The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02
THE TRAINING OF
l. ONREDDY TOPPLETON
Lacking the Gift Of Being Pre-
pared He Fails to
Profit BY Il.

Trouble with some folks ia. Z they amt
ready said old a Greenhut. III
the boats Afre, an it's RELY needful for
to git out on deck an look round fr the
branch Of a tree or somepin'. they amt
got no clo'es on, an similar, II the boats
stnkin' an tn on'y way o. gittin' TO land
n swimmin' they amt never got their
olo'es Oh.
worst Of IL 10, Z when q man is RELY
afflicted thisaway. pears like IL was born
into him, an faint 10 earthly good fr
to try to show him tn error Of his Ways.
You tell q man o. hat sort As how he's
goin' to get took abort some time count o
bein' onrcady n he'll tell you Z he's goin'
TO prepare hisself afore tho time comes,
but bsin' that sort naturally he don't get
ready for TO prepare hisself time enough
for II to do any good.
1--we spoke frequent about how the game
o. draw poker were p'vided by u wise an
beneficial Providence for to pint out to
them that's intelligent all the great moral
lessons that's RELY essential. Pears like
there amt nothin' Z O nan needs for to
know but what he on learn II I'm draw
poker Z he's got intelleck enough TO play
Il scientific. An II there's ono thing tn the
way Of . moral lesson in draw poker Y stands
out prominent It's tn Importance O. bein'
on hand at the proper tims In Q proper
condition o. ready.
There were q teller drifted into Arkansas
City q spell ago 7 were Q shinin' example O.
the best way o. not gettin' there count O
not bein' ready. He were 90 tall a 90 rcd
beaded Z there was some talk o. usin' him
f'r Q lighthouse on some o. the bends In the
river below here, but that fell through
count o. his prejudice aefn gotn' bare
beaded. Folks SEQ t he couldn't b relied
on to git his hat on In time, even 1owtn' Z
he'd gavs his hull mind to tho job.
He'd been q travellin' man fr big hrm
In st. Louis, an was down the river trytr' 10
sell goods when they autographed 10 him =
he'd better Jump overheard here an sse Z
the current wouldn't got him to Vicks6Arg
Afors some other Teller Z was sellin' fr q
other firm sh'd got there. Pears hlOe
'tother Teller had arrove everywhere else
Just afcre this hero ToppletOn an had sold
all thero was for to be sold.
sToppleton was the name o. this here red
beaded drummer. I never mowed what
his front name was, count o. everybody
cailin' him Reddy. Leastways that was
what they called him till they got reel well
acquainted. Then = good many called him
Onreddy.
well this here oureddy Topplston como
10 me an showed me the telegraph what he'd
Just got, an he says. Kind o. looks TO mo
ike they didn't want me to sell no more
goods. Looks like they'd know I I couldn't
get to Vicksburg thataway, n they
ha'n't sent me no money for to go by boat
He 'peared to be some downcast. an he
a he reckons he'll make other arrange
ments. Sellin' goods want much In his
line nohow.
$50 I asst him what he reckoned his line
was, n he said he'd pier fer 20 play poker,
on'y Z be didn't know 3 he wa quite p'pared
fer 10 set In with no extra skilful pfesston-
ais.
well, The Good Book teaches Us how We
shouldn't tromple onto q hunk o. FAX rs
Just oatchin' a spark not II we want it to bum
We shouldn't. So It didn't look good TO me
for to discourage q hon'able ambition In a
man. So l tells him Z playin' poker was
some like swimmin', you never knowed
what you cd do till you did It.
There was one thing l was some doubtful
about, an that was whether he had a wad.
I knowed the boys d be willin' enough 10
furnish him all tn experience he needed.
but they wasn't liable for to take interest
enough 10 do him no great benefit 'thou'ten
he had enough Of q stake to make the game
some excitin'.
But Onreddy Toppleton he say hes
tol'able well heeled, seem he's been travellin'
some months at the expense o. the firm. an
hain't had 10 use fr his salary on'y 10 soak
Il away. So I told him I'd try 10 arrange Q
settin''rr his benefit. There's some poker
PLAYED In my back room here,' I says, an
YOU might take q hand. I amt ssyin' It's
Just such q game a. you'll find played on
the boats, but it'll do you f'r practice
well, be says, he reckons he mought as
well have a try, anil told the boys about Il.
They was none too enthusiastic. Joe Bas-
sett wa the one Z spoke, but I knowed
well enough Z thu Others was thinkin' the
same a. he was.
ITS ali right Joe says, for TO play cards
with grown men, but the great trouble about
pIayin' with little childen Z wants 10 learn
the game pears TO be the fact Z they hain't
got no real money
But Joe.' / says, this here Onreddy
ToppletOn pears to have substantial
sum In his kick an I told EN- what he
said about his salary an expense money,
an Jake W~interbottom he says, Joe, I'm
s'prised at y'r sordid sperrit. l hain't
never suspected you afore o. bein' down.
right mercenary, not when IL come to q
matter o. Christian duty. Now here's a
pore, ignorant ~wayfarer Z wants to ct
hisself fr to take a prominent part in the
great industries o. the country, an you
stop an haggle. r he wants to learn draw
poker It's . privilege you'd ought to be
proud Of for to be lowed TO set In an help
teach him. An Joe lowed maybe twas.
$50 / s'gested as how maybe they mought
give ToppIeton a heap o. good sound eddica-
ton an mako a legitimate profit on It sides
gettln' considerable amusement outen tho
game II they was TO work up Some o. the
strong p'ints o. tn game fr his benefit an
then explain EN- 10 him afterward.
well, tho boys took nightly to the idee,
an when ToppIston showed up, like de did
q day or two later, they sure was ready for
him. IAin't q sayin' but what they mought
hA' had q few stunts framed up ready an
some few little speeches Of explanation all
p'pared.