The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-17
GEMS FROM OCHILTREE.
Stories Told by the Famous Texan
Who Has Passed Away.


As a story teller the late Col Thomas
POrterhoEse Ochiltree was unsurpassed.
Much of the success of his stories was
in the telling, and deprived of the charm
OF his personality they lost much in rep
clifton
Although Col OchTtree once indig-
nantly denied IN court that he ever
played poker. says the Philadelphia
North American. II has always gone the
rounds that the authenticated Texan
liked to take a hand. He once acknowl-
edged that n former days he was one
of the best players that ever f1ipped Il
card. and he said that calamity be-
fell him only once, and that was duriT 3
/ his congressional term.
He had had = phenomenal run of luck
in Washington, but the tide OF battle
finally turned and he went I'D against
it with a party of southern representa-
tives. In relating to sympathetic friends
the next day the circumstances OF the
game, the colonel admitted:
4 lest just $1,000 last night. But the
worst Of it was that IS of it was il,
cash"
OCHILTREEs DOG STORY.
One day Ochiltree was criticising the
administration of Mayor Strong. He
said the mayor had shown poor judS-
ment, and his fault in this respect re-
minds me Of Senator Jones' dog story,
he went on.
a fellow out in Nevada. you know.
had a dog-a bulldog, a fierce looking
! brute-which his owner said was the
greatest fighter in the state. One day
a settler passed through the town. I'm
cur. The bulldog saw him and started
| to eat MIN up. When the fight was over
the cur was not much the worse for it,
but the bulldog was a wreck.
1 thought your dog was a great
fighter. Senator Jones?' said the owner
of the bulldog
Well was the reply. he is a great
fighter, but he's a poor judge Of dogs "
STOOD BY THE POKER CROWD.
Col. Ochiltree rolled into the Fifth
Avenue MOTEL one day and began talk
ing with former Senator Wilbur T.
+ Saunders OF Montana.
All, Senator he said. I see my old
friends in the senate are standing by
their guns. What horrible mistake the
goldbugs made when they counted on
firing out the silver senator's Why, Ed
Wolcott and Santa Claus Stewart and
Jones and the rest of them were never
known TO go to bed until or o'clock
N the morning I've played poker with
+ them for % hours at a stretch, and then
you had to keep your eyes peeled or they
would freeze you out I tell you when
you try to put that crowd to sleep you
have undertaken the biggest job n man
ever had on his hands I'll bet the
poker crowd every trip"
L guess you're right. colonel replied
Senator Saunders. who knew a little
about the game himself. "WoIcott never
sleeps. As for Jones. 1 believe he can go
q year without winking."
OUTDID A CHICAGO LIAR
A Chicago liar tried to outdo Col
Ochiltree one day He said he had Just
returned from the Carlsbad springs. where
he had experienced a miraculous cure.
You don't say said the colonel.
Yes. indeed rambled the Chi
cago liar You see. was suffering from
liver complaint, and after consulting the
greatest physicians in America, 1 decided
to 90 10 Carlsbad.
'-Humph I never supposed you took
any stock in water said Ochiltree.
I scornfulIy
Neither do L when it is plain. But 1
carried a flask of fine old Bourbon in my
inside pocket, and when I reached the
famous springs I kinder diluted the water
so as TO disguise its taste, and-wil you
believe Tne-the following morning I was
found myself the possessor of a brand
new liver
Bah, that's nothing Col. Tom ejac-
ulated- IF you'll believe me-
Sure yelled half a dozen listeners
II you'll believe me continued the
Texans. unpertur bed. 4 had liver com
plant before I went to Texas to try to get
cured.
while there met man who had a
new brand of pills known as tn American
liver and light cure Being a firm believer
N American remedies. l purchased a sin
gle pill took il. and Utmost instantly DOS
sessed 2 tin liver with electric light Kill
news Home Industries. gentlemen home
industries-'' But they led him away Il
the cafe
THAT RED-HAIRED BOY
Col OchiItree had many friends in both
houses of congress One night ne was sit
ing in a hotel talking with several friends
including Senator Hearst Of California.