The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-23
A CURIOUS POKER GAME.
An Undertaking Establishment Won
in Game Played in a Hearse.

in a Game Played in a Hearse.
Speaking of gambling remarked the
retired turf man, did l ever tell you
how good poker player won an under
takers whole establishment one night
while riding home from funeral in
hearse?" vs. '
This was proposition that the gamb-
lers had never gone up against, but
they were willing enough to tackle the
tale. The retired turfman vouched for
its truth to a Sun reporter.
This all happened years ago." he
said, and got the story from the man
who turned undertaken in a night. Out
where lived there was not much of a
town. No pretentions were made for
style. but a number of old aristocratic
families had their being with us. These
families were short on funds, but they
were still playing the limit on style.
and they showed it in the matter of a
funeral. When a member of one of
them died an undertaken from Green
town, fifteen miles distant, was sum-
moned to bury him, and he generally
did it in style. Well, one day old
Colonel Badger died. He had been a
politician and had amassed consider
able wealth and lost it all in bad specu-
lation. His people wanted to bury him
with more or less show, and so the fun
eral director from Greentown was
summoned by wire. He came, handled
the funeral in great shape, and got
the body buried in the afternoon just
before big thunder storm swept over
the town. He expected to remain over
night in town, and was comfortably
quartered at the hotel early in the
evening, when his assistant at Green
town telegraphed to him to hurry home
for another funeral. So he had to go
that night The storm was spent,
though the heavens were dark and
gloomy and another spell of lightning
and rain was not unexpected. Wlile
the negroes in the stable were hitching
the horses to the hearse a young man
who was at the hotel. drummer, SAID
he had missed his train out and would
like to make Greentown that night so
he could finish his work and leave ear
~ in the morning. The embalming
artist offered him seat on the hearse.
It's not the kind of train l usually
take, said the drummer. but l want to
reach your city, and if three of us can
crowd on the seat / will risk it.
When the hearse was driven up to
the hotel porch the guests ambled out
to see it start. The undertaken had his
trappings and the drummer had his
grips. There was a lot of joking, and a
moment later the death carriage ratified
off through the sand.
Five miles out drops of rain began fall
ing and rumblngs of thunder made the
drummer shove further on the seat.
The undertaken suggested that they go
inside to escape the drenching which
was certain to come, and the drummer
consented. The driver had a stack of
coats to keep himself dry. Just after
the two men crawled into the hearse
the rain began to come down in tor
rents. The passengers had a lantern,
though they could not feel comfortable.
The drummer opened his satchel and
brought out a flask He offered 1t to
the undertaken, who took a heavy swig
and then passed it back. The drummer
finished it. AS he fumbled with his
grip deck of cards fell out.
Whew" remarked the funeral di-
rector. Whiskey and cards in a hearse
at midnight almost
WE'LL to show our nerve said the
drummer we might play a bit here
just to talk of 1t afterward. You can
take those coffin nails there in the box
for chips, and I'll gamble that We'll
have story to tell at Greentown to-
morrow, provided we get there alive
1t would be funny, though, to see an
undertaken die in his own hearse.'
The road was not bad and the hearse
jolted but little. The lantern was suf-
ficient to cast good light The drum
mer took cardbox and turned out a
handful of small-sized coffin nails, not
cigarettes, young man, but the real
things He divided the pile evenly, and
then offered to make each nail worth
nickel.
";At the most he said you can't