgt il ne reii behind Then he would
quietly gucHl n tree srpt ont '' TH
dock. and the next time he shuiiled
would steal another, and perhaps the
fourth. You can see In an instant. II
ycu play cribbaSc at all what an ndvan-
tape that would give him. He would
mi tons and fivcs into his own crib and
throw aces and deuccs into the other TEL
lows, as much Gs possible, and take
chances on the other fellow playing ms
Hspnl game The very simplicity of It
nndo IA easy for man who could ma
nip1lnte the pasteboards ms Setrie could
TO play It without detection. md he ola
so for q time. He was the only man
though, tfnt ever beat the ppItlclhh
nj cards, excepting, OF course, at an pc-
.csalapal sitting. never have seen an
other PLAYER equal 10 that one. and
never fxpert TO- now. for there are no
s,nh games around here now"
sruudttfom Bita'i Gs' Away.
.,,r ,,pr.nNr G q TuI,, n Ear