The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-07-17
Why He Quit Play
ing Poker.

FOR tWclVc Sc"io, iS"i"i NJ" AhOha
r. shelton, prominent business maj
and politician of Eastern Kentucky.
was famishing for little game my
self. and he saw the signs of my yearn
ing in my face, which impelled him tt
make this avowal.
knew he had once been eXtrava
oaptly fond Of poker, and knowing,
Zoo. when man once gets the poker
habit fixed on him that breaking the
mornhine habit ls a small task COM
rornd 10 If, | was interested to know
ihc antidote that had cured him.
I. SINCE | held the winning hand and
,ost on Big Sandy river raft twelve
veors van 400 | haven't touched deck,
and nj shuttle oil this mortar con pc
fore Ill shuttle pack again. Inc
very looks of cards makes me shuddcr,
as il recalls the most horrible eX-
pcrence my life has known:
uf was engaged, at the time l
otorted. i'm the timber business Oh the
Rip Sandy river. was in partnership
with Joe and Alf. Davis, twin brothers,
and wealthy timber men of the Big
SANDY valley. We were buying thous-
ands of slaves, ties and logs along the
Sandy and it's tributaries and were
Noatipp them down the Ohio to Cincin-
natl, On the occasion of which l
speak we three were on raft of logs
that we were taking ont of Sandy to
the Ohio, and were about fourteen
miles above Cattlesburg, the point of
confluence of the two rivers. Aft. pro-
posed that we have a qmet little game
of poker, and Joe and | readily assent.
ing, we repaired TO n little box shanty
in the center of the raft where we
silent and ate, and had the cooking
done. ,>a "a,
"An, entered the door of the struc-
ture first, and, gong to his overcoat,
hanging at the opposite side from the
door, he drew therefrom quart bottle
Of Il muddy co!orea hG"o!.
"Boys,' he said reaching it toward
me, here Is u sort of liquor they call
perslmmon ooZc.' never saw any
before-never tasted this. a friend at
Louisa gave it 10 mc--dont know what
it tastes like, but it'll make the drunk
come like whlskey, they say, if you
take too much of it,
you take DROP said |, pushing the
bottle away. 'Tve heard of your
"persimmon ooze," Aft. and | heart!
nothing good of it. It's Satanic con-
coclion, distilled from persimmOns,
and from what I've heard, Shake
spearc's witches preside where it is
made. don't want any, and would
advise you, if you aim to play poker,
TO let it alone
"Oh, one smfler won't hurt a
feler, know he SAID laughing.
Gas | refused, he extended the
bottle to Joe.
"Alf,' interrupted, don't take that
stuff, please. From what heard OF
it, 1t is dangcrous.'
"'Why7' asked Joe, withdrawing
the cork.
"'Well, it turns mans nature
completely upside down. If you are g
happy man, 1t makes you miserable; il
you are miserable, you have Il maniacaI
Joy; If you are brave il makes you
paltroon, if you are kind and good
natnred, 1t makes violent demon OF
you. Now, you are very good naturcd
AND the proportionate reverse would
make you Satanic indcedp
-" All laughed iacrcdulously, clevat.
ed 1t TO his lips, and took long swal
low. He put it back in his coat and
we all sat down at the greasy little
table and prepared for poker feast
least more dclcctable to the mental
palate than French chef could pre-
pare for the material. At that time
we all three had lots of money, AND
we wouldn't slur the honored game
by making small bets, or setting any
lines OF limitation.
IN lew minutes the pot hcl(
nve thousand dollars in gold Then
Tor moment, felt a sort of cool sen
satlon travel up and down NV back
bone. A forcboding of evil tool
possession of my mind IN sp,te of N,
ehorts TO shake il Off. My hand be
gan to tremble, and that doubtless en-
couraged Alf and Joe to think tn,
hand held was very frall, though the,
nad never before, in the face of an,
SITUATION, however desperate, seen M
give any physical signs of elatlon O
distress. 1t wasn't that | feared tn
result OF the opening, for | held a saf
hand. o.
"Soon my inexplcable distress be
came SO great that | half arose from
Inc table and gasped for breath.
"'Set down, thcre! roarcd Alt
You cowardl You don't omit th
game that way!'
looked at him and the Satoni
expression of his face drove the BLOC,
ooa W my heart. He held high his hand
shcio aha began to laugh in demonia
smrseks. mn His brother, vaguely noted
wa was gazing at him with staring halls bal,s
al the blood gone from his drawn ~ uol
lowlsh face when the show Joywn yu'
came. Alt had pair of aces ao%' anT
" lie looked over Joe's hand nv,
latter had three queens. 4"
you cheatP shricked Als On,
quick as flash he seized a skil,e, i !;
anu struck Joe on the side of the hoo
with the edge of it. The latter ro,lo
under the table with groan. 7 wv
100 frightened to think how badly IN In
was injured, when the demon shrek,