The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-07-25
DRAW POKER WITH KING EDWARD

UGH has been written about the
nv present King Edward of England.
w but the following story was related
to my father by a prominent Washington
lawyer (since deceased), who, during
business visit to London in the early '7os
called on Minister Schenck. who at that
time represented this country at the Court
of St. James. and with whom he had been
we'll acquainted in America. Given In his
own words the story runs as follows:
"'By the way said Schenck, as we were
about to separate one morning, what are
you going to do this afternoon3'
Nothing of moment replied. NO pro-
gramme in particular
IS There is going to he a poker game at
the Langham,' said Schenck. and If you
care for the exercise. I'd like to have you
in. The Prince of Wales will be one Of
the party
This last rather dazzled me. I reflected
that it isn't given every American citizen to
bluff and raise and draw cards against
a prince born in the purple. l would go:
l cared not whit for poker. but 1t would
be an experience whereof to tell the bato
when they grew up. Tell them how papa
beat the Prince of Wales / told Schenck
I'd be there. He seemed delighteo, ana no
doubt was, for he was a loyal good fel-
low and liked to put his friends in the way
to be pleased One thing l forgot-the
limit But had a couple of thousand dol
lars in London and felt elegantly safe
even supercilliously so.
-"
"Three o'clock came and repaired to the
I.angham. The others came In later. In
addition to the Prince Of Wales came aiso
Ansem RothSchild of the bank or that
name and the Duchess of Marlborough.
I'll say right here that the lady was the
best player of the lot. With these three
Schenck and sat down. Just after was
presented to the prince. l asked Schenck
hat 1iYnit ObtHlnG0
at these poker festivals. He replied, also IN
a strong 'aside.' that there was no limit
1.-The prince never plays with limit
whispered Schenck; it would infringe MS
dignity as a prince.
Il felt a bit cold after this. My $4,000
blinging in the Bank of England vault with
its yellow neighbors didn't seem such wad
Of money. In fact. 1t began to diminish
and appear paltry and mean when maue
to face the proposition of hmitiess play
against Englands heir apparent with the
whole island 10 draw on, to say nothing
of the Rothschilds. 1t started the perspi-
ration, but I was in and couldn't get OUT.
I hastily made up my mind to stay long
enough to lose 500 or SO, and then grow
suddenly i'll and extricate myself. 1t was
a happy thought. Cold feet would pun
me out if my losses became too lowering.
-.
"As we sat down. however, two things
happened to disturb my dream or 'cold
u
to bank the game. and the first thing the
prince said was: Give me $1,000 worth of
chips And he said it with no more of
notice or emphasize than If he had said
! Pass the pie
"I began to realize that was liable to
| lose my $4,000 the first hand, before cold
| feet could come to the rescue. To add to
my grief the heir of the Rothschilds placed
| book made up of signed checks by MS
| elbow, with blank place for him to write
pencil of the editorial brand. The Roths-
child did buy chips. He played In these
checks. No wonder l began TO sweat
| to be caught between tn banking house
of the Rothschilds and the British EN-.
| pire with only $1,000. The one ray OF
encouragement in 1t all was that the
duchess-fne old lady, too-only bought
S. 900 worth of chips. I steered by that and:
although groaning inwardly, bought $l.oOo
worth of chips also. Schenck smiled APP
knowingly, I learned afterward that I did
right 1t would have not. been etiquette
| to buy as much as the prince. was glad
! of that: l would have been In pretty NIX
| if etiquette had taken the other shoot.
! -"
"Well, it's hardly worth while to go into
! $50 four call ten. I got good enough
hands, but was scared to death. ! didn't
dare bet them. The prince would look at
| his cards in a royal ermined way and say:
Il raise the ante $oV.
| 1.-THE young Rothschild would look at his
| cards and observe, with the same indtner-
| ence to my feelings which distinguished the
| prince: 'Ill see that and go $3.50 better.
| These blood-curdlng remarks took place
! before the draw, mind you. And then
| they'd lean back and call for what cards
! they wanted. and organize to bet $lO,OOo to
SIS. OO0-anything that happened to pass into
their reckless minds. That's the sort OF
company I'd got into. I laid down hand
after hand and stayed out all could. but
for all my lodging lost ZOO IN the nrst
forty-five minutes: simply anted 1t away.
about the end of the first hour l got
three acres. They were all that saved
me. too / broke into a plethoric jackpot
| with them, which the prince and the
Rofhschild Immediately raised several
| times as if for exercise. In the end won
1t; it swelled my fortune over $1,000 After
that Unanswered very cautiously and quit
at 6 D. M about S:oo behind the game.
THAT ended my dash. as 1t were, into
the royal family. 1 never passed more
| miserable afternoon in my life. Schenck
| and the duchess played along with much
calmness and phlegm. but l was SO OPP
pressed with my danger and harassed by
the reckless betting of the prince and
the Rothschild that have no recollection
as to how they Jared Schenck asked me
| to other poker parties. but / had pre-
yious engagement each time. Games with
out limits against players equally unbound-
| ed are too many for me-.