Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1900-11-02
BIG FooT's SHOE WON.
Singular Stake in Gentlemen'a Game
of Poker I'm Lcavcnworth.s Bloom-

"
of Poker I'm Lcavcnworth's Bloom-
ing Days. fi;. 4H'
did l ever tell you how Big Foot
Ed Bunch, of Leavenworth, won near
ly $1,000 on a poker hand, by betting
one of his shoes?" asked the old
sport. No? Well, then I'll tell you
"Bnclt in the Cos Big Foot Bunch
was the most famous poker player
that ever struck Leavenworth. In
those days the old town was an out
fitting point and was booming.
Bunch's one striking characteristic
was the size of his feet, and that is
how he got his name. No other man
of modern times ever carried such
pair of feet. They were each fully
1s inches in length, and he was COM
PEELED to have his shoes made to Or
der.
Zone evening after boat. load of
tourists had come up, Big Foot fell
into conversation with some of the
passengers and finally a poker game
was suggested. Four men, including
Big Foot, signihed their desire to
play and in a few minutes they were
at IL, AS the cards were being
thuffied for the first deal one of the
three strangers remarked that he
guessed it would be gentleman S
game, which means a game in which
n player may make bets without put
ting his money in front of him, in
other words, betting on credit. AS
the three strangers all looked pros
porous Big Foot said that he was sat
| isfed, and the game proceeded.
"In those days the old-fashioned
leather pocketbooks were used al
most exclusively by wealthy men.
You will remember that they had one
compartment for bills which folded
up and the book was held together
by strap which slipped through a
leather holder. Every now and then
one of the strangers would dig up
his leather pocketbook, throw it into
the middle of the table and murmur:
a thousand better
rig Foot had about 81, 500 in cash
in front of him but his hands were
not running high, and it was some
time before he had occasion to go
against the pocketbook play. Final
ly on his own deal he caught three
tens to go, and the fourth ten
dropped into his hand On the draw
Everybody stayed, and when it got
nround to Big Foot after the draw he
made raise that took every cent in
front of him. The first player TO tho
left then went for his pocketbook
again and tossing it into the center
simply remarked: $1,000 better The
next man saw the raise and went il
$500 more. The third man threw his
pocltclbook into the center to make
good, and the three looked at Big
Foot inquiringly.
big foot was equal TO the occa'
sion. He was convinced that he had
the tor hand. and he proposed to play
il for all il was worth. Quickly slip
ping off one of his immense shoes nc
threw il into the center with the re
mark: We'll, gentlemen, as you are
all playing leather. / will do little
of il myself. l guess there's enough
good calf-skin there to see the bets
already made, and raise $1,000 more.
"The other players sized up The
shoe and then breaking into hearty
laugh laid down their hands. Big
Foot raked in all the loose money il
sight, and the strangers then opened
their pocketbooks and counted ouI
the amounts for which their leather
stood.
"1ve heard lots of times of fellows
betting their clothes on a hand, bu
/ Doubt if you will find another in
stance in the history OF draw pokel
where players shoe was good FOL
$1,000 pot"