The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1900-04-21
POOR PANTS LOST A JACK POT.
shoddy Cloth Wouldn't Hold the
Hook of the Gamblers Hold
Out Machine.

The night bartender was standing
before the mirror carefully arranging
the diamond in his brilliant necktie.
The seedy sport watched him in silent
envy.
II could do that once myself, Tom, -
he said, at last.
"What's that you could do?"
sect stuck on myself in the glass.
always had the clothes when they came
my way. Did | ever tell you how u
cheap suit ruined me? Well, here's a
hard-luck story that will make your
whiskers curl. You remember Jim
DAILY, don't you? A good boy? You bet
he was. But. say; he did throw me
down hard, though didn't blame him.
This is how il was, and I've been hoo
dooed ever since. There was a crowd
of fellows, printers, most of them, used
to hang out in "A little place on the
North side, and once in awhile play a
game of poker. Well, you know me.
The game was mine, all right, and
held IL down till one night / got lit
tie too much on board and gave the
snap away to Jim. He was straight
enough about it, but he got his rake
Oft after that, and there wasn't enough
in IL for the two of us.
when the game kind of fell off Jim
got an idea he would pick up some
money in the little Indiana town he
came from, so he went down there to
see about IL. He found game he
thought was all right. and sent for me.
j was pretty well on my uppers, but
gathered up enough money for a suit
of 'hand-medown and my fare, and
flew.
II was working with leg hold-out.'
You know the kind all right. 1t takes
nerve to work il, but it's good every
time. Igot to the town and Jim showed
me around and introduced me as an old
chum, and we made ourselves solid for
a day or two. Easy money was in sight
and lots of IL. We sat i'm few games
and lay low, of course, and then we got
our chance. There were six in the
game this time, and the suckers had
lots of the stuff / went to work early
didn't mean TO let anything get b.
me, you know-and the first time i
went TO make play, hang me if the
hook on the hold-out didn't rip clean
through those shoddy pants Of mine.
You could have heard the click on the
spring clean out on the street, but
those greenies sat there and never
caught on. was pretty well knocked
out, but / set the hook i'm again, deeper
this time, and took another chance.
Finally got a stiff hand planted all
right, though l felt the pants ripping,
and the play was waiting for showed
up. 1t was a good pot and sat in the
drivers seat. My turn came and /
went after the sailed hand. / guess
pulled too hard. Any way, the cloth
wouldn't hold and the hook slid
through ! just had the hand at the
top of the table when the spring shut
down with a noise like an earthquake,
and the cards few out-three of them,
and the spring in full sightl
"Those players were pretty green,
but that was too much. The fellow
closest to mel believe sure he was
n brother of Kid McCoy-handed me
one on the jaw that lifted me out OF
my chair, and the rest of them piled
on. jim? Why, Jim was the mad
dest of the whole crowd guess he
was, for a fact-and he gave me some
punches harder than any Of them. !
was sight when they got through,
and i tell you l made a record getting
out of that town-lost my hold-out,
too.
Tough? / should say it was tough
II ever you go in that business, Tom,
don't wear shoddy clothes. There's no
money in it."-Chicago Inter Ocean.