The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-11
GENERALS POKER GAME.
How the Man from Brooklyn Heights
Was Cured of the Habit

In the Citizens recent obituary or
Gabriel Harrison, reference was made
to the theater which formerly stood
near the site of the present county
court house. This brought to mind the
fact that in the same locality there once
existed over forty years ago a famous
livery stable, in room in the rear Of
which some noted sports of the dav
used to gather of an afternoon for
game of poker. They were no common
-quenchers, such as frequented the
low taverns of the day and mixed cards
and whisky: but they were all men or
substance and, though fond of sport.
considered citizens OF the highest re-
Specta bilitv.
Among the frequenters of the snue
room in the rear of the stable was a
Brooklynite of some note-a real gen
eral and a resident of the Heights. He
was Il pillar of one of the churches and
his wife was a delightful woman, prom.
inent in social and religious circles She
never had an idea that her husband
ever bet or played cards even for fun
and one may consequently imagine her
surprise when a kind friend limited to
her that the kind friend had discovered
that the kind friends husband PLAYED
poker and that he had admitted it ana
excused himself by SAYING that it was
a select party and that General c.
was one of them. The kind friend fur
ther communicated the fact that the
games were played of an afternoon
after o'clock and in the stable already
mentioned.
The generals wife determined that
she would put a stop to her husbands
poker playing, and considered how sh1
should do it. If she accused him of il
ne could deny it, and she must at least
make show Of believing him. If she
said that Mrs. Blank had informed hey.
OF the existence of a club which mer
OF an afternoon at a certain place and
played poker. and that the general was
one OF the members that it might cause
trouble between the general and Mr.
blank from whom alone Mrs. Blank
could have got the information So tba
geenrals wife determined to go 70 tn
stable and find out for herself the truth
or 1aislty of the statement respectintl
her husband Neiii .
As / have said, the stable was n
famous one in its days as most II tbe
gentry hired horses and vehicles there
or placed them for care and keeping The
generals wife had, therefore. no dirt
Guilty in finding the locality. as she had
been there many times with her hus-
band TO procure a team The stable.
OF course, had to be kept neat and tidy.
and Just about the time when the cen
erals wife had made I'D her mind fo
Visit II men were at work putting it
lsztO decent condition. All the alIs
were being whitewashed and the wood
work being painted. The harness room
+ had been newly fixed up. and a neat
4 little office had been constructed near
the big entrance for the transaction of
the innocent poker game went on had
been painted and carpeted anew, and
new tables and chairs put into it. IT
had only one window, and that opened
on a yard. thus furnishing no opportun-
ity for any inquisitive person to see
what was going on inside
Now. after very mature thought the
generals wife had resolved that she
would drop hint to her husband about
the poker game So the first fair oppor-
tunity she said to him:
My dear. that foolish Mrs Blank
says that she has found out that her
husband plays at poker in some livery
stable every afternoon, and that he has
seen you there. There's no truth in it
is there?'
We'll. my love- the general said, ''sc
far as Mr.. Blank is concerned OF
course it's none Of my business where
he plays poker; but can assure you
never played poker in a stable in my
life
This ought to have satisfied the wife
but it didn't; and so she resolved II
some way to discover whether her hus
band did play poker in a stable or not
On the day which she had fixed foi
her visit to the stable. the worklneI
finished their labors about O'clock il
the afternoon. They had been white
washing the fence Of the yard and tina