The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-10
, GREATEST GAME or POKER.
Fathers. Sons and Grsndsons Played /" LOT
Half q Century-How II Ended.

ia GREATEST GAME or POKER.
Fathers. Sons and Grandsous PLAYED II Tor
Half q Century-How II Ended.
The two men approached the card table re-
luctantly. without that eagerness SHOWN ny
most persons about to sit into a game Oh poker
These men seemed burdened almost ny 'he
famous weight OF centuries" that NJ. Millet ana
Mr.. Markham exploited with so much sorrow
and profit. After they had sat down. they
did not take UP any pack OF CARDS; tnoueh
there were no cards on the table. they began
10 bet, sadly, as II their hearts were not IN what
should have been a pleasure to both, though
a profit to only one.
IL raise you one cent. /" sighed John Oxheart.
the third Of that name. And his friend said
gloomily:
"Iseeyouan 60 you one better
Il raise you the limit. remarked OIheart.
and George Flintthe third again replied.
Il sec your raise and raise you all the way.
So the game went on until ten bets had been
made. In one corner Of the room sat an intelll-
gent stenographer, who In an old-fashioned
notebook had been taking down each bet a. 1t
was made. He now closed the notebook. laid It
on the table, and retired.
Thirty-six years ago Col. John Oxheart Of the
Ninety-Seventh Virginia fell at the head OF his
men on that bloody field of-every student OF
American history knows full well the battle TO
which the writer refers. BY his side fell Lieut.
Col. Flint. Their deaths ended the first act Of
the comedy now become almost a tragedy.
Eight years earlier, In 1855. these two gallant
Virginia men had met at a friendly game Of cut
throat poker. Their names expressed their
characters. When rot troubled or thwarted.
nothing could be more lovable than these two
gentlemen. But cross them in anything. how
ever little the hitler the better and they be-
came wild animals. Thousands and Thousands
Of slaves had these gentlemen struck
down. manned, dying, dead. when angered
by some trivial fault. Each had only one son
surviving out OF large families. the wives and
other children having In both families died Of
decline superinduced by ill-treatment. Yet
these two gentlemen were loving and respected
neighbors.
SO, to while away q dragging hour, they sat
down to play poker. The limit was five cents;
simple minded children OF nature, they did not
make the limit too high. They played merely
for amusement; the money In the game af-
fected them not. SO they began. After an
hour or so. when Major Oxheart had about
eight cents Of Capt. Flint's money they had
not then their Anal military titles) IL was the
Majors turn to bet. lie bet the limit; and the
Captain saw him and raised the limit. Two or
three breathless minutes passed during which
each In turn saw his friend's raise. and raised 1t.
There must have been 81 So on tho board.
The Major evidently took in Ill part the pert
inacity of his friend.
"Yeh betteh drop out, George. he said. I've
got yeh kilt"
Il won't drop out yet awhile. sch. answered
Flint. It'll take moh'n yeh have TO kill me. =
Don't yeh reply to me In tina tone O. voice.
ssh!- cried the Major ansrily. I'm wohnin'
yeh TO- you health. seh!"
4 thank you. sch. answered Flint. ssrcas-
tically; I'm suit My everlastingly obligated
To yeh, sch. but 1 can stay you hand out"
The major swore a great oath that he could and
would beat the Captains hand, and both friends
glared angrily at, each other across the table;
They stood like that for so long that the hotel
keeper. aroused at the unwonted quiet, en-
tered the room 10 see what was the matter.
lie called help: the two friends. who had be-
and trouble was averted for the time. But
Capt. Flint bade the tavern keeper to seal his
hand Of cards in a package. and saw II done
his hand sealed in a similar package.
A few days later the two friends met again.
and after some talk. returned TO the game.
The hands. still sealed up, were produced by
II hadleft off. Disagreement again broke up the
game. and again the %boniface, Col. Carter.
took charge of the hands, sealing them In sec
| ond envelopes So for five years the game
went on. never finished; and at each separation
Col. Carter sealed the hands in additional en-
velopes.
but not for long. Again and again, as chance
permitted, Col. Oxheart and Lieut. Col. Flint
would get the packages from Gen. Carter and
e Sssia i fsii at He tss S snSIn y ia game men ON M tSat f Gsai
day with which every reader, &C. he had
strength to turn over the packages TO his adj
jutant, Taking them from the bosom of his
dress coat--he always wore full uniform in
battle-he gave them to Major TOlliver and
babe him care for them with his LIES blood.
Then the gallant soldier and sportsman died.
Col. Tolliver The had been promoted) gave
the packages 70 the representative Of the heirs;
Col. Jones Enraughty- Darby, who placed
cumstances,. It was only natural that the two
heirs should be represented by one person.
Col, Enraughty-D Darby related the facts In
their consciences to lead them to do what
would do. They went on with the gamel The
saiRe ' had left itS Of. The heI progress Srssn made S%e was little listle
and slow, for their altered circumstances
kept them apart much Of the time.
eldest in u soe e .ssS m malr teia s she story sap s Of the 20 sr ,se
game; and II is these men. .grandsons Of the
| original players, that carried on the game.
Every week II they could get together, they
met and made ten bets: Neither faltered,
| though both knew that when the end should
| come ono OF them would be ruined for life.
But stu they played on.
After the stenographer had gone they sat
down idly at the table and called for refresh-
ments. They were still discussing the mar
ket. for they were partners. one living In this
city. the other IN Chicago. when a cry Of FIRE
rang through the hotel. They escaDed with
their lives. not remembering until too late that
! on the table lay the record book In which were
put down every bet that they, their fathers
and their grandfathers had made on the long
dealt hands. Their first feeling was one OF
dismay: Then. simultaneously. over each
"Hurrahl" they. shouted together, and In the
open street they fell on each others necks and
| continue the game?
George Flint ~telegraphed at once to Tolliver
EnIaughty OF Enraughty 4 Carter. Esauires.. Of
Richmond. who soon appeared in the city with
a parcel-the, two packages containing the
hands over which so many thousand bets had
been made. Solemnly, as IL at the reading OF
a will. the packages were opened. Each was
marked on the outer covering with the name
of its holder.
This was my .grandfather's." said O1heart,
with a culver In his voice,
MY grandfather held this. said Flint softly.
caressingly.
The lawyer went on with his work in silence.
II was almost like unrolline a mummy TO take
these hands were wrapped. At last Mr. En-
naughty stopped and read from the envelope
unopened in his hand
II do not know which Of these damned hands
belonged TO which OF those damned fools, so |
have marked his one for Flint and the other
tnE khn AeaA 80 - A. -