The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-08-13
ANECDOTES OF VEST.
How Missouri's Ex-senator
Won a Jack Pot.
AN INSTANCE or HIS READY WIT

Used II with Crushing Eject when
interrupted IN a speech-IIow the
senator Lost his Teeth-A Gallant
Impromptu speech NJ Fourth Of
July Celebration.
Years ago the late exunited states
senator George G. Vest when a Young
man occasionally INDUCED 10 the fasei-
mating game called draw poker. game
which we know Is thoroughly under
stood fn all its details In Clinton county,
Mo-. more especially Lathrop. Well,
once on 4 time vest had tried a case il
II little county seat and received q large
re for clearing his man, says the La
throp Monitor. SO much money in the
hands Of the young lawyer was as
tempting 10 the denizens as cool wa
termeIon to d hungry negro, The re-
suit was a game of poker was got Up.
The boys intended to fleece Vest and Of
course stacked the cards. They had no
place to play In but little shed that
had no door but some fresh drg wheat
straw. 1t was d Eve handed game, anu
dry goods box served as a table. It
happened to be d Jack pot, and Vest
opened it Oh three queens. The cards
being fixed, the other fellows had better
hands and of course raised before the
draw. Vest stood the raise and drew
two cards AS luck would have it, he
got the other queen.
The betting commenced and grew ex-
eeedingly warm. They would raise the
young lawyer. and he would see them
and 20 d little better. An outsider who
stood In with the gang looked over
Vests shoulder aud saw what fofml
dable hand he had He held UP four
fingers, shook bis head and I'll other
ways tried to warn his friends, but to
no purpose. He saw that Vest would
break the crowd. so he lit a match and
1 set the straw door on fire and told them
/ I'd run for dear life. That cool head
which served him SO well in after years
and which never let him become ratified
did not desert him then. With one
hand he raked in the Doodle, with the
other lie exhibited his lovely queens,
and as be went out Of the door, with
his coat tall on fire, he said
/ aLet her burn; the pot Is miner
4 A Missouri paper reviyes an anecdofe
illustrating Senator Vests readiness Of
wit ana sarcasm. on one occasion,
some years ago. the doughty senator
used his gift with crushing effect on a
man who interrupted him while he was
making a speech In the Johnson county
courthouse at Warrensburg, Mo. the
home Of his colleague. Senator Coekreli
The room was packed Vest was
speaking III d particularly happy vein
when a Warrensburg editor who did
not like him arose and asked him 9
question. 1t was eourteously answered
/ anu the editor followed 1t Up with an,
other and another 70 the surprise Of
most Of his hearers. Senator Vest kept
his temper and continued to reply eour-
teously.
Finally the editor asked long and
very involved question. The senator
listened to it with the same attention
as be had given to those that preceded
lit, bur Just as he seemed ready TO reply
sand while" says Frank Frayne, who
: tells the story, 1.-THE audience was per.
fectiy quiet, awaiting Vests answer Z
! futile yellow bench legged cur came
jumping UP the aisle Immediately II
front OF the judges stand, barking
furiously at him. As quick as tiasE
Vest turned aud, pointing his finger a
the dog, said; One at time, sir. YOU
are out of your turn. Wait till ! &C.
through with the other one. then ! viii
reply to YOU
. According to the Saturday Evening
Post, Mr.. Vest had artificial teeth ami
! was not at all ashamed Of them on ths
e contrary, the relief that he left after h
t had all his natural ones taken out
1 many years ago, made him rathel
$ proud Of the false ones One day, sool
g after the artificial set was fitted. n
< started on horseback FOR a c0untrl
s town. ten miles or SO from his home i
: Missouri. where lie had to argue q
e important law case Il was cold
] lbleak day III November, but he tried g
$ forget the discomfort OF his ride b.
l thinking over the case and rehearsini