The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-12
THE SENATOR WON



Chamberln was catering to the public, his
public, on this side OF the StyX, that a rare
company dined one evening at his famous
club house in Washington. 1t was a rare lit
tie circle. for the reason that all had passed
the three score wire, cantering through most
OF that time at very fast pace, but all of
that peculiar material composition that never
seems to succumb to high living and hard
work that would long before have killed
nipety-nne of a hundred
Two white haired Senators who had
won both financial and political success-men
OF millions and exceptional characters among
millions. Three We're members of the House,
standing at the forefront of the Representa-
tiVeS of that day-three men VINO had played
a tremendous game in more ways than one
in building up the frontier in the forties and
fftieS Another was old fOrty-niner, who
made his pile in legitimate mining, added TO
II by keen speculation and piled up yet more
by building and Wrecklng railroads and
things Last, to make up the golden number
seVen was a great editor, yet great IN Jour-
naliSm and politics, but in the medieval days
of the nineteenth century a man who sWayed
the country at that time with his pen, making
and unmaking exalted officials, and, as he
put it himself, playing the deuce generally"
Chamberlin hovered the outskirts of the
circle, joining in the conversation occasion
ally-the conversation naturally, in such pres
ence, turning upon the mysterious fascnat-
ing SUBJECTS of games of chance, Which have
played havoc with the human race ever since
the Gaboon apes began to toss up for cocoa
nuts, says the Philadelphia Times.
John said one of the Senators after the
telling of number of thrilling tales of gam
bling on the green, John, tell of the most
remarkable game of poker that ever came
within your observation"
That's mighty hard to do" said Chamber
lin, las you know L have seen so many great
games that it is hard to say which the
most exciting. I'll tell you of one, however,
that seems to me at this distance to have
StrangeSt T
witnessed. 1t was in the old club house in
New York Avenue Fifteenth Street,
which was occupied for years by the Young
Mems Christian Association until it was
burned. I dare say there was never a game
in the house after my departure. 1t in
that period following the war when money
was more in evidence than it is at this time
and that recklessness was in vogue which
was result, I suppose, of the devil-may
care spirit engendered by the war. Politics
and play ran high. There were political and
other adventures here from all parts of the
country and from all countries. Foreign
ministers and the weather. attaches of the
legations were among the most reckless bet
TORS, ana II was between a foreign minister
and a young and ridiculously wealthy Sena-
tor of the United States that the episode oc-
CURED to which I refer.
There was bad blood between the two men
and it was whispered there was a lady in the
case. At any rate I made note of the fact
that when the other hands were laid down in
the big game of poker that was on one even
ing the two men raked each other savagely
before either would lay down. felt sure that
in the chances of the play these two would
come against each other with disastrous
hands for somebody before the game ended
The expected happened. The ante was So and
a big jack pot was on. The deal had passed
several times, and each time was fattened
Finally it was opened by a member of the
House who was noted for being high player
He had started stoker on a Mississippi
River steamboat, and was then of a
line of steamers. He opened the pot for the
downs The Minister sat next and sWelled
1t $5OU. Next man passed, and the next The
Senator came up with another $500 raise and
the player next to the dealer dropped out
The opener studied his hand for moment
and then laid down, he had but a pair of
Jacks, and the Senator and Minister acted
as though they were out for blood.
THE two men looked each other in the ewes
for moment, and there was deadly chal-
lenge in the penetrating glare of both IT
was the Minister'S first go. He quickly saw
the raise and each took a card.
I will bet you cent said he with a
sneer.
There were chips of value less than
S. and the foreigner fshed copper from
his purse. Each player caught his breath
quickly expressive of his surprise, with the
exception of the Senator, who seemed to have
expected some such play.
7 will raise you two cents said he
quietly.
1T then dawned upon the others that there
was more in this than poker and they were
at once absorbed in the extraordinary per-
formance.
The Minister put up three coppers, thus
seeing the raise and raising one more
'I raise you one dollar was the response
Of the Senator.
And 1 raise you five,' declared the enyov.
Five hundred remarked the Senator. in
tone of Indifference, as though wearying of
the apparent nonsense.
One thousand better than you,' said the
other