The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-01

game.
 Dr. Kelley is known as q cautious player who generally holds his owp. Of late years his u health has prevent ed his weekly attendance on the game.
 Dr. Bernard is always g puzzle to tne mind. He scarcely ever opens his mouth. and becomes so completely ab- sorbed in the game that he Is popuiariy known as silent Barnard.
 pr. Barnard learned the game in his early youth down in Maine. where cards were strictly undr the ban. Ills companions defined his play as the s.hay mow game" Like the heather Chinee. his friends can never tell what he has up his sleeve" but they use that expression only in figurative sense, for the doctor is. above all. square player.
 Tf is Ed Clement who still meets with the club. whose playing is described as reckless. While he often loses heavily, his plunging quite as often brings him quick affiuence. He nearly always loses or wins more than any one, else at the table.
 The aggregate losses and winnings are. of course, immense. Judge Welch recalls that when he casted in one night he was on the s200 stakes. he opened with two pairs--fives and efghts. He opened the pot for considerable sum and nearly the whole board came in and saw" his. Some went better. .
 T retain my position in the pot. :" said Judge weich, "and drew one card. It was another five spot. We'll. had them all guessing, and. sir. just back ed them all off the table. swept the deck. paid my debt and had between $2,O 900 and 5000 to the good"
 J, H. Thompson. during his member ship. was the official arbiter of the club and he invariably settled all disputes which arose. to the general satisfaction of the assembled company.
 Judge Searles is called the forty niner'' of the club. and not without cause. The judge learned the fine points of the game in California. the very cradle of poker. during the gold fever. It takes strong and daring player to cope with him.
 Coat Wasn't Stake.
 An incident occurred when the game was lon" one night at Dr. Barnards which Judge Smith had occasion to re- member to his dying day. It was in the winter and Judge Smith wore a handsome fun coat. The judge after wards swore to having hung 1t up in the hallway as he entered. However, that may be, it Is solem1ly recorded on the official minutes of that meeting that when the eminent jurist was about to retire the coat was missing. A sneak thief had evidently taken advan- tage of the clubs complete absorption on the game to confiscate the garment. The club. as a committee of the whole, had its doubts on that score. for after Investigating the matter 1t again went on record as being of the opinion that the coat had been rnsteriously spirited into Dr. Barnard's cellar. Judge Smith never saw the coat again.
 B. l.. Perry is the present "factotum" of the club. He keeps the money bag, and never misses meeting. MT. Lara way is the present president of the club having been elected to the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Thompson.
 The club was organized largely for the benefit of Frank Morse. Mir. Morse was paralyzea in his lower limbs, and as 1t was difficult for him to get around his friends organized the club fully as much for his amusement as their own. The majority of the members lived in the same sections of the city, and as they met alternately at their respective residences. Mr. Morse didn't have far to go when he was not the host.
 No organization could possibly have been more set against gambling. Under no circumstances. does the club coun- tenance playing for gain.