The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-24

din Said he got throwed overheard one
time an come down with such a mighty
splash t the water was all pulled outen
the river, an he walked ashore, leavin'
the boat stuck on the bottom. Another
time he was rode outen town in the night,
bein some drunk, and come back in the
mornin' an pulled the hull town up by
the roots an slung 1t over the levee
leavin' the citizens homeless.
Likely them yarns was some stretched
an | never took no stock in what they
said about him grabbin niger t spoke
impotence, an twistin his head plumb
often his shoulders with his bare hands,
but | have saw him pull knife outen
his boot an throw it at a man acrost the
deck ac'rate enough an o'cible enough
for to bury it five inches deep. square
into his heart, SOS t the man died quick
as he knowed what hit him. Feared like
he seen 'twa'nt no good arguin'.
''You couldn't say but what Billy Feath-
CT was tough, all right, an that was like
ly one reason why nobody never said
nothin to him touchn' his p cooliar style
o playin' poker. Feared he'd learned how
to deal often the bottom o the deck, an
if there were ace there when he dealt
he were toll able sure o gettin' it in. the
draw. He couldn't do it noways remark
able clever but he cd do it. An when
them t was playin' with him seen him
do it they'd just quit the game, not say
IN nothn' That is. them that knowed
him did If they didn't happen to know
him they quit the game Just the same,
even if they did make remarks about it,
"IIe was that tough t he had the name
f'r a consid able spell O havin' did up
Cap'n Foss on his own boat. No other
nan ever done it, an Billy Feather
want noways confident o dom it again.
FIR he KEEP often the Prairie Belle f'r two
or three years alter he done it, count o
Cap'n Foss runnin' her. She want the
Prairie Belle t was knowed so well later
on, but the boat t was blowed up at
Baton Rouge in ~.
"Well. Foss had her FIR nigh five year.
an he made his reputation them times.
| lie sure could lick any man t ever came
| aboard of her in a square fight, an he
want noways slow about dom of it II
| things want did accordn' to his ideas.
lone o. his preiudices was ag'in ropn'
| in youngsters to a game o poker with
Professionals If they was old enough to
| know better he didn't give a cuss. And
! if Professionals got eatln' each other up,
| like they would when there want no
suckers to play, Foss wouldn't pay no
attention. but if some young Teller d set
| in. p'tclar if he'd had drink or two,
Foss'd watch the game like 1t was his
| own son gettin skinned.
Knew the Game.
"He knowed the game. too, an if there
was anything s'picious he'd bust up the
settin' in a flash The Professionals all
| knowed him. o. course, an after he'd
| been on the river couple o year there
want none on em tried no funny bus
mess till Billy Feather got aboard at
Memphis to go down the river one sum-
mer evenin.
Happened there was three or four
i spots I'm somewheres back in the state
| -. IA t-tx~ ~
got aboard the same time They was
Young enough TO be lookin FIR excitement
an we'll heeled enough to set into a
game o. draw t Billy Feather started
with another pfessional, name o Jack
Hanover. Hanover were a torable slick
| sort o. player, but he want knowed to
| be no fighter.
''WeIl. Foss seen the game There
want nothin did on his boat he didn't
| see An in five minutes he was lookin'
| on an lookin close.
s"rhey'd made a six handed game OF it.
Billy Feather an Jack Hanover settin'
| opposite to each other an 9th on EN-
havin' one of these here Tennessee spots
| on each side of him. They hadn't played
more N Ave or six hands afore they set
| up a double cross t was sure sin. 1t
were Hanover's deal. an chap named
| Turner had anted 81 call IS. They was
playin' the old game. no limit an nothin'
/ said about table stakes. bein as there
| want nothin' knowed about table stakes
| them days. man had one show for all
| the money he had, but he couldn't dig
| up no more when he lost that.
| Turner's pal, they called Scotty. come
in for the fiye alter he'd looked at his