Evening star., 1905-08-20
"SKUNKING" A CHAMPION
Humiliating Experience of the Crack
Checker Player of the Hudson.
From the Boston Herald.


Base ball attracts the attention of manv
thousands of Americans today" said a
disciple of the simple life. but in nv opin
ion the most popular game in the United
States is checkers. 1t is one of the Oldest
games in the history of the world The
vogue of base ball lasts only five or six
months in the year, while checkers Is play
ed the year round. In the Isolated country
districts it is the chief means of amuse
ment during the long winter evenings. all
that is necessary to play the game being
piece of chalk to mark out the SQUARES
on piece of board and a number of white
and yellow kernels of corn to make the
checkers. Besides, the game of checkers af-
fords an admirable chance for the study
of human nature. especially the vanity and
egotlsm of the ordinary human animal
viewing the game of checkers from this
standpoint reminds me of the time when 7
defeated the champion checker PLAYER of
the lower Hudson river several years ago.
IIn Inns champion was renowned through the
Hudson River valley. Time and time again
he had defeated local champions He lived
in Rockland. where he kept a general store
He was In the habit of going up and down
the Hudson on the steamer Chrystenah
which plies between New York and Peeks-
Kill, stopping at intermediate landings to
deliver freight and passengers 1t was the
custom of the champion to sit on the main
and defeat all corners.
Il had a summer residence at Peekskill
one summer, and became deeply interested
In the champion because of his arrogance
and the lnSuferable manner he assumed
when his adversaries fell. one by one. be-
fore his superior skinl. After watching the
champion for several weeks | began to
scheme to rob him of his glory had paid
some attention to checkers and played a
fair game. l noticed that the champions
knowledge OF the game was limited to three
openings and that he Invariably used one
of these three l consulted my copy of
Hoyle and found that there were various
openings of which the champion probably
was unaware. l picked out one of the more
obscure and practiced 1t night after night,
until each move was indeIlbly impressed
upon my brain.
The following Saturday when 1 boarded
the steamer l found the champion sitting
at the little table with cigar between his
lips and a cynical smile on his face as he
slowly but surely sent his latest antagonist
into checker oblivion. AS the game was
nearing end, in defiance Of all the ethics
OF checkers 1 warned the victim against
making a contemplated move. This. of
course, drew the attention of the champion
Young man. he said, you seem to
know something about the game. Would
you mind giving me lesson or two?'
L hope you will excuse my butting in
said I. I know very little about the game.
OF course you can defeat me easily. but
I'll try you once just for fun. l will play
just one game and no more
Il shall never forget that scene" contin-
ued the storyteller. THE table was sur
rounded by a hundred men. nearly all of
whom had been slaughtered by the cham
pton. We were crossing Haverstraw bay
when the game began. The look of con-
scious superiority faded from the cham
pion's face after three moves had been
made. The opening which had studied SO
carefully proved to be complete surprise
to him. He did not know how to meet It.
Within five minutes had invaded his king
row and in five minutes more I had defeat
ed him ANONYMOUSLY. He didn't get
king. A delighted deckhand jumped five
feet in the air and exclaimed:
By thunder, the champion In skunked"
l arose lazily from my chair. stretched my
arms and yawned. To the champions re-
quest for another game I replied
Whats the use?' Then I walked away
Il am told that my fame has spread
throughout the state and that the story of
that game has been retold In every village
between here and Albany. understand
that whenever they want to take the con-
ceit out Of the champion they make some
reference to my wonderful play"