Arizona republican., 1902-09-04
:. Why. to play. of course, he an-

Why to play, of course,' he an- uwered.
 I've got four beers, said Four beers is tramp for 20 cents.
 Well, I'll go you beer on the next | messy, he said. Look here I said, I haven't been on the road very long, an you have me goin'. Whats the gamer
 What kind of piker are you. any how, that you never played mossbaclS poker? he exclaimed.
 Show me how l says, and the beers is yours if you get them.
 You've played poker in your time, | I guess he said, with some scorn. "I admitted I had. "'Well, he went on, this is poker with no short-card end. All you need is the coin and a mossback train an the game starts. You take a messy for the deck, because the cards go slowly and you have time to read the figures. The engine is the first hand. Say it is numbered 2021; you have a pair of deuces. First car is my hand; say it is numbered 336O; you lose. for have trays against your deuces. Are you wise?'
 ''I admitted I had the idea.
 Here comes a messy, now yelled Big foot as he. munched the end of secondhand cigar stub. I'll take the first hand for beer a throw | "I agreed.
 '142O,' he yelled as the locomotive passed. That's ten high; the cipher counts ten spot 31.311, I yelled.
 Got me skinned on ace full he ad- mitted.
 | "'6, 6,999, he yelled gleefuIIy next You can't beat trips with old 4,3S5.' l |" flow does your 5,456 suit you?' asked.
 Pair of lives is good on them Cen trals, he said. See, I skinned you again on that measly LAC of the Read i ing
 | ''I lost again on CTS. P, r.. w. and c, against a Pennsy S,99S. 1 still was ! beer to the good in my stack, but he cleaned me out on a 41,144 Pennsy | against a 3,443 Missouri Pacific. l "'Notice 1 had 4-11-44?' Bigfoot asked me. Then l knew how it happened.
 ." Fellows think there ain't no short card end to the game, Bigfoot confided, as he pocketed my four beers. But there is. an I'll put you next. Skin your eye over the train when you see | it coming. Count back how far the steel cars run, and fix your play so | you get all the big ones
 I'll tell you why. All the steel cars are the last put on by any railroad, and the numbers run usually into five | figures. The little short gondolas run three and four figures. and the man that gets them is playin' a four-card ! hand against five
 It takes a quick eye to size up a 1 train, but you soon learn how if you are wise on the graft. Cabooses always run big hands. They are always num- bered higher than the newest cars and help a fellow out of a big hole some ! times.
 "'Once down in West Philadelphia doubled on the caboose and won out with 11,111. My pal knocked the game sayin' nobody could he'd five aces in a straight game, but I got the money after we had settled the point with ballast
 Any other game you can play with a mossy?' 1 asked.
 Well said Bigfoot they're good for craps, too. but the game is too slow Say you shoot the engine for your point and get two. Your pal wins if a seven for the first figure on a car comes be- fore the two. If you get two for the ] first figure, you take the coin.'
 The trouble about messy craps is that a whole train may pass before you win or lose. I have played three trains before beer changed hands.
 Of course it ain't so bad when you | have nothing to do but loaf around and wait, especially when you don't have more than a beer Only the cheap skates who have no big money play messy craps. Messy poker is the thing for quick action. ''-Chicago IBter- Ocean.