The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-22
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A TOURNAMENT AT POKER.
Nlcksburg sharps Up Against Arkan-
sas City skill,

sns NNy SIKH.
From the New York Sun
1t sure Is mysterious how a man can
queer hisself, or get queered in this
world" said old man Greenhut as he
leaned his elbows on the bar and looked
az the negro who was piling up cordwood
oehlnd the big stove. That there niger
Jim is curious example o. cross pur-
poses, an a ever present reminder o.
the mysterious o. Providence.
First time ] ever seen him he were
coming down the river on the old packet
River Belle. we're tendin' bar an he
were q deck passenger with handouts
Just naturally I wouldn't never ha' maid
no attention to him, an wouldn't ba'
Rnowed he was there II it hadn't been
that he did somethin' that sort o. made
us all notice him.
Pears the mate o. fha pivor po,,o
had been pretty rough with Jim an his
pal, for Jim was handcufed TO a IittIe
Old Obi Niger that was catched along
with him in st. Louis. He'd been drink
IN pretty heavy for a week an he were
ugly enough when he were sober. but
when he were half drunk he were a
brute for fair. Knockin' down a nieger
with the slungshot he carried were nothin'
to him, an he used to do II for fun when
ne hauh no otner excuse, an il seems
this Obi Niger was layin' for him.
Where he got the knife nobody know
ed. Leastways, maybe Jim knowed. bur
nobody else did, an Jim swore he didn't.
FOLKS believed him, too, all but that
Yankee mate for when the Obi niger
MADE a stab for his back that would ha'
finished him, an good lab at that
on'y for it's bein' niger, Jim twisted
hisself round quick enough to catch the
Knife In his forearm an save the mates
HE. 1t were lucky for him that some
o the passengers saw what happened,
for the rnHte, he turned like a fash an
Killed the Obi Niger with one blow. an
he were that wild ne would ha' killed
jim too If the passengers hadn't stoppe1
him, thinkin' they'd both been tryin' to
do him.
After his old moster died. Jim kind
o. drifted over here to Arkansas CITY
an got to dom odd jobs for me. He's
picked up good education for himself
somehow or other don't reckon he can
read an write none. but he's learned
how to play poker TIL they tell me there
amt q Niger in town can do him.
know I haln't never give him no money.
but he's always got plenty. an he's
honest as the sun. so II stands to reason
he must play poker.
He used to watch the game ia the
back room here pretty frequent, when
ever he got chance to wait on the
players. an there's a good many o. the
best players on the river that plays here
at times. ] recolect one time about fifteen
years ago when a party come up here
from Vicksoufg to do up the town an
It looked like they might be able to do
1t, too, for couple o. days. l reckon II
II hadn't been for Jim mebbc they
mought
Dick Dunning an Bob Jimmerson was
two o. the party an there was a third
man with en-, but 1 can't call his name,
now. He wasn't player any way, so
Il don't matter.
I'VE knowed EN- by reputation fore
they come 10 town, for they'd both played
on the river a good deal for three
four seasons. an had the name o. bein'
very smooth. They always played to-
gether, an nobody hadn't catched 'em
In any crooked play beyond putin a
stin cross-fire occasional, when they
caught stlfY player between 'em. o.
course. they Amt no fault to be found
with that II you know what you're up
against. an nobody hadn't passed no
remarks on II. The only thing was TO
20 into the game with the same sort
OF a combination when you played with
en-, an Jake Winterbottom he lowed
that n Sam Pearseli an Jim Blaisdell
was IN the game he want skeered O.
no crieS-cross likely 20 be played on him
1.-THE FIRST night honors were easy. They
played high. maxim the game table
stakes an putin in a thousand q piece.
but each one o. the FIVE played close
to his chest an there wnn't none Of 'em
went broke that night. BlHisdell suffered
the most. huvin, ony about hundred
left when they stopped for breakfast.
but Jimmerson war out considerable. too.
an Dunning want no great winner, 40
Just naturally there Want nobody salts
hs6 an this put n Up 70 play again the
next night, an soon after dark they war
hard ~ n.
''Tbs game wss the same as before.
but the cards were runnin' different an
fWan't mofr'H a hour Or 40 before Dun
ninR went broke against Winierbotfom's
four tfFfnf JlmmefaOn wcai1 be- g0ne
bf0ks 500, n BIS pile hadn't been e0n.
wtabis hE4ef'n Nintafboffons's. for
llin 81 Dunnlnf ha9 Tried - hisi win.
tsfbSifom ON, ihinkiH y course, nith