The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-01-30
A Honolulu Story Comes From
Washington.
TWO SAILORS AND A SOLDIER
1t Is Said TIL They Played CARDS
for Mopey-Argum ent-Ftght.
NO Foul.
(WaShin gtOn Starr


Three years ago last February a
soldier and a sailor We're engaged in
a twO-handed game of poker one even
ing in the rear room of Honolulu
rum repository The soldier was a
corporal in the "P. G." army-that is,
in the army of the provisional govern
ment of the Hawaiian Islands. The
corporal was a well-built, smooth-faced
young man from Albion, Mich. He was
known among his swaddies as an eX
soldier of the United States regular
army, and quiet, wellbehaved man
Withal. The sailor, as the name Of his
ship on his cap ribbon showed, was one
of the bluejackets of the United States
cruiser Philadelphia, which had slipped
into Honolulu harbor a few days pre-
viously. He was a brawny, tOugh-lOOk-
ing chap, this sailor with the second
class bo's'ns mates rating badge on
his mastering shirt, and his nOisiness
was in noticeable contrast to the quiet,
decent behavior of the soldier sitting
at rhe other side of the table. The SOL
der and the sailor played along at
their game of 10-cent ante and 50-cent
limit for an hour or so, with the luck
switching first to one and then to the
other, when. after the deal had passed
number of times, the sailor opened
a jackpot. The soldier stayed for five
ten-cent chips and drew one card. The
sailor took two cards. The sailor bet
the limit and was in turn raised the
limit by the corporal. The raise pass
ed back and forth a number of times
until there was about SIS or $40 in the
center of the table.
While the raise was going back and
forth another of the Philadelphia
sailors sauntered into the room alone.
He was squat, chunky, bull-necked and
powerful looking, and the sleeve of the
port arm of his mastering shirt was
decorated with the eagle device Of a
master-at-arms, second class He stood
a few feet away from the table, taking
in the game He was the only man in
the room except the two players.
When there was about SIS or $50
in the pot. and the sailor had plunked
the last of his chips therein, he called
the corporal. Both men placed their
hands down. face upon the table.
I've got three fives,' said the sailor.
What you got?''
"A straight-seven to jack, replied
the corporal, quietly.
"A what?" asked the sailor, loudly.
Straight? We don't play them things
on the coast Straights don't CO.
well, we play them down here,
said the corporal, coolly. I don't know
much about coast poker, but straights
are played all over the United States
back of the coast. l win
The HI you do" shouted the
bo's'n's mate. How do you win Wen
l tells you that straights don't go?"
There was nothing said about
straights not going before we began
to play" calmly replied the soldier.
However, if you're going to take ii
to heart so. why, We can divide the
pot. AS long as we didn't make any
agreement about the value of the
hands, I've got as much right to stick
to my game-in which straights are
legitimate-as you have to say that
straights don't go. Well divide the
pot
NO. we won't" exclaimed the sail
or. jumping up. The pots mine
i guess not" replied the soldier,
rising slowly himself, and putting one
hand over the bank, which was keep
ing itself, as he did so. stand clear!
We're going to divide this pot
mo, you amt" said the sailor who
had been looking on at the game-the
squat man with the bull neck-step-
ping forward. Me shipmate wins that
bunch. Take your hand off'n it.
The soldier surveyed the interloper
coolly.
Il don't know who you are, nor
where you cut in this" he said, after
a pause. But, not giving you short
answer. I'll be id if I take my hand
off of this bank. I'll split the pot, and
that's enough. My poker is Honolulu
poker, and it goes down here. There
fore, according to the way the games
played on these Islands, win this pot.
But, as I say, I'm willing to compro-
mise by splitting the pot, simply as a
sop to you peoples ignorance of the
genuine game Of poker"
Ignorant. hey?' quoted the sailor
who claimed the pot, and he made
pass across the table at the soldiers
face. The pass fell short, and in
trife less than no time the strapping
corporal had Ieaped around the table