The sun., 1904-06-05
EDUCATION IN
Z DRAW POKER.
He Got Used p the Jaekpots, But
He Didn't Know a Royal
Flesh.

There's folks has came to Arkansas City
I'm time to time" said Old Man Green.
hut, "that you might call queer
Mebbe they might be considered all right
to home where they come from. When
you We been raised right up alongside OF
a crooked tree, pears like you kind O. get
used to it, and don't take no notice half
the time whether IT. crooked or straight
Similar, II man was to be own brother to
drivellin' idiot. an seen him drivel all the
time, likely he wouldn't pay no attention
to it.
-That's why say these freaks that blows
in I'm of the river f'm time to time may
not be reckoned queer afore they get here,
but they sure is preposterous when they
come to size up a alongside o the law-abdin
citizens Of Arkansas City.
There amt no better test OF a man, g
fur q I've ever knowed, nor a good game
o draw poker. An ben' as tol'able nigh
everybody t comes to this town plays
draw poker, there amt most al'ays never
no trouble in sizin' EN- up; an some on
EN- is sure queer.
II don t call none on EN- to mind, though.
t was quite 30 plumb ridiculous as feller
I'm tn Ozark Mountain district. that fell
in OF freight train one Saturday night
a spell ago, bringin' some notions OF his
own along with him. The way him an
Sam Pearsall come together sure was re-
markable. Didn't you never hear o that?
Well. WE'LL"
The old man reached under the bar and
fshed out a box of cigars, which he pro-
ceeded to open with great care. Then, Sc
lecting one cigar from the contents, he
closed the box and put it back in hiding,
after which he walked around to his favor
lite seat by the window. and putting his feet
on the sill, struck match and applied it to
the cigar.
when he had it we'll alight, he said: This
here critters name were as crazy as he were
his own self, bein' Chris Googums. Least
ways that's what he said it were, an it
stands to reason it must hev been, for there
couldn't nobody make up a name like
that, il he was to try; let alone there wouldn't
be nobody willin' to own up to it, II he cd
get out OF it.
well, this here Googums were blazin'
drunk when he fell OF the freight train,
an when he picked hisself up, 'longside
o. the roundhouse on the levee, the boys
seen he were about seven foot long an
two foot thick. Pears he had his rife with
him, too-one o. them old fashioned muzzle
leaders, with a barrel five foot long an
weighin' pound and half to the inch.
They knowed we'll enough t he want
no ways likely to shoot, bein' as he wab-
bled 90, an couldn't seem to get hold O.
the trigger, but he were mad clean through,
count O. havin fell when he stepped of
the car, an he were cussin' a streak, an
wavin' that cannon o. his n like it we're a
lead pencil, an there want nobody yearnin'
20 get In reach. 'Peared like he were liable
to hit somebody, an there didn't nobody
want to got hit with a telegraph pole.
Then he begin to holler. an I'm what
they heer'd the boys judged he might
ha been in the habit o blastin' out rocks
with HIS voice. back in the mountains.
They cd see the rails under the car quv-
erin at the noise, an some on EN- thought
It were up to Joe Bassett, him bein' Sheriff,
to put this feller In the calaboose for dis
turbin' the peace. Joe come up while they
was talkin' it over. an he give one good
look at Googums an give it as his opinion
twouldn't be constitutional to lock him
up on no such charge. bein' as there want
no peace to disturb while he was round.
'Googums started in to sing for while
houss an said his prayers an went to
sleep with his head on the track just
naturally, there didn't nobody want to
kill him, an similar there want none on
EN- cared about takn' chances in movin
him or wakin him UP. 30 they didn't run
no engine in that night.
Joe Barrett took his rife, though. him
bein' sound asleep. an conhscated 1t in the
name O the law, 30 there was some on 'em
was lookin for doins when Googums
woke up, an they kind o stayed round.
But in the mornin' he were as mild as
lamb an begins apoiogizin' to ev'rybody
round fer bein' alive. 'Peared like he
were monst Gus 'shamed OF hisself for
bein' drunk, an hadn't no recollection o.
what he'd did. An what was bothern'
him lot was to know whether he'd killed
anybody.
'Juse naturally the boys began to string