Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1899-06-02
LOST A BIG FORTUNE.
The STORY or 4 Merry BLUFF m A
GAME OF POKER.

TIE SeeaAsss cstsssl MAD tie Esss-
era Feaa4ee stseA rp pSooe sly. bst
Lsss CssasS~ee In SITS Owa Hasa
~ The WsssG Moment.
Big gaines on the Mississippi! river
Rfeamers, where poker fiourished ut its
bcst. were by no means tho only in
stsnc~a wherein fortunes were made
and lest ON thc t1rn Of = card. The rec
ord Of the game wherein Pete WEIGH.
. noted eastern plnnger. met Colonel
Wallace 81 aaash Carolina IL regarded
~ one Of the stiffcst battles on the green
baixc ever fought In sny land, Wallace
was very wealthy. heavy slave owner
and an extremely incky man at cards
He was. ~ avery southern gentleman
WAS and In. perfectly honorabi.. and his
viciosiea were ths admiration Ut his
frienda Pete WINS y gambler by profess
sion. bnd plenty III money and was full
s.; nerve; ~ hattie between ths two
was certain TO DO Of absorbing interest
When Colonel Wallace heard that
Welch was coming % meet him, no
calmly replied hs would DO ready. He
ssid ho had limit fixed. apd. II the
gambler went beyond that. 10 would
drop ont and let ths money go WEIGH
came ON. thu colonel was notified and
the date set for the game II was To
take place In a club where no games
were supposed 10 go on. Tho colonel
drove ~ town. met the enemy and 4
number Ut friends. had drinks all around
ana the two men vat Ia for a single
handed gene. They commenced al 4 90
Jack pots. and at first the eolonel's luck
stuck To him. He won steadily. but the
gambler was game and mot him
~ last the tide tnrned and tho cards
began to fall to Pete. Ho won until all
the gold In front ~ Wallace passed to
his side of the table Wallace became
fierce aud took all kinds OF chances. los
Ing III. head in . manner. drinking
heavily. while his opponent coolly play
ed his hands for NIL they were worth
When Wallace had passed In hts last
stack. he pushed back his chair and said
his rsie was gone Then he said.
''Welch. you 've got nm oven $50. 900
thsre II ron will count IT, brought
that much with me. and ] may have
boon foolish believe II had moro !
could get II all from you in half dozen
hands =
I'm gladly give You chance. colo
mel Perhaps acme Of your friends here
can accommodate yonf''
Nobody spoke The colonel ratified ON
che tahla
"Welch." he said when tho silence
rot oppressive. ~ have no more ready
Azsh hnt 1 haVA hut l.
good a. gold any day right here In this
town never did II before. but will
play you ~ of my best slaves against
$50. 900 The negroes are worth fully
that amount. mn those gentlemen will
testify The slaves are the best In the
state. but u Jon think tho value too
high W. eau arrange IL otherwise Win
you finish tbs game -
III these gentlemen say the slaves
ara worth that much. then fix your pa.
pera while count this money mover
like 10 turn my back To good thing
Every body got mp and took n drink
ON thu now game When the papers
were arranged. tho players got new
deck of cards, and there was no, word
passed while the cards were being shuf-
fled Tho sky was To bo tho lilnt until
the $50, 900 was reached Wallace
sporting blood was mp. and no seemed
determined To loae NIL quickly or get II
back In the same swift gait lilo took
desperate chances In drawing aud NC,
copted foolish beta
The md wac drawisx near Welch
wss dealing. aud bad shnitling "a the
0Va teus AaHx4~ haA laFt A. A..
money In the rot WEIGH WAS ahead ON
ths winnings Tho colonel locked ut his
hand and opened the pot for u. 200
Welch stretched his eyes and then
hooked al his hand He raised IL tl. 600
Without raising his head the colonel
raised back ~. 900. and Welch saw il
lie went u. 900 better. and tho colonel
ssarred raising The players were lsss
excited than any ~ tho other men In
thr tonsn rcte took the cards and asked
abe eclonsl
''liow manyf"
1.-Two cards. hc said
None here. pnt In the DEALER.
Tbs colonel took tho two cards and
Kicked at them quickly Then he stuck
them behind the othcra "ill start this
an ta. 600. DO said weieh looked At
his hand agaln aud sook the bet Hs
went ~. 600 moro Tho Colonel raised
another -. 600 welch saw Il aud
raised another. aud the coione, raised
ssail another ~. ooo
We'll I've sat just q 0. 600 hero ron
rsn have " ycu can i-ss 10. said Weich.
and b. sces-d In ths ehip~ Til. colonel
studied his band
I've got only o.. 600" he sasd.
'sana think yen vc gos me. even IL II
j. had thing 10 say
With that Wallace soss~si the cards
an sh. table. shd weleh took the POT II
nas sisan care of hiaff on Pesss part
ss ihs cards subsequently showed The
coionsl had hsid ap pair Of jacks. bis
cpeass. snd an acc On the draw be
caught sn ses aud s.ssa o. dlanonds
WEIGH bad ealy . pair " nsss h. START
With. and be kept theta with tho rr~s