The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-05
SENATOR WON ON A BOB TAIL.
THE FOREIGN MINISTER WEAKEN
ED ON THE BIG RAISE.

/ A Strange Poker Game in Washing
ton in Which Love and Hate Play
ed n Pnrt-SOme other Poker Tales.
! Washington Letter in Philadelphia Times.
| It was in the days when the only John
| Chamberlain was catering for the public
| his public, on this side Of the Styx, that
rare company dined one evening at his
famous club house. It was a rare little
circle, for the reason that all had passed
the three-score wire, cantering through
most of that time at a very fast pace, but
all Of that peculiar material composition
that never seems to succumb to high liv-
ing and hard work that would long before
have killed ninety-nine men out of a hun
bred.
Two were white-haired senators who had
won both political and financial success
men Of millions. and exceptional charac-
ters among millions. Three were members
Of the House, standing at the forefront Of
the representatives. of that day-three men
who had played a tremendous game in
more ways than one in building up the
frontier in the fortes and dfties Another
was an old forty-niner, who made his pile
in legitimate mining. added to it by keen
speculation, and piled up yet more by
building aud wrecking railroads and
things. Last to make up the golden num-
Der 7, was a great editor, yet great in
journalism and politics but in the mediae-
val days Of the nineteenth century a man
VINO sWayed the country at that time with
his pen, making and unmaking exalted
officials, and, as he put it himself, play
lhg the deuce generally" Chamberlain
lowered on the outskirts of the circle join
ing in the conversation occasionally
conversation naturally in such presence,
turning upon the mysteriously fascinating
subject of games of chance, which have
played havoc with the human race ever
since the Gaboon apes began to toss UP for
cocoanuts
John" said one of the senators, after
the telling of number of thrilling tales
of gambling on the green, John, tell us
of the most remarkable game of poker
that ever came within your observatio
That's mighty hard to do" said Cham
BERLIN "as you know l have seen so
many great games that it is hard to say
which was the most exciting. I'll tell you
Of one, however, that seems to me at this
distance to have been the strangest of all
the games l ever witnessed. 1t was in
the old club house in New York avenue.
hNdl + ALtCthtn street, winch was occurred
for years by the Young Mems Christian
Association until il was burned. L dare
say there was never a game in the house
after my departure. It was 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 l suppose, of the devil-may-care
spirit engendered by the war, Politics and
play ran high. There were political ano
q her 91vpOf1frprc bar
the country, and from all countries. For
eign ministers and the wealthiest attaches
OF the legations were among the most
reckless bettors, and it was between a
foreign minister and a young ana ridicu-
lously wealthy senator of the United
States that the episode occurred to which
l refer.
There was bad blood between the two
men, and it was whispered there was
lady in the case. At any rate. 1 made
note of the fact that when the other
hands We're laid down in the big game
OF poker that was on one evening, the two
men raked each other savagely before
either would lay down. l felt sure that
in the chances of the play these two would
come against each other with disastrous
hands for somebody before the game end
ed. The expected happened. The ante
was So, and a big jackpot was on. The
deal had passed several times, and each
time 1t was fattened. Finally it was open-
ed by a member of the House. who was
noted for being a high player He had
started as stoker on a Mississippi river
steamboat and was then owner of a line
of steamers. He opened the pot for the
downs The minister sat next and swcIed
it $500. 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, as 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
eyes for moment and there was deadly
challenge in the penetrating glare of both
1t was the minister's first go. He quickly
| saw the raise and each took a card
" 1 will bet you ! cent said he with a
sneer.
There were no chips of value less than
S., and the foreigner fished a copper from
his purse. Each player caught his breath
| quickly, expressive of their surprise, with
the exception of the senator, who seemed
| to have expected some such play.
| ct win raise you 2 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 extra
ordinary performance.
1.-THE minister put up three coppers, thus
seeing the raise and raising one more.
~ raise you ST., was the response of
the senator.
And l raise you five" declared the
envoy.
i've hundred remarked the Senator
In tone of indifference, as though weary
ing of the apparent nonsense.
Zone thousand better than you,' said
the other.
Zone thousand and one dollar is my
bet remarked the senator, but l could see
a glitter in his eye that boded no good for
the foreigner The latter met the back
ward step of the senator with a trium-
plant sheer and then said:
" Not to prevent our friends from en-
joying the game 1 will give you a chance
to call dollar bet. / raise you 81
my present bet Is s5,e01,' said the SEN
ator.
The two men took their eyes from the
cards and the table and glared at each