The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-16
SHERMAN'S POKER GAME.
TFrom the New work. Sun.

CFrom the New York SUM-
The last time Gen. Sherman attended
commencement at West Point was in
June, 1889. The members of the grad
uating class received their diplomas
from his hand that year and he also
delivered the commencement address
In the beautiful summer evening that
followed the old general sat on the wide
veranda of the hotel and told stories.
4 heard of some pretty big games OF
poker in the early days out west, he
said, and maybe I saw one or two.
But the biggest one I ever saw or heard
of was during the war. 1t would have
made your heads swim to have heard
the bets that L heard made that night.
1t was just after the march to the sea,
when we We're up in North Carolina. /
took it into my head that night thai
would make a quiet round of the out
posts myself and see how things were
coming on In some bushes in the woods
well within our lines, L saw a light
cleaning and a number of forms clus-
tered around it all evidently very intent
on something. | came quietly up toward
them without attracting any attention
They We're all too much absorbed to
notice the cracking of twigs or the
rustling of leaves under my feet. At
last l was near enough to distinguish
voices and make out what was said
And the first words I heard We're:
d" I'll see you 100000 and go you $780,
900 better
"Whew! The figures fairly took my
breath away And they were privates.
too! 1t was easy enough to make that
out. They had a blanket spread out
on the ground and We're all Squatted on
it or beyond its edges some bending
eagerly forward peering over the shout
ders of those who We're in front of them.
A couple of candle ends stuck in bot
ties afforded the illumination. And by
this dim light / saw corded up stacks
and stacks of bills, regular bundles and
bales Of them, It was like looking into
No
sight made me blink with wonder.
" I'll raise you $500, 000.'
THAT was the next thing I heard. 1t
was said as nonchalantly as though it
were a question of five cent chips. And
the players did not look like Croesuses,
either. You have heard about Sher-
mans bummers. Well. these were Sher-
mans bummers and they looked it OF
course that game then was just lit
tie bit irregular, but could not bear
to break it UP. l got interested in it.
l felt as though I would like to see the
limit reached, hear somebody called,
and, just for curiosity know who raked
in the million or so dollars that probably
would be in the pot when that interest
ing event occurred. did not have to
wait long. / have forgotten just the
amount that changed hands. but it was
somewhere up around a million The
winner took up an armful of bills and
swept them over in a heap by his side.
g Now, I'll tell you what I'll do Bill,
he said. I'll put up the hull million
agin plug of tobacco and play ye three
straight games of euchre-best two out
of three and leave the sevens and Fights
in the deck
well. gentlemen continued the gen.
eral. with his dry little laugh, lit is no
need to tell you that I had begun to get
a little light on the situation before this
liberal proposition was made. I re-
membered that we had just raided a
town where we had come upon a ton
or so of reb money, and that the boys
had had the fancy to cart away several
hundred weight of it. They had lots OF
fun with that money. and I am indebt-
ed to it for having had the pleasure OF
looking on at probably the biggest
poker game ever played in the United
States. I did not break up the little tea
party. Poor fellows! Lord knows
they had been through enough hard
times to entitle them TO a little fun"