Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1902-05-11
-i--l.'-i
. THE POLITICAL
GRAFT


- '!'E's's's's'ss s &c SG's's's'-s' 9't''*
Il have noticed said a smooth
shaver man in the Auditorium cafe the
other night, that the contractors who
do business with the city are not great
ly afflicted by rotation in office. One
reason of it, l suppose, is that they are
business men, and have no real use
for politics excepting as they can make
an asset of their party affiliations.
The moment a new man is elected
or appointed to office, the contractors
begin to study him as a business prop
Csition, and if there is a way of landing
him they are pretty sure to find it out.
| remember a case some few years ago
when 1893 contracts were more in vogue
than they are now in which l landed
snug sum in commissions, and one re-
form politician found out that priflci-
pies and practice are not always easy
to to keep together And the smooth
shaver man chucl<led.
There was a new man in a certain
office, who was put there by reform
mayor for the express purpose of cut
ting down expenses. and naturally the
firm that had been supplying his de-
partment was a good deal worried. The
new man-I'n call him Jones, because
that wasn't his name-had sent for the
firm and their confidential man had
had a heart to heart talk with him and
had found out that it was going to be
doubtful about getting the 1899 con-
tracts in the future with the same de-
lightful regularity that had obtained
for some years previously.
ut happened that this confidential
man was pal of mine, and we used to
consult a good deal in difficult cases.
We were valuable to each other be-
cause we moved in different circles.
He told me about his trouble that
same night and asked me if 1 knew
Jones. l did. 1 knew him very well.
81 used to play poker with him fire.
quently at a certain very private club.
And | knew him for a careful. straight
forward player who was never known
to plunge. but who was a pretty steady
loser, not to any great amount, but
just enough to use up most of his sur
plus income.
His check was perfectly good if he
would give it, but we knew that he
hadn't any great balance on hand. How
did we know it? Well, a man who has
much TO do with a private poker club
is pretty likely to know considerable
about the other members of it, if he's
wise. And being wise, he doesn't tell
how he learns it.
so, when my friend told me about
Jones, I did some quick thinking. Then
l said:
How much do you want this bust
ness and he said:
I'VE want it $4,000 worth
DO you want it bad enough to put
up half the money blind, and the other
half when you get it?'
Yes lie said, I reckon, we'd do that
if we knew who was going to handle
the $1,000.
so 1 told him that if he was in
earnest I'd tackle the job myself. but
if | didn't land Jones. he wouldn't get
his $1,000 back, and he said he was sat
isfed.
There happened to be a man in town
just then whom l had known very well
out west some years ago. He Travelled
the Mississippi river for a living and
played cards good deal While he was
on the boats.
4 wasn't doing much of it at the
time myself, but I was onto most of
the tricks of the table, and | saw him
play two or three times before 1 made
his acquaintance. He called himself
Hyde then-Harry Hyde.
After l had watched his play for an
hour or two l made up my mind that he
was the slickest dealer on the river. He
never fumbled his cards, and so far
as l could see, he didn't mark them,
but I hadn't the slightest doubt that he
knew every card around the table
every time he dealt.
He was cagey about the way he
played, though, and never undertook
10 press what looked like his luck. Most
generally he'd study his cards carefully
after he'd got one good raise, and then
he'd call and show down the winning
hand
1T was monstrous smooth playing
and so far as I know it never got him
in any trouble, but l saw great posi-
bilities in him, and as l always want
to know men who may be valuable to
me, 1 scraped his acquaintance one day
on deck.
I'VE got to cumming after he saw
that l was wise. and 1 suppose that was
the reason he looked me up when he
came to town. He said that card
playing on the river was pretty we'll
played out, and he had come to Chi
Cago to see if there wasn't an opening.
He wasn't in any hurry and said he'd
lie low for a time, and if I'd put him
next to something good l should stand
in.
Il was always pretty quick a put
ting two and two together, so the next
night after my friend the contractor
had made his dicker with me there was
Il new member of the club l spoke of.
/ hadn't introduced Hyde there, be-
fore, and 1 didn't propose to have him
there long, for l was well enough sat
fstied with the kitty and | wasn't go
ing to queer the club with quick ac-
tion but this was a special occasion,
! and l only had a week to work out my
| little plan.
1t wasn't a complicated scheme, but
I had two ways In mind. I was salts
| fed to let Jones have the most of the
$1,000 and intended to split the other
| five with Hyde if the first proposition
worked
1T only left me a quarter of the
money, but 1 always go on the theory
! that it's best to play a liberal game