The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-05
Frank RoekefeIIer Gave "Eour.n

: thereabOuts, OF a billion dollars was in
/ the city last week attending the cattle
show. While here he had entire TO one Of
the local social clubs and ne was q con
slant visitor. In a few days the local
self-rnade business men kind o got used
70 the great coal oil magnate and found
that he was flesh and blood like every
body eIse-that he had the same passions.
prejudices, fears, failiags and sentiments
as other average men. They found he
was very fond Of 'pitch'-a plebeian game
They found that he could hit the table
with his knuckles about as hard as any
body else and vas IS anxious to win a
game involving fifty cents worth Of
drinks as the poorest man IN the bunch
Notwithstanding the fact that every min
ute he played-and a game lasts about
thirty minutes-he made out OF his Stan
dard Oil stock something ike enough
n buy a whole case OF small bottles
The rules OF the game was that who
ever bid four and made them won the
game. Mr.. Rockefeller was behInd-and
the low man would lose the game He
picked up his hand and looked at IL He
Rad the ace. king. jack ten and deuce.
III give two. said the man across
the table, who had ten chips in front OF
him.
The next man had eight chips He look
ed AT them and counted them. IN try
three, he said nervously.
Frank Rockefeller was slowly bringing
his knuckles down upon the table 10 pass.
u hen a man behind him-a chair warmer
punched him and said. give four"
Mr.. Rockefeller heSitated and doubted
a man need not be much Of a plunger
70 give four on the hand he held-it was
practically a cinch-but stiu he hesitated-
Give four" urged the man behind him
Its an immortal cinch"
The man who handles the powers of the
earth in the coal oil business looked
lcng at his cards and finally said. four"
The ace was led and two small dia-
monds fell upon IT, The king fell next
and only the iye-spot fell upon it. Where
vas the queen Was il IN the twenty-five
remaining cards Of the deck OF was il
in the hard OF the fellow who dropped
the ave-spot? Rockefeller was an an
Nious TO know where il vas IS a man
who didn't have 4 dime 70 his name. He
led the deuce spot and the queen fell
IRON II. How many ten spots would fail
Tor same2 This was what occupied the
~ ina of the Standard Oh magaate 10 the
Inclusion OF everything else-politics
trusts. cattle. railroad stocks Roose-
velts condition steamship mergers. ard
everything. The ten Of spades and the
ten OF clubs fell. making twenty-five for
game. Rockefeller already had seven IL
the cards played and fourteen IN hIs hand
provided he could save the king Of hearts
II the other fellows had 70 picture cards
he was ID against H. The seven OF clubs
was led back Rockefeller put his Jack
on IL ard then led the ter of truurs The
Queen Of hearts Eel upon IL He had
twenty for game with three-the king OF
hearts-in his hand He led 4 out The
ten OF hearts and ace or spades fsn upon
il. The third man from him raised his
card high above his head aud-Rockefel-
lers heart almost failed Il was a Joke
not the ace CT heartS-ard Rockefeller
called for something to settle his nerves
All the BOYS wondered where his fam
ily got the nerve that made them worth
twelve or fourteen hundred millions OF
collars. Did they get pointers from some
rcor chair-warrer like he fellow that
urged Frank Rockefeller 70 give four.