The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-09
OLD MAN GREENHUT'S
~ WARNING FAILS.
The Clerical Stranger Proves the
Effect Of Prayer and
Practice.

Il reckon there amt NJ a what's got
any kind OF a thinker az hasn't recO'nized,
frequent, how much more superior draw
poker IL 10 any other form o. scientific
eddication OF religious trainin', . said old
! mar Greenhut, az he stood behind his bar
meditating.
"They was tellin' me- ne continued after
a little pause, about this new preacher
is come for TO watch over the Methods
congregation fr the comm year. Hes
brung his own jug with him, I believe,
an faint to be 'xpected Z he'll call here
till that runs dry N that d'pends on how
cap'ble a drinker he Is. Tain't likely I
he'll be long, though, fr he's ben here nigh
a week now. o. course there amt nothin'
in the fact OF a new preacher comm to
town that bears direct onto he subjeck
o. draw poker, 'thouten it's because 1t put
me in mind o. Zek1 Slocum. D. D., what
was the first sky pilot l ever got to know
intimate"
Some o. the boys up to the store was
sayin' t this here new preachers name
was Slocum," observed Sam Pearsall in
differently.
well" said the old man, there's differ
ent Slocums round"
@Tks postmaster vas tslnn' me- said
Joe Bassett, -as how there was somepin'
queer about this one, judgin' Pm . letter t
come for him 'tother day. Pears his name
Is Zek1 an his middle initials IL wrote
after his name, stead O. bein' put inside
reglar like. / forget what they was
Old man Greenhut' looked at the big
Sheriff somewhat doubtfully for a few
moments, as il trying to Determine whether
he was speaking in good faith. Then he
shook his head slowly, and said. sMore'n
likely it's the same man. Pears like his
name was Dabney, though, when 1 knowed
him afore. 1 reckon / must "a misre-
membered, somehow, count o. the sound
bein' m~isleadin'. This here Dabney, front
name o. Samuel, was the sperritul guide
Of a small gang O. believers in Greenville,
where ! was tendin' bar, a number o. years
ago.
Him an me got well acquainted, a.
'peared to be natural, count o. him most
gently comm in late FIR his booze, when
everybody else had gone. Reason he come
late, he said, was count O. not weak'nin'
his influence with his flock. Losin' his
influence, he said, d likely mean losin'
! his job, an savin' souls was all 3 he was
fit for, not havin' no practical eddication.
"More'n likely he were right about not
bein' properly dedicated, fr he sure were
astonishin' ignorant O. some things, but
he had considerable natural talents
Just here the old man seemed to tire
Of standing and he opened a fresh box Of
cigars. Selecting the BLACKLIST and latest
one he could find he lighted il and crossed
to his ~favorite seat by the window.
Then he said: Il reckon It was this here
Dabney, front name O. Samuel, as give
me the first genl ideas Z I ever had O. the
true meanin' o. draw poker. Pears he
hadn't played il a terrible lot, but he'd
give considerable study to it, an he'd ask
me all sorts O. questions about the way they
played il in our back room, which there
want no place in Greenville where there
were a more scientific game played.
"Well, he'd set an ask questions, an
set an think, an then set an ask more
questions, an then set an think some more,
till / sure would "a got weary, on'y fr
him bein' a tOl'able good customer, an
bein' a leadin' citizen, too. So I'd tell him
all about the p'oooliarities O. the game.
He KEEP his up fr a considerable spell,
an one night when I'd got plumb tired O.
tellin' him things I any self respectin' young
,feller'd 'xpeCt 70 know FIR hisself, he sudden
let loose a mess o. learnin' an wisdom.
This here game o. draw poker, Green
hut he says to me, pears to open up a
most amazin' heap o. possibilities in front
of a man as goes at it intelligent like an ]
told him / reckoned these want much
doubt o. that. l hadn't no pers'nal interest
into the game the boss was %runnin', an
l didn't see no reason why I sh'd encourag &c
this here babe O. grace to set in an feed
the c'munity with money t he didn't have
none too much OF.
But he p'ceeded, methodical like, to lay
down the principles o. poker some like he
was preachin' a sermon, an fore he
said a heap, he had me listenin' with severa
ears. Draw poker pears to me- he a
like it was the chosen instrument in the
hands o. Providence FIR to p'vide a excel
lent Twin fr a intellectual man, SOS hC
don't get run away with, long o. bein 9
man with a taste fr gambilin. Draw
poker he says, is a spot or a business
or a fine art, 'cordin' to % you take il
an 'cordin' to the gifts o. the man IL
playin', an them three things fits In together
like the various o~nreconcilable facts IL
the Good Book. II you see EN- right, they
hang together. II you don't, you don't
b'lieve EN-
Then he p'ceeded to preach his sermon
Firstly he says, it's q spot to them al
has money to feed fish with, an is a ex.
peditious means O. putin that same money
in circulation. Secondly. it's a business
to them as p'vides the facilities FIR players
to play, an looks out careful fr the kitty.
An in this connection, my brethren, ]
en- see
Hold on 1 says, I amt your brother;
not yet
$50 he laughs, an says, That's so, !