The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-07-16
Why He Quit Play
ing Poker.


"I haven't played a game of poker
for twelve years." remarked Thomas
II. shelton, a prominent business man
and politician of Eastern Kentucky.
L was famishing for a little game my
self, and he saw the signs of my yearn-
ing in my face, which impelled him to
make this avowal.
L knew he had once been eXtrava-
gantly fond of poker, and knowing,
too, when a man once gets the poker
habit fixed OF him that breaking the
morphine habit ls u small task COM
pared to it, L was interested to know
the antidote that had cured him.
"Since / held the winning hand and
lost on a Big Sandy river raft twelve
years ago L haven't touched n deck,
and I'n shuttle off this mortal coil be-
fore I'll shuttle a pack again. The
very looks of cards makes me shudder,
as it recalls the most horrible ex-
p%erience my life has known.
eel was engaged, at the time L
started, in the timber business ON the
Big Sandy river. L was in partnership
with Joe and 30. 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 its tributaries and were
boating them down the Ohio TO Cincin-
natl. On the occasion of which l
speak we three were on a raft of logs
hat we were taking out of Sandy TO
the Ohio, and were about fourteen
miles above Cattlesburg, the point of
confluence of the two rivers. ALT. pro-
posed that we have a quiet little game
of poker, and Joe and i readily assent
ing, we repaired to a little box shansy
in the center of the raft where we
slept and ate, and had the cooking
done.
Calf, entered the door of the struc-
ture first, and, gong to his o%vercoat,
hanging at the opposite side from the
door, he drew therefrom a quart bottle
of a muddy-colored liquor.
"'Boys,' he said reaching it toward
me, here Is a sort of liquor they call
"persimmon oOZe." l never saw any
before-never tasted this. A friend at
Louisa gave it TO NEEDN'T know what
it tastes like, but it'll make the drunk
come like whlskey, they say, if you
take too much of it,
"tAnd you take too much of it il
you take a DROP said L, pushing the
bottle away. 'pve heard of your
"persimmon ooze," ALT. and L heard
nothing good of it. It's a Satanic con.
coction, distilled from persimmons
and from what I've heard, Shake
speare's witches preside where it is
made. L don't want any, and would
advise you, if you aim to play poker
to let it alOne.'
"tOh, one snlfter won't hurt 6
feler, L know he said laughing.
GAS 1 refused, he extended the
bottle to Joe.
"sAlf,'I interrupted, 'don't take that
stuff, please. From what | heard Of
it, 1T is dangerous
"sWhy2' asked Joe. withdrawing
the cork.
"'Well, it turns a mans nature
completely upside down. If you are {
happy man, 1T makes you miserable; il
you are miserable, you have a maniaca
joy; if you are brave it makes 20,
u p%altroon, if you are kind and COCO
natured, it .makes a violent demon o
you. Now, you are very good naturet
and the prOportionate reverse would
make you Satanic indeedP
calf laughed in~credulously, elevat
ed it to his lips, and took a long swal
low. He put it back in his coat ant
we all sat down at the greasy littl,
table and prepared for a poker feast
a feast more delectable to the menta
palate than a French chef could pre-
pare for the material. AT that time
we all three had lots of money, ant
we wouldn't slur the honored gam
by making small bets, or setting any
ines of limitation.
In a few minutes the pot held
five thousand dollars in gold. Then
for a moment, L felt a sort of cool sen
sation travel up and down my back
bone. A forcboding of evil tool
possession of my mind In spite of my
efforts to shake it off. My hand be
gan to tremble, and hat doubtless en-
cOuraged ALT and Joe to think the
hand L held wa very frall, though they
had e before, in the face of any
situation, however desperate, seer me
give any physical signs of elation OF
distress. 1t wasn't that L feared tho
result OF the opening, for L held a safe
hand.
oOch my hhOApIiCdDlC ulbtICbS Dc
came so great that / half arose from
the table and gasped for breath.
"'Set down, there!' roared Aft
You cowardl You don't quit the
game that wayl'
/ looked at him and the Satanic
expression of his face drove the blood
to my heart. He held high his hand
and began 10 laugh in demoniat
shrieks. His brother, L vaguely noted
was gazing at him with staring balls
all the blood gone from his drawn, vel
lowish face when the show down
came. Air had a pair of aces and g
pair of tens.
He looked over Joe's hand. The
latter had three queens.
"sYou cheatl' shrieked Alf, and
quick as a flash he seized a skillet lid
anil struck Joe Cd the side of the head
with the edge of it. The latter rolled
under the table with a groan. L was
too frightened to think how badly Joe
was injured, when the demon shrieked
at me: what have you got, you
rogue?'
"'Oh,'I cried, nothing now; the
pot IL yours. Your pair Of aces, pair
of tens and skillet.li iii knock out nv
four kingsi' and L forced a laugh.
THE demon ran to his coat, took
out the bottle and drank AGAIN.