The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-11-14
WAS A GOOD CITIZEN.
Bill Waterman Looked ConscientiousIy After His
Business and Became Rich on Poker.

There amt hardly no limit to what
a man en- do if he on'y hangs onto
what he's got, an don't throw away
his opportunities. an keeps peggin
away" said old man Greenhut as he
stood in. the doorway of his saloon,
looking up the street. 'ePears like 1t
were a provision O. natur' that apples
sh'd grow when a man that's he'll bent
on apples en- arays find 'em an alays
shake 'em down, if so he's willin' to
do the work.
90 course, there is them that does
torable well standfn' round. an wait
in FIR somebody else to do the sihakin',
an just pickin' up what rolls toward
'em. But they amt to be reckoned in
the same class with the Teller that's
arays hustlin', an arays a-watchin' i,
what he hustles fer, an takin' care of
It.
Now there's that Bill Waterman
that just drove up the road on that
old sulky o. hisn. reckon you cd
/ buy a sulky like it for maybe four
dollars, but the hess he's drivin' is
worth four thousand if he's worth a
cent. An Bill is got money in the bank
an owns right smart o. land back in
the country.
When he come to Arkansas City
first off, ne rid a mule. an he hadn't
but one gallus. Likely he thought ha'
had a coat, oncet, but he didn't have
it no longer, an his pants was Just
what was left.
'.All It he owned in the world was
the mule so he told me afterward, an
I aPays had a notion t he'd on'y own
ed him FIN the time he'd found him
loose on the road somewheres. There
amt no evidence on that pint, though.
Where Bill come from never know
ed, nor why he come to Arkansas City.
He didn't bring nothin' with him but
the mule, an it didn't look much like
he was goin' to be no great addition
to the population There was some
thought it mought be up to US to keep
him travelin', not havin' no great no.
ton o. swellin' the census with that
kind.
But 'twa'nt long afore I seen there
was a chance t he might be better'n |
he looked. First thing he did was to |
go lookin' round town FIR somebody It |
wanted to hire a mule.
r,1 ,hob al
enough, but he wouldn't. Well, Sam I
Galloway made dicker with him to-
ward sundown,@to give him a dollar a |
day FIR the mules hire, an throw in
the critters feed.
Now, a dollar a day DONE look like I
much FIR the foundation of a fortune, /
and It amt much, but a heap depends
On who has the dollar a day. An when I
It come to putin money to a good |
use, Bill Waterman sure did show tai
emit
You might ha' thought t he'd ha'
started in to buy fine clo'es or red
liquor, or pomps an vanities SIGH as a
good many men will when they begin
10 handle money alter bein' without IL,
out Bill didn't. He knowed the value
y good money.
There was penny ante game goin'
III down on the levee, them days.
amt say where the rousters got the
pennies, nor where they learned what
hey was, for there want no pennies
ised along the river them days.
THE smallest there was nickel. an
nobody had much use for nickies. We
lad quarters an picayunes, an the
lime was short bit like they called
t out West, an there want nothin'
mailer reckoned worth countin'. But
the rousters learned about
pennies, an was usin' 'em to play
'aby game o. draw poker.
well, Waterman he set into that
;ame with his first dollar, an they do
ay FIN that time he fairi't never
moved what twas to go broke. He
we're a steady, industrious man that
lever neglected a game o. poker, no
natter what the temptation was, if he
d get anybody to play with him.
I've heard tell t he's been knowed
o play FIR As hours at stretch, an
e were that conscientious t he would !
It quit the game to get mite to eat.
{ he ed get a Niger to go over TO the
otel while he was playin' and buy him !
sandwich, he'd eat it, but if he could
t, he'd wait till the game broke up
n eat then.
There want an almighty lot o. :
honey in that there crowd o. rousters, :
II told. but such as it was, Water :
IAN had it, If e'er a one on 'em had :
dollar, 'peared like he smelled it,
n he'd never rest till he got the Teller
layfn' an got that dollar.
Jus naturally, 'twan't long before
nat sort O. thing got talked about,
n We seen that Waterman had the :
lakin's OF a citizenF into him SO ri /
lid for him one day an got a talkin +
18th him. Feared like a man t cd /,
D what he'd did might be worth doin'
,mepin' with.
He were monstrous close-mouthed
bout hisself, like a man had oughter
e talkin' to strangers, but he had
10 hest ideas q t,ou+ 5roxry -,,1-o-. >. TIA