Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-10-08
IT'S FOOLISH TO PLAY POKER.
So Declares Man Who Gives Inter-
esting Information From His
Experience,

FROM the New lorh Press.
Poker? Not again. At least, not Just
now. And | would advise all young men
who have regulations TO make or charact-
ers to sustain to avoid the game II they
can hold their own and have desire to
find all the flaws in alleged friends, why.
my brethren, l say play poker. The lovely
game OF draw shows up a man. II strikes
right at the heart and brain. mis- liver and
bowels. One who can go through a sea-
son without reproach is a friend to grapple
to ones soul with hooks of the finest
Harveyized steel as big as bridge cables
Never let him get away. for he is about
the scarcest article in the universe.
No man can play poker in reason or with
reason unless he is born with a gold spoon
in his mouth and everything turns to dia-
monds. Some of the closest friends | ever
had were exposed at the poker table. and
about them IN six months at that game
than forty years of intimate acquaintance
would have taught me in any other line
of friendship" Poker costs young man
valuable time. lots of money and stacks of
friends. | use the word friends In a
general sense, which means such chaps as
young fellow runs with One real
friend Is as much as man can expect.
All the others try to do him. Damon
had one friend. Pythias one. and their
friendship is prettier than anything in the
Bible.
have been through the poker mill.
When my table was ready, and the cards
ready, the cigars ready. and your humble
servant was ready to lose and be banker.
my door bell rang al all hours. and my
friends" were numerous. They would will
ingly sit up with me all night. and some
times remain to breakfast. You never saw
so sacrificing lot Of fine fellows. tSacri-
swine, and still Others were pigs. Each who
reads this will know that | refer to him.
a few We're gentlemen. Ny little home
was turned into a sty. They spat on the
floor uinp1 - .
beer like watts. and guzZled whisky as If all
Kentucky had gone dry. When sandwiches
eg bn of9re 1hsm 'heY take tSs
on top: they are all alike: don't handle
the whole outfit
One night a good many years ago | sat
1t was. real hard thinking. too. l had
been lifted out by. friends. hung up by
friends. and had friends" to come up
OF beer in u sitting was nothing. \ gallon
of whisky was only a sulp. \ box of ci-
CARS was merely puff. rage now when
that worked me, Reason returned.
tore up every card | had. cast out my
chips and said No more poker!" From
that day to this have not touched n card
| am happy in forgetting the nightmare of
draw But no one of the old gang comes
near me row. Nothing is to be made at
my table. / cannot he skinned: therefore
they have no use for me. They have
found pastures new.
few old friends. VINO did not come
around when We had poker. have come
back to visit me since l had the sense to
quit it. They are not on the make. as the
phrase goes. They come to talk and swan
lies and have sensible. quiet gossipy
scandalizing time. | am an older man than
you think, but there are other old fools
who passed the meridian before they
| learned that they couldn't play poker. II
| could have won every night l woudn't
| have cared for the loss of my friends. -
| but to lose them and my money too was
what brought me around. | gamble &c
| wiz. So does every honest man. He is
not gambling to lose. When one says 20
we'll ! don't want to win Your money" h
! lins ,rnll him In his tsaiE