The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-10-27
Illuminating Experience OF the
Crack Checker Player Of
the Hudson.
DIDN'T SECURE a KING
The Stranger Convinced "Alcc- that
the "Butterin" Can at
Times Make
Good.
From the Boston Herald.

Baseball attracts the attention Of
many thousands of Americans today,
said a disciple of the simple life. (" but
an my opinion the most popular game
in the United States is checkers. It IL
one of h Oldest games in the history
of the world. The vogue of b%aseball
lasts only five or six months in the
year.. while checkers is played the year
round. In the ISOLATED country districts
it is the chief means of amusement DUR
ing the long winter evenings, all that
is necessary to play the game being q
piece of chalk to mark out the squares
on u piece of board, and a number Of;
white and yellow kernels of corn to-
make the checkers. Besides, the game.
of checkers affords an admirable
chance for the study of human nature.
especially the vanity n egotism of the
ordinary human animal.
Viewing the game of checkers from
this standpoint reminds me of the time
l defeated the champion checker
player of the lower Hudson river sew
eral years ago. This champion was re-
nowned through the Hudson river val-
ley. Time and time again he had de-
feated the 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 steam-
er Chrystenah, which plies between
New York and Peekskill. stopping at
intermediate landings to deliver freight
and passengers. 1t was the custom OF
the champions to sit on the main deck
of the steamer, betwcen the gangwayset
and defeat all corners.
II had a summer residence at Peek
skill one Hme andtI became deeply
interested in the champion because OF
his arrogance and the insufferable
manne ne assumed when his adver-s
sartes fell, one by one, before his SUI
perior skill. After watching the cham
pion for several weeks I began to
scheme to rob him OF his glory. IhadS
paid some attention to checkers and
played a fair game. I noticed that the
champions knowledge of the game was
limited to three openings and that he
invariably used n Of these three. I
consulted my copy of Hoyle and found
that there We're various openings OF
which the champion probably was
aware. I picked out one of the more
obscure and practiced it night after
night, until each move was indelibly
impressed upon my brain.
The following Saturday when I
boarded the steamer I found the cham:
pion sitting at the little table with a.
cigar between his lips and a cynical
smile on his face as he slowly but sure
ly sent his latest antagonist into
checker oblivion. AS the game was
\ GClldllCSE OlE ~ Mlu0
ethics of checkers, I warned the vic-
tim against making a contemplated
move. This, of course, drew the at
tention of the champion to myself.
Young man, he said, you seem t o
know something about the game.
or two?'
az hope you will excuse my butting
In said I. I know very littlc about
the game. OF course you can defeat
me easily, but III try you once just.
for fun. I will play just one game and
no more
Il shall forget thae Gene, =.
continued the storyteller. The tabs,
was surrounded by a hundred men
nearly all Of whom had beer slaught-
ing Haverstraw bay when the game
began. The look of conscious SUPERIOR
ity faded from the champions face aft
er three moves had been made The
opening which I had studied so care-
fully appeared to be a complete sur
prise to him. He did not know how to
meet it. Within five minutes I had in-
vaded his king row and In five minutes
more I had defeated him ignominously.
He didn't get a king. A delighted deck
hand jumped five feet in he air and.
exclaimed:
BY thunder, the champion is
skunked! / arose lazily from my
chair, stretched my arms and yawned.
To the champions request for another
game I replied:
whats the use?" Then 1 walked
away.
II am told that my fame he's spread
throughout the state and that the
story of that game has -~been.Tetold in
every village between here and Albany.
i understand that whenever they want.
to take the conceit out Of the champion
they make some reference to my won-
derful play"