Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-05-31

COulQ iii the Dill.
''When l met the deacon first two
most important events were happen
ing in Arkansaw. One was the
building of the Iron Mountain &
Southern railroad, and the other,
the introduction of the cutter card in
the game of poker.
I'm the west the cutter card is
now as well known as is Carrie
Nation in the no-liccnse districts.
1t is the funniest card you ever
saw, and takes its name from being
more cute than any other card. Like
any poor beggar, it is known by
the company it keeps. If it falls
to you with four aces it counts as
another ace and makes straight
flush look like 80 cents. If it is
held with three queens it becomes
another lady. In company with one,
two or three deuces it becomes an
other devil. 1t changes its sex
from queen to king and some
times makes a jack of itself. In
your eastern games it is nothing
on earth but the Joker and the
first thing to do in a game is to
throw it out of the deck. The
further west you go the more val
ue attaches to the joker.
Like the reputation of chick
en- thief, the town of Cherokee
was built up in one night. The
shacks for the railroad 1aborers and
the barracks for the foreman and
surveyors, the roughly constructed
hotel which was to dispense stimu- /
lating fluid to thirsty employees,
even the rickety Jail for the accom-
mediation of the travelling public, all .
were completed with the rapidity .
of the growth of a scandal. There
remained but two essential features
lacking to the complete makeup of
Cherokee building where men
could go to meeting on Sundays and
a building where they could play
poker after working hours. In its
infancy the railroad town could not
afford both these luxuries, so the
question narrowed itself down as to
there should be a meeting
house or poker room in Cherokee.
1T was in meeting this emer-
gency that Deacon Harper come to
the front. He advocated compro-
mise, and said that Cherokee must
have peace or go to pieces. He
offered to meet the four most cx-
pert players in town at their own
game. The stakes were to go to-
ward building either meeting
house or poker room, and which
Of the two was to be built was to
be decided by the winner. A cler-
ical garb, to four knights of the
cloth, looked pretty easy to the
crowd of Arkansaw sports, and the
deacon's proposition seemed as soft
as butter. Deacon Harper's only
was that the game
should be played with the cutter
card in the deck.
THE game came off on Satur-
day night, and all of Cherokee
turned out to see the finish. A
game of poker draws better in Ark
ansaw than a mustard poultice.
About o5 per cent of the commu-
nifty rooted for the poker room.
The meeting house didn't seem to
have as much chance as Lawyer
Patrick.
The deacon lost steadily from
the beginning of the game. He
was in tough luck.
the cutter card was care
fully shuffled with the rest of the
deck, it never seemed to make its
in the various deals. AS
it had only become recently known
in Arkansaw, so persistent was it
in its absence on this occasion that
its existence was soon forgotten.
Deacon Harper took his medi-
cine as pleasantly as if it was castor
oil disguised as sugar. AS for the
four sports AT last the dea-
con proposed the last deal. He had
exactly 500 left in cash, besides
$500 in promises that his adherents
had agreed to make good. 1t was a
jackpot, and the sport on his left
opened it for $50. The next sport
raised it $50 more, and Sport No.
stayed at a cost of 500. Sport No.
4 flew the coop, as bobtail flush
cut off at both ends scared him off
the roost. When it came to Deacon
Harper he put up his last 500.
On behalf of my congregation,
raise 1t $780, said he. 1t took
all the winnings of the three stay
crs and more too, to cover the bet,
but not one of the three played the
Nohxy oct