The sun., 1903-12-06
lists, NOT GUNS,
l AFTER A POKER GAME.
An Occasion When Nature's
Weapons Triumphsd After =
Crooked Deal Came Out.

"Thirtyodd years ago" said the gray
haired young looking man, "the lumber
men OF Minnesota were a most interesting
net of men. They may be just as interest
ing now, and just as sharply distinguished
from the average citizen as they we're then.
l don t know anything about it, What
do know ls that was among them at the
time and came to know lot about them.
"They were physically powerful men In
the first place. No one Of ordinary build
was fit for the work they had to do, and
if a weakling had by any accident been
taken on IN gang Of oggers he would
not have lasted through the rigors and
hardships and tremendous exertions of a
single winter in camp, let alone the matter
OF brin ging the logs down from the forests
to the mills at st. Anthony's Falls.
Then they were reckless set OF dare
devils. Most of them were single men.
Minnesota was comparatively new
country then. Men were more numerous
than women for one thing. and for another
married men we're not 80 lkely as single
men to go into the woods for six months
at time every year. The lumbermen
were used to adventures and risks Of all
kinds and seemed actually Indifferent to
peril
JHAlk HcllNh W 'hc III
less. They got good wages in additionto their
keep while they were b, camp. but as they
had no use for money in the woods they
would draw their pay in lump when they
came down the river in he spring. I hen
they were like sailors ashore after 9 long
cruise. With plenty Of money, after a
| long period Of good behav vior, and sure OF
more work whenever they wanted it, they
not unnaturally turned themselves loose
| for rafting good spree--not always, ana
all nf than hilt common
There weren't so very many forms OF
| amusement available around 81. Anthony
and st. Pau at that time as suppose there
| are now. There was plent y OF drn king, and
there was gambling galore, but what OF her
dissipations there may have been were less
in evidence. What we did see was con-
| siderable amount of drunkenness, some
been expected, and lot of poker playing
for some weeks after the spring settle.
ment. After that, the men usually settled
| down to their summer work. or laid on
! till it should come time to go into camp
again; .sno. ., H.. no.sr was sxoi,ioo 7
| have seen games at Snyders old road
house, near the Minnehaha Falls, that
were equal to any | have seen anywhere
! The stakes were not 80 large; for the men
were not millionaires, but they ran into
respectable figures even at that. and there
was money enough floating around to
tempt professional gamblers into the
community.
suppers, venison and prairie chickens
usually, game of draw being the
usual wind-up. | drove over there with
four friends one night from Minneapolis
for one Of the suppers, and had an expert
ence before getting home that l haven't
| forgotten vet. Charles Benton was my
partn at the line and we had three of the
| loggers with us as our guests. having a
business deal in prospect as well ar a pleas
| ant evening
George Mart in was one of them. He
| was a mill owner as well as logger. but
| went into the woods every year as fore
man of one of his own camps. His partner;
! Alec Studley. was another, Inc Two mad
+, worked together in the woods and in the
mills till they had grown rich. and having
denied themselves for few year.. were
| now ready for any sort OF devilishness,
and well able TO afford it. The other was
! one of their best men, Bill Travis, who
F., was secretly interested with Charlie and
me. We carried the deal through later.
but that has nothing to do with this story
| The supper was good, as Snyders sup
! pers always were, and We were sitting
over our wine and cigars when two men
! from st. Paul drove up TO the house and.
coming in, called for drinks Martin
heard their voices and, recognizing one of
! them as that of Paul Camp, young lawyer.
he went to the door of our room and called
! them in.
| Take YOUR drink with us he said.
cordially, and they came willingly enough.
Camp introduced his friend as Mr. Cham
/! bers, and we sat for perhaps half an hour
slipping some of Snyder's choice wine
| before cards were suggested When they
| we're. there was no dissent. and We were
| quickly engaged in game.
| 1T was table stakes and each man bought
| Atty dollars in chips al the start. The
ante was dollar, calling two, and the
| jackpots, when they came. were. OF course,
fourteen making swift game FOR the
| money in sight
.'rhere wasn't anything specially notable
| about the play for the first half hour or
| So was The first to go to the boneyard,
but it came from an exasperating series
OF small losses and continual chipping
| without making single win. No un-
usual hands we're being held and | bought
again. thinking the luck probably would
| turn after Il time
Travis was the next to buy. He had
| won a little at first, but ran up against
| flush with three tens aud then undertook
to beat full house with aces up: Natn,,
| rally. that d idn I work and he took his second
| fifty Luck didn't turn for him, though,
and he dropped that in two more hands
"One of these was a conSiderab BILE sur
prise. II was Chamberss 8 deal and a jack
| pot Benton and PASSED. Martin opened
il for the size of it, fourteen dollars.
StudIey passed. Travis made ii SIS TO
play, Camp dropped and Chambers stayed
1
lay down, having only pair of jacks, Then
Travis stood pat and bet his pile,
chambers looked little anxious. but
drew three cards, saying tn have TO see
! what I get before CALI Then he looked
at his draw and called, showing down four
eghts.
that made his play seem peculiar, but the
raise, but don't think anything would
have been said, even at that, il he hadn t
laug he'd and remar ked that eights, were
lucky to him Then Travis said In rather an
ugly tone, Yes they we're peculiarly lucky
that time
However, that passed as the natural
irritation OF the loser, and nobody expected
any further talk. Travis bought again
and the game went on. There was no re-
markable play for half an hour or so, but
Chambers won steadily Now and again
somebody would hit him for small pot, but
what he lost was inconsiderable. and his
winnings were large. Martin held his own
but Benton and Studley and Camp all had
TO buy and Ilwas down toward the end OF my
second fifty when Travis went broke aga in
He put his hand in his pocket TO buy
again. but found only three or four dollars In
| tn rt hn I