The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-05

The Man from Tampa Tells How Uncle
snm,s EiGhtera Bent Two ~mGnmblnhM.n

the man from Tampa, In combany with q
party Of New Workers. was enjoying his after
dinner cigar In an uptown CATS. His chair was
tilted back on its rear legs and a diamond as
big as a Springfield bullet blazed In his ruff
ned shirt front.
Speaking OF roknh, sah." said the Tampa
man as one Of the party concluded a story Of
that game, permit me TO observe that some
Of the most remarkable pokah playahs in the
country ah to be found among Uncle Sam'sp rl-
vate soldiers. Yes, gentlemen, among the en-
llated men OF the regulate"
The listener showed signs Of incredulity and
one OF them exclaimed derisively:
Thirteen perl"
But, sab" continued the Tampa man, cor
sidah that there are 1000 men in a regiment
aud that 1000 times S13 is $4,000. l rec
kon. sab, that there's o lively game In that
sum whom the most OF II gets sifted into "a few
hands. And remembah. gentlemen. that the
enlisted man OF the regulars is the most care
free Of men. The nickels with which he antes
in a email pokah game are nothing noah to
him than 30 many beeah checks. 1t is the
came with his dullahs In q biggah game. The
necessaIies OF life he can lose only by bad
conduct. He can gamble away only his lux
uries. That makes him the most dashinR OF
.Ramblahs. while constant practices makes him
- ASS bAhS ANSH oNA' bhN - WI
skilful and dangerous dealah.
AT Tampa Height, last spring there was a
bahn-like building that the regulars called
Noah's Ark. They called 1t that because 1t
contained Ill the animals. including the tiRah.
Nosihfss' Ark ini'' | do SA not ' recall III its O6 name 1% ''R TS he
proprletah OF the ark did pot run the games,
and MS dslim ayayt ran To ts me e soid ied rented IN tha see w tael ss
was able to juggle with ouah local laws fob
many weeks. A private who had won a
layout and open a snap ion his less ~afiuent
comrades to buck. In addition to the bank
pokah. The place was IpaucSedd to the doahs and.
money was plentiful; lt did not take long ioh
ouah if SiS f 3tf n N prSpisssi9nals to realize the
"One evening happened in and noticed. the
operations OF a couple of that gentry. whom l
we're Jackson and ENGLAND, and they were
most expert and dishonest Kamblahs.. Aftah
t thsir ! p Sssd ss drN fh 1e ey Siaye sGye onIH d qR% TStSh
and were winning steadily from the soldiers.
There we're always q numbah Of uniformed
that every play OF the professionals was closely
scrutinized and studied. But no one evan in
We'll, sahs. one evening. l found the pat
rons of the Ark in a remarkably quiet mood.
t hre Isihk Tbe d pl sne 6a sa we oFSR nSI fa aS esG cast D fns-
tive and expectant glances ovah their shout
ders towahd the table where the gamblahs
OF bluecoats around that table was even lnrgah
than usual. l felt that a denouement was at
the soldiers was strictly sobah and the othah
was apparently drunk. II was the drunken
~. passed them. to the soldier on his right fob
the cutsand dealt them abou: az skilfully as a
niRgah boy playing old sledge on a bale. of cot
game proceeded, Meanwhile. the gamblah,
ENGLAND; who sat ! 9pposite The drunken nj sol,
pssr' HEST lie slyi Sp gave nas nf his n psrt iHana J% }1e ( a
glimpse OF it. jackson and the sobah soldier
held worthless hands. The drunken soldier
the same moment his sobah, comrade ALSO
turned and asked an onlooker back OF him fob
deftly turned ovah the drunken soldiers hand
and showed 1t to England. IT was a pat ace
IIo5i Sp in 1 snSRrise az az the in,s sn ffSS nt donloneahs J.
but their faces were as impassiye and indif-
ferent rs, If they were Cinnamon. l was :indig-
nant. saahs. and came very ah-interfering
die. "H9 9yInsd np haiE II his I'D drink abm the drunken 111n \ so OIL
| with foah Kings nat. raised it $50. The sobah
5 52snee, th .a1gi. his s,h hand odun in the he d lee hid % The n
dollah on the table was in the pot; for the
rade's money. It looked like a plain case, OF
" men ross lifting a third out of all his
When. all the money was up. the drunken
cahds. England, with f4 3Ra kings pat soi drew
tossed the two queensi in the discahd and took
two eahds. Then said Jackson:
"'1 call table stakes
England smiled confidently ovah his roah
III regret exceedingly. that. having no
NOAH money, I must do likewise
The drunken soldier. suddenly becoming
sobah. remarked with Indian brevity:
Same heah!'
Then he turned ioyah foah aces and raked
l In the pot. Stuffing the big wads of bills in
his pockets, he got up from the table. stretched.
yawned and said ~sleepily:
It's neah tapsp
Then he sauntered out Of the Ark and the
towahd the doah one OF the soldier playahs at
a stud game looked up at a passing soldier
who had beer, one OF the onlookahs and asked
lis it of?'
THE ansah was a silent nod. Now. sahs.
will you please infohm me whethah that was
: drunken soldiers luck or a case OF the bitahs