The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-02-03
CEN. SHERMtk'S POKER CANE.

The last time General Sherman at
tended commencemt mt at West Point
was in June. 1889. The members of the
graduating class received their diplo-
mas from his hand that year, and he
also delivered the commencement adj
dress. In the beautiful summer even
ing that followed the old general sat
on the wide veranda OF the MOTEL and
told stories.
Il heard of some pretty big games
OF poker In the early DAYS out West"
he said, and maybe ] saw one or two.
But the biggest one | ever saw or heard
of was during the war. 1t would have
made your heads swim TO have heard
the bets that | heard made that night.
IL was just after the march 10 the sea
when we were up in North Carolina |
took II into my head one night that l
would make quiet round of the out
posts myself, and see how things were
coming on. In some bushes i'm the
woods. we'll within our lines, | saw "a
light streaming and number OF forms
clustered around Il, all evidently in
tent on something. | came quickly up
toward them without attracting any
attention. They were all too much alb
sorbed 10 notice the cracking of twigs
At last | was near enough To distin-
guish voices and make out what was
said. And the first words / heard were:
IN see you 100000 and go you
S25000 better
"Whew! The figures fairly took my
breath away And they were privates
toot IL was easy enough 70 make that
out. They had a blanket spread on the
ground and were all squatted on IL or
beyond It's edges, some bending eagerly
forward peerng over the shoulders OF
those who were i'm front of them A
couple OF candle ends stuck in bottles
afforded the illumination. And by this
dim light ] saw corded up stacks and
stacks of bills. regular bundles and
bales OF them. 1t as like looking into
a United states treasury vault The
sight made me blink with wonder.
IN raise YOU $500 000
THAT was the next thins ! heard II
was said as uonchalantly as though IL
were question Of 5-cent chips. And
the players did not look like Croesuses.
either You have heard about Sher-
mans bummers. Wei. these were
Sherman's bummers.and they looked IL.
Og course that game was Just little
Z bit irregular. hut ! could not bear to
! break II up. | got interested In IT, |
/ felt as though ! would like 10 see the
limit reached. hear somebody called.
and just FOR curiosity know VIII ID
/ was who raked In the million or 50 dol
I lars that probablv would bc in the Dot
I when that interesting event occurred.
/ / did not have 90 wait long. have f1r-
gotten iust the amount that
7 changed hands. but n was somewhere
4 up round million. The winner took
uu nm arnful 90 bills and swept them
over IN q hcap hy his side.
" Now, Tu tcll y0u what I'll do BW'
/ he said. I'm put up the hull million
aclu "a piug OF tobacco and play We
three straight games ~ euchre-boei
two ont oi fhrre. nnl leave The sevens
/ ana olvhIe ir The deck
! ''Wru gentlemen. ." continued Iha rar.
/ eral with b'" Dry little laurh. "i is nc
! need 10 tali ycu that Nad begun tl r,i
I D.. t'e lI-hf .nt tho situation before this
/ lihnral nIUplsiflon wac made 7 70.
! mruhors1 that we h1d ius. rQf1od q
town whcro wc had me unon tor
7 ~ Fo ~ rob money anl th0 tho boy,
had had the Fancy to cart av'1v severo
hundred vni-'ii of it Thev had ipts ol
frr with 'hof w0ncv. apd 7 am indoht.
/ r1 iNN f'r havir1 i11 tho pleasure nj
-rtinr 0n ~ r~ohnhlv tho hirVcet nok
or rafno n'Qvod in fhe r'1ped Statcs
di1 not hroak 40 the ntilc te1 marty
Ts.r lows. irrd knows they had beeI
! through on 'ugh hard times to eutlti'
! thom On "a little fun."