Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-12-08

year in an year out, for the hetter part
o four years, but that's what he did.
1T got to be talked about, natural, an
there was players I'm all over uster come
aboard the boats to meet him, layin' for
game. He never had no pal, an he
never backed out of a game, but he never
got much the worst of it till Charlie
Bates an his pal happened along late one
fall an got pickin' up suckers on the old
Creole Belle.
They are said TO be FIN up North
somewheres, an they sure was quiet
lookin' pair o boys. Neither one on 'em
Want thirty years old, an Bates were
as innocent lookin' as a schoolmarm.
But they got hold of a couple O. planters
I'm Mississippi an done 'em up shameful
inside of hour.
"Gwaltney were lookin' on, an he seen
plain enough what they was. SO Just
naturally he laid for them, an bein' as
they took him for another sucker he
didn't have to do no hard work for to
get another game started with on'y three
men into it, an him one o. the three
"Well, they played all the way to
Vicksburg, an Gwaltney dropped over
$4,000 in the game 'Peared like that
were all the money he had with him, an
he had TO stop off an send for more, or
somepin' like that, so him an Bates an
his pal parted there, but Gwaltney made
'em promise to let HIM know when thev
come back
They want noways slow about that.
natural enough, an all's they did was to
30 down with the boat to New Or
leans an stay aboard for tn up-river
trip. Gwaltney was waitin' for 'em. am
the three on 'em was shut into a state
room with cards an chips afore the Gre
ole Belle had took on the freight t was
waitin' on the levee.
Il was called into the room tol'able fire.
quent for the next two days. bein' as
Gwaltney was drirlin' right along same
as usual, but Bates, he didn't drink
nothin', an his partner, Ferguson on'y
took nip now an again, same as most
anybody. 'Peared like they was loolin'
for GWaI.ney to get drunk, but ne never
turned hair. On'y | cd see I'm what
little | did see, t he were losin' again.
Just naturally watched out the best
Imowed for to see whether there was
any crooked work, but if there was it
must ha' been the slickest kind for to
Get past Gwatney, am 'twa'n't likely I'll
cd spot it. Anyway. | didn't. but there
want no doubt as Bates an Ferguson
was two O. the best players t ever come
down the river. | seen that. an | seen.
too, t GwaIncy was gettin' ratified
Next thing | knowed the game broke
up. Bates an Ferguson went off to bed.
an Gwaltney come into the bar an took
drink. Then he lit a cigar an went
out on deck, like he were goin' fer
walk
After that there want nothin' ever
knowed of him. He was missed fore we
got to a landin', but he want nowheres
on the boat Bates an his pal Travelled
the river for a year or so more. till the
war broke out, an they went North an
then | never heard no more on 'em.
Years a'ter, | met a feller t knowed
Gwaltney up in Nmginny, an he said t
GWaltney's father an two brothers had
all shot themselves fer losin' all they had
at cards, an this here one had took an
oath to make war on gamblers as lone as
he lived. He made a good fight of it
while he lasted, but he'd bit off a tolable
big mouthful when he tackled the pies
sionals on the Mississippi Inter
ccan.