The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-03-29


questionabIy sincere in their motives
and think they understand what they
are talking about. inveigh against the
game. simply on the ground that it Is
gambling, therefore sinful and there
fore TO be denounced unsparingly and
as vehemently as possible.
Now ] don't undertake 20 deny that
draw poker is a form of gambling; and
don't propose TO go into any argu-
ment on the question whether gambling
Is Inherently "a sinful thing.
"But aside from that / maintain that
draw poker ls a very different thing
from what great many people sup
pose it 90 be. It is at least a form
OF gambling that calls for the exercise
of some of the most useful traits of
mentality that man possesses.
There was an incident I'M my own
life. quite a number of years ago, which
illustrated this TO my satisfaction, and
] often think OF 10 when 1 hear the
game denounced as an uumixed evil.
For me, az least, it was a means of
deIiverance from one of the most seri-
Gus predicaments i was ever in.
There had been a company formed
for the development of some property
I'm the west with which ] was thor
Oughly familiar. In fact. it was large
lv on the strength OF my personal
knowledge that a number OF my friends
had Invested In the stock, and I was
90 thoroughly satisfied with 10 that I
had put every dollar J. owned into the
enterprise, SO Jhat ] would have been
badly baukrupted If il failed.
THE company had sent me out to
complete some of the negotiations, and
I had almost reached Springfield, Mo-,
on my way when the train I was on
was wrecked. i escaped unhurt but
only partially dressed. and everything
I had with me was burned up when
the sleeper 1 was in and the baggage
car were both destroyed by fire
"The railroad people took us into
Springfield and relieved our immedi-
ate necessities. so that I got some
clothing, but / hadn't a dollar in
money and, Of course, telegraphed
home for a remittance. addressing the
president of the company.
ITO my surprise I got no answer. A
second request was also ignored. and
when I got the operator 90 make i'm
Quiries he reported that my dispatches
had both been delivered, but that the
president had refused TO answer them,
saying that he did not know me.
cor course that queered me. What
the operator knew the railroad people
knew. and I was set down for an inn
poster
They offered 10 carry me TO my
original destination free of cost, but as
10 anything further they said my claim
would have to be passed. on by the
higher officials. and that would take
time. Under the circumstances time
was about the last thing I had to
waste Tor q knew Immediately that
something was wrong i'm New York.
and it would be worse than useless
for me 90 go on 90 Wyoming. What
I had 20 do was 90 get back to New
York as quickly as possible.
1T would probably have been easy
Tor me Co arrange thar with the rail-
road people, If L hadn't been queered.
but as it was the local manager was
very nasty. j suppose he was afraid
of being victimiZed. and couldn't
blame him much.
The best ] could do was TO get an
other dispatch sent and I telegraphed
10 my best friend. who was also i'm
the company / got an answer 90 this
an right but I was almost sorry it
came, for it made matters worse. Tt
said.
Can't send money. You are want
ed here. Business AN gone wrong.
'By this time K was furious with
rage. and almost at my wits end.
made one more effort TO get some
thing out of the local manager. but
ne told me that he was beginning to
think be ought 90 have me arrested
on suspicion. especially as IL appeared
that 4 was wanted Then 1 lost my
temper and walked ont of his Of
flee after telling him what I thought of
him.
"Slnce then Z have thought OF tWen-
ty things I might have done. but i
couldn't think OF any of them that
night All L realized was that I had
to have about $50 by the time the
next train went east. and I didn't know
a soul within "a hundred miles
OF made au effort to- touch the hotel
proprietor but he had evidently had q
report from the railroad people and he
would not do a thing for me, so ] sat
down t0 think it over.
"l have always had the habit of
twisting this ring ON my finger when
j ann thinking hard and this habit
gave me an idea. 10 is not very
valuable ring. but prize 10 as an heir
LOOM and I never parted with 10 eX-
cept on that occasion. IL was my
only asset just then. and it struck me
suddenly THAI I might borrow "a few
dollars uu 10.
Looking up, 7 saw The negro porter
just passing and I spoke 90 him.
DO you know where I can pawn
this ring2' i asked him.
Yes. SIR he said with a grin, but
EH. H#
tonight
HE must have seen by my face
what I thought OF that. Tor he stopped
gHnnmg and said iu "a perfectly re-
sUeerful fashion.
How much did YOU 'spcct to get
on &c. bosss
'I told him 7 didn't think anybody
would lend me more than $40 0n &C..
and De said.
Ise only got about So myself. boss.
but Iu lend you De ten if you want
Sc right away
THAT cen was ln my pocket iu about
a minute. and then i asked him If he
could steer me 90 @ game of poker.
lie srinned again and said he could.
But you want TO keep so. eFe
skinned. boss he said. 'Dey's mighty
slick players
WELL 4 said Tve got TO take my
chances. ] know something about the
game myself. but if they are too strong
for me- I WON'T be any worse off than
7 am now
"Weil. 90 wasn't long before Z was
iu gambling louise where "a game was
Boz progress and nay ten was Invested
FRA chips And III ever I realized the
value of a good education it was that
night
'I had always been fond of cards
and had played in AN sorts of places
with AN sorts of people tin I really
--------- 49, ------ ------- I'm ~ IL