The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-03-03
A 4 Big | ! { pokER : 1 GAME j n
1T: WAS Played BETWEEN LAKE
!: Z" CAPTAINS ONfsHIPnOARD.
1t Degan at Five, Dollars Ante ami No
Limit. Captain Gibson Lost All
= His Money and His Boat on What
He Thought Was Royal
Straight Flush. a Mistake in
Discariling.

| switched to poker; and then Captain
Miner Davidson told this story:
| 1T has always struck me as rather
singular that you seldom hear poker
stories from this region. You hear of
great sums lost in the East. plantations
exchanging hands at a single sitting
/ in the South. and in the West Of great
heaps Of gold crossing the table in a
night; but for some reason you never
hear any one tell about the games that
used to be played on the Great Lakes.
the largest, stiffest and longest games
ever played anywhere took place at
lake ports and on lake vessels be-
tween 1850 and 1860. Several of you
must remember it. 1t was not so long
ago. It was quite natural that such
things should be, too. There were very
few steamboats, and every one was
making money, even the seamen.
More than that, thes trip from Chicago
often took as long as two weeks and
some times 20 days&and the sailors had
to do something to relieve the monot-;
ony of the trip. Poker was tried and
fitted to a; 'T'; and it also made
lot of lakemen poor and lot of gambl-
ers rich: " -':,iE. h !
II dare say some. Of you have heard
tell Of Captain john Gibson ot the two;
master Will-o'-the-Wisp. He was we'll
known for a time. The boat has been
out of commission for 20 yetrs. Well,
John Gibson was. the gameA gambler
that ever shuffled a card abng these
lakes, If you measure by LIBERAL and
careless playing, which most people do.
He came UP to Buffalo from Bradford,
Pa, some time in the 4O's ard took to
sailing. He was a hard. worler and in
eight years he was captain Of a small
boat named the Acorn, w hich was
| owned in Bay City. In a:f{w years
more he bought a boat of his own and
named her the Will-o' '-the-Ntisp, and
after working heraa few seasons he was
able to pay her off and own her clear
of everything. In 1857 theSs was pro-
prietor Of her and cap'hin, and was
making good money. was second
mate for him and 81 1853 kas ma de first
mate. Now. the captas an sin-
lin the rooms at all the lake ports ant
|by all the rowing gamesters who spen
Their time on the lakes. He often de
layed his departure from port so h,
lcould finish game and 1t was nothing
for him to miss three or four meals ant
mot know it. ~ u. .-.a-.1' -. s.35Et Z
I'm 1859, In the early part of Septem
Der, we left Chicago one afternoon 70
Buffalo with a load Of merchandise,
crew of nine and two passengers. The
Iwere introduced to- the captain az Ben
nett and Mcdonald, business men VIII
desired to make a lake trip for tn
benefit of their health. We had fai
sailing the first night out, and the cap
tain and his guests sat on deck till lat
telling stories and getting acquainted
The next day was a $corcher, and: a
night the lake was as quiet and shin
: as a tub Of quicksilver, and ther
wasn't a quiver in the air. The moo
Twas full and so bright that you coul
read on deck. The crew lounged o
the after deck, it was too warm
, sleep below, and the captain, his guest
and sat on the deck aft of the deck
, house. smoking and talking. Some
how the game of poker was suggeste,
and in less time than it takes to tell
d ldOlc udu UccIl 1clC1cu 4lOIll LIC Cdk
!, tain's office and we four were playin
Idraw. ~"
t There's no use dwelling on the earl
/ stages Of the game; no need tellin
:. how I was cleaned out in an hour an
e how Mcdonald lost big pot to tt
: lcaptain on full hand. The game We
r good from the start, and it was bettt
r when Bennett and the captain, eac
o with a stack of coin and a bunch I
q bills in front Of him, began to play
t out. Any one who knew John Gibsc
S 1could have told that he was ready f,
: lanything and the calm manner of IL
), other player indicated that he W,
Thoroughly at home. While I and M
s Donald played the limit was $50. VIII,
{ we withdrew the ante was made IS a,
the limit was removed.
- "Possibly two hours after the seco,
:. part of the game began a bottle
good liquor was produced and Cal
~ Gibson partook liberally of it, as !:
- always did while playing cards. !.
T.: the boat stopped around in the qui
sea the hands ran high and the betti
became spirited. i remember once hi
: Gibson made studied bet of ST.
o: after a two-card draw and threw ]
s~A> -