The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-08
Raised Him Seven Million.

/ IT saw a story on Bat Masterson in
a paper the other day." said a man
whose acquaintance with Bat has been
more than merely casual, land it oc-
Cured to me that the best story about
| Masterson hasn't yet been put into
| good many years ago, but all who know
the man will appreciate it just the same
as if it had happened yesterday.
| "One year-never mind the exact date
| -Masterson had to leave the West for
his health, and he went down to New
| York, where they had heard of him be-
| fore. Masterson plays a vicious game
| of poker and they had heard about that
| in New York, too, as a result of which
| poor Bat couldn't get into games he
| really wanted to patroniZe and couldn't
turn trick to save his life. Well, the
poor chap gadded about gay Gotham for
a month Or two trying to pass the time
and getting into a little game occa-
sionally when the chance offered, but
life was a dreary waste for a mover Of
Masterson's energy and he decided to
do something radical. He was in game
one night with cross-bred French and
Spanish gambler whose experiences
were of a world wide description. This
fellow told Bat that over in Teherah
they played a game of poker that double
discounted anything this country could
show and remarked that it was the best
picking left on earth for professional
with his eyes open.
'Masterson was interested. He took
that hybrid foreigner. to dinner. made
him his guest for a couple of days, in
fact until he had found out all about
Teheran, how to get there, where to put
up, how best to acquire the language
| and all the rest of it. The first thing
we knew we We're getting letters from
Bat postmarked Teheran.
Now, the game they play in Persia
is our game all right, but it differs from
| ours in minor matters For instance,
there is never dollar in sight, but a
man sits in an observation chair, re-
cords the bets and keeps general look
| out. This man is always a linguist, and
he acts as interpreter where players of
different nationality are in the same
game. One night Masterson was in a
| game with some princes, a couple Of
| cavalry officers and a member of the
shah's household guard. Bat had been
trailing in on nearly every hand only
to get done on the show down At
last, about in the morning, Bat caught
a pair of skies, while one of the princes
pulled four of a kind Masterson
couldn't understand much that was
said, but there had been good deal of
]olly1ng all night, and where Bat didn't
sdNes ne just let on that he did in order
to make things good, see? He had been
playing what he calls quiet little
game, skipping his cards and coming
in or laying down. When he got those
SKIES he looked the Persian prince in the
eye and the prince grinnned.
True-le-lu,' says the prince.
Giving me guying,' says Master
soh-lI guy right back-Tru-le-l um,'
says Bat. with never wink
Tru-le-lili-lo,' says the prince, grin
ming some more
Irue-lele lili-lole-lum, says Bat.
and be id to YOU for Bat was begin
hing to get sore. No man likes to have
Persian guy him that way-not if he
| comes from Denver
| w men Masterson made that last re-
| marx the prince threw down four of a
| KIND, kicked over the table and fell in a
falnt on top of it. The interpreter and
others helped him up and began fam
ming him.
Say, what in thunder's the matter
| with that feller?' says Bat.
| Matter! cried the Interpreter in OK
| ceiient English: why you raised him
! seven million that last time Mime
| apolis Journal