The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-27
WANTED
TO
GUIDO
STEAMBOAT
Sport Backed Himself Against
Vessels Whistle and Gave
His Reasons for It.
New York Telegram.

NEW 4OTk l01oBTdu
VT WAS some years ago., said the
western sport in a Broadway
cafe the other evening, that this I
= incident which I am about to re-
late occurred, being the only oc-
casion, I may observe, in a long and
honorable career-as they say in news
papers that I ever got a slap in the
face, speaking fguratively, Of course,
and made no effort to resent it.
TT was in the old days on the Mis-
sissippi when. the railroads didn't in
terfere so much with travel south, and
when every steamboat carried few
of the boys and the captain stood in
I've crossed on the ocean liners many
a time since, but / never see the play (
in one of them smoking-rooms cross
ing the Atlantic that we used to get
on the trip from st. Louis to Orleans.
well, on this trip I'm telling you
about, there was a young Teller came
aboard belonging to one Of the rich
Louisiana families that everybody
a. roll Of several thousands that one
of the boys happened to see him get
at the bank. We hadn't got fairly
started before I had introduced my
self to him, and before we were fif-
teen minutes away from the levee he
four or five more Of the boys.
'"This young fellow was a sure
enough good thing, but some of the
! boys-as is often the case--were too
greedy and wanted to get his roll at
once. I saw how things were going,
| but there was no chance to give any
body warning, and all Of a sudden,
after losing $1,000, our man puts his
Hast chips into a jackpot, which he
lost, and then, instead of buying a
new stock, asks us to excuse him and
goes UP on deck.
well, T gave the boys that spoiled
the game a piece Of my mind that
might have led to bloodshed, and then
went on deck after this young Teller.
It looks a good deal like an insult for
a man to leave poker game like that,
/ and I wasn't accustomed to insults in
those days any more than I am now.
Anyways, I was pretty hot, and@l was
going to call the Teller down. The
boys knew what was up to, and they
| trailed along after me to see the fun.
! II found my man in the stern of
1.-THE boat, standing up and smoking
|;cigar, looking over the river, and l
says torhim:
..'What made you leave that game
so abrupt like? I hope you don't find
fault with it.
"'None at ALL he says. 1T was kind
of warm down there, and came up
for a little fresh air.
. Fresh air be damned I says,
Sizing him up as having no sand. A
man can always get fresh air, but ne
can't always play poker With gentle
men. Amt you got no sporting
blood?' ,,
why, I don't know. says the fell
Ter, very mild. I always reckoned L
had sporting blood enough, but l never
cared much for poker anyway:
What is your game, then! asks
him, - 80 az, a. 49,
ticular game he says; but I'll tell
you what I'll do if you really want
some sport. I'll bet you thousand
dollars that I can swim from here to
the shore quicker than you can.
"tI'd take you in a minute, says l,
/ but I can't SWIM
!" Neither can T. says the Teller,
but as a sport I was willing to take
chances! ...sss,..
Il heard some Of the boys standing
back of me kinder Singer at this, but
before I could answer him, ne says:
Here's another proposition; I'll bet
YOU a. thousand dollars that I can
| whistle louder than the steamboat
! WHAT 7 says. Do you mean
j that?' W..
E1a 1" certainly he says. TIL put the
lfnaoney up and he reaches down IN
Il his pants for his roll.
i stJust wait a minute tells him,
and goes forward to look Tor the cap
tain. "A
leap T asks the old man, is there
anything the matter with your Whis-
tle?' And told him what the bet
was.
"I wonuer if he could have done
anything to that whistler says the
. captain. Come on and let's speak to
the engineer =.
THE captain told the engineer
| ocI-o hi
been any chance to tamper with the
whistles.
e." No chance at ALL says the engi-
Eneer. TIL take half that bet Or all
of it. Why, can throw screech out
Of that steamer you can hear for ten
miles.
Il was somewhat anxious, for this
. fellow seemed so confident, and told
the engineer.
We'll, you just make her sound
l q i oI.1~