The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-20
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS.

in HOTEL CORRIDORS.
II was in St Louis few weeks ago."
said stockman from the short grass
country and as I was passing along the
street noticed a familiar face in a crowd
~ 4et tiG ~, 5sllhy peeps WllD We On
the street holding meeting. 1 was sure
that had seen the man before and was
positive that l knew him. but to save my
ne could not recall. where ! bad seen
him before. I stopped and locked at him
closely thoroughly impressed with the
notlon that 1 had known the man, and
in order to relieve my. mind and prevent
q case of nervous idgets, which 1 knew
1 would have unless my mind was put at
rest on that score. / determined to ask
him who he was. I waited until the cap
tain had finished his speech--the man with
the familiar face was the captain-and
then / tapped him on the shoulder. Would
you please tell me your name? in
of the Lord 5 Army was his santim On
ious reply. When he looked me in the
once. Didn't you used to be Texas Frank
END did you ONCE play mighty good
who are your he asked. I told him that
I had known him in the Panhandle coun-
old cattle days. He came to the hotel
after the meeting and we had talk.
was one of the toughest of the tough and
didn't know what common decency was.
poy he was badly wanted at one time
for ventilating the bodies of several Of the
leaOlng clllZenS CT a town IN IexaS and
had slight scar on the side of his face
which he carried to remember them by.
After the towns in the west had become
before heard of a cowboy and western
gambler doing, and went into the saloon
business. He lost what little he had and
after drifting around the country had
been converted by the Salvationists and
had become one of them He was very
much in earnest and was a hard worker in
the cause. He told me that he had really
had less to eat and wear since he had
been an officer in the army than ever be
fore and I believe he gloried in it, He
was not an educated or talented man in
any respect. the only talent he had was
doing the Second deal on an rnsusnect
ing man in 81 friendly game.
IT remember a game in which he took
the cattleman. 1T was in joe NcNaiiv's
place. Frank had a theory that when he
OF course he knew that there were plenty
Of hands that were higher, but he insisted
three treys there never would be a man
in the game holding anything better. He
did catch three treys he would bet them
Just as he would a royal flush for he
Ielt that ne had a cfnch. The game 1
speak OF was a pretty rich one and the
betting was high as it generally was in
those days when the night began to get
tate. me deal went around and Frank
caught his mascot hand. He played il
Tor all he dared, but was called and in
the showdown his opponent showed three
aces. 1t seemed to take the nerve out of
Frank a little, but he had a pile of money
ana kept IN the game Three times did
ne get three treys and each time he
dropped a healthy pile of money on the
hand for the other man ALWAYS held
something better. Finally the same hand
came TO him again and he threw them
On on the table face up in disgust and quit
lowed by a man who told him that it had
peen put up job and that the cards had
Deen liked The man who had dealt was
one of the most expert second dealers in
the country: Second dealing, you know,
means dealing from the bottom of the
deck Joe McNally knew of Franks fool
ish notion about three treys and had
the room again and got into the game
He had several friends with him, but they
we're standing around IN an unconcerned
manner watching the different games.
FRANK played while and presently he
pegan TO bet heavy The man who had
won from MN before came back at him
Just as heavy and they soon had up all
their money. 1t came to a show down
and started to reach for the money when
frank stopped him and threw down five
treys At the same time he gathered in
the money saying: There you -- rob-
Der, reckon held enough treys for YOU
out and one disturbed them as they
left the room. Frank had done little
trick himself in the dealing line though
no one knew how he got that extra trey
IN the deal, but it was quite SIM ne
left that night probably from the fear of
shooting match, and I have never seen
him since until the other night in st.
LOUIS
They were. speaking of the remarkable
have when one Of the travelling men said:
a know of a case of that kind in Ne
vada, Mo- or at least he was there a few
years ago. he was man who seemed
to know little but figures. I do not mean
That he was imbecile or was weak
minded, but he would do nothing but
drink whisky and loaf. His wonderful
mathematical ability. If put to proper USE
would have made him a fortune or at
least been the means Of making him
comfortable living. but instead it was his
ruination. He attended school for few
years and then did the irfant prodigy
act That is what ruined him. for it made
him too lazy to work and after he grew
UP he would do nothing. He manifested
an extraordinary fondness for figures
grew older He could perform all sorts
OF wonderful mathematical feats in men
tai calculation and would arrive at re-
suits by mysterious short cuts which he
could or would not explain. He would
ngure up the exact amount of paper it
would require to papers room while you
told him the Dimensions and the size of
the windows and DOORS Before the last
word was out of your mouth he wonld
give you the answer. He would do the
same with plastering or paint and would
hang around the drug stores waiting for
a problem IN order that he might earn
q Drink Tie was handy to have around
at invoice time and would sit on a chair
IN the store while the weight and costs
We're read to him and would fire back the
answers quicker than they could be nut
down 1t was in such work as this that
he made a poor living There never was
stand, although he never took a lessan
IN bookkeeping in his life. They would
they had gone to great pains to md, and,
If drink of whisky was offered as a
reward. he would instantly solve them.
his answers were invariably correct and
he was never known to hesitate I have
often thought that If he would explain
his method he would save years of trou-
f1r