Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-02-15
CATS INSTEAD OF CHIPS.
One of the Most Peculiar Poker Games
Ever Played.

New York Sun-The strangest
poker game ever played in western
New York was fought out two weeks
ago by Pete" Smelling of Hamilton,
better known as the "cat hermit" and
Old Man" Booker of Clarkson, like
wise recluse and something of cat
Gancier. The two men live about one
mile apart, with the town line be-
tween them. 1t was in reality town
against town, with cats for chips.
The game grew out of professional
jealousy, as each of the players pre-
tended TO be the boss hermit in point
OF years, hard luck and the number of
cats. Last August "Old Man"
; Booker happened to meet pete" at the
a village store, and among other things
, declared that when it came to poker he
could make pat" Sheedy hunt cover.
4 am strong on it" he announced.
I'm husky. l haven't played for
years just because l know there is no
one hefty enough to make it interest
ing"
! IF you dig up my past you'll find
I'm quite a cuss with the pasteboards
myself, said Pete"
: Dare you meet me, cried the old
man
I'm for that. What shall we play
for?" asked Pete.
"oid Man" Broker scratched his
rough chin and thought deeply Then
he had an inspiration.
( How are you fixed for cats?" he
asked.
! Got about fifty. and twenty kit
tens" replied pete"
2 All right; let's play for cats" said
Booker.
Sc il was agreed, and two weeks ago
the game was pulled off, Booker col
lected his feline assets and carted
them over to Pete's tumble-down farm
house. Pete had his chips meowing
and splitting in an empty room and no
time was lost in bringing out a greasy
deck OF cards, and the game began on
a kitten ante and two-cat limit.
! On the first hand Pete straddled the
ante for one cat, but his boost began
10 eat up Booker's kittens.
I'm not going to lose my edge that
way" declared Booker. 'Tf you want
20 fight cats I've got some thorough
breds in that crate"
A compromise was effected by bring
ing in two big boxes with stout covers,
one fer kittens and one for cats.
Booker refused to play and Pete pull
ed down the stakes.
On Booker's deal it went into a jack
pot and both put up a kitten, as
neither had openers.
Change a cat for me-" requested
Pete.
Booker pushed two kittens across
the board
On the next deal Booker opened for
two cats and Pete drew cards and
boosted the sweeting one kitten.
Booker drew to a pair of queens and
caught a small pair. Pete split a
pair of jacks and found a straight
"Oh. I'll bet a kitten" said Booker
"See your Kitten said Booker.
See your kitten and raise you two
cats" Pete came back.
Booker called and lost.
For the next six hands they simply
snapped kittens back and forth with
out getting any action. Then on a
jack pot Booker opened for one cat,
holding pat a club straight, nine high.
Pete discarded a queen of hearts and
caught the ten of diamonds. which
gave him diamond straight, ten high.
Then the cats few into the box fast
and furious.
The boxes began to get a bit crowd
ed and a vacant room was used to ac-
cumulate the chips. Both men left
their cards on the table and stood by
their respective cats. AS each called
his raise he would grab the limit by
the necks and toss them into the pot
See here, Smell, I'm out of cats, but
I've got a show for my stakes, IAN
nounced Booker as he threw in two
kittens and went shy a cat.
well. Book, Wen show hands now
or seal up the cards until you can raise
mere cats. It's a shame to take your
cats. / wish you'd call me-"
Not by a long chalk, Smell. I'll
never lay down on this hand. III
die first. Give me ten hours to hustle
i'm for more cats and then Wen show
iup."
This was agreed to and inside of six
hours Booker drove up with twenty
cats and six kittens The limit was
raised and the whole bunch of furry
chips were deposited in the fighting
cat pot and the cards were unsealed.
Thus did Smelling win the cat poker
championship CT western New York
and incidentally break old man Booker.
All creameries use butter color
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