The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-31
UNCLE sIhAs, HE SAYS.
More Paternal Advice Is Given to
Young Men.

My son, it won't be any news to you
to learn that there is an American
game called poker. About ninety-nine
boys out of hundred learn 1t before
they are sixteen Later on about nine
ty-eight out of the ninety-nine wish
! they hadn't. 1t is more ailuring than a
sfde-show, and it promises more prizes
than lottery You are always dead
sure that the next hand is going TO be
a full house.
L don't want to take away any of
your pleasures. but after you have lost
your first weeks salary at poker cut it
out. It's like fooling with a bull. II
you keep It up long enough you'u get
thrown over the fence and busted I've
been there, and had threes and
straights and fiushes and full houses
and even straight Pushes, but it al
! ways happened somehow when the
other. Fellows only had a pair of tens
and didn't help. them any in the draw.
whenever there was a big pot on the
table the other chaps. got It. I hung on
like dog to a root. but I finally had
to give in and realize that the luckiest
poker player is the man who can han
die the cards the sliekest
Perhaps you've started out in life
with the idea that you can pick vim
ners at the races. There isn't a man
living who can convince you that you
are an idiot-not now You'u 90 on
picking winners for a little time-just
often enough to keep ahead of the
game and keep you thinking that YOU
are about the sharpest piece of hu-
mainly on legs. and then you'll get a
Jar eS, my son, you'll put up YOUR
shekels and grin with assurance when
the start is made, and then you'll come
down with a bump on hard ground and
begin to talk about the ingratitude Of
the world. All sorts of astute men
have been trying to beat the horse ring
for the last two thousand years. and
mighty few of them have opened a
grocery with their winnings. One of
those 100 TO 1 shots is a good thing
when you strike it, but somehow all
of US seem to be somewhere else the
day they come off. The ring throws
them out as bats and the ring takes
care that outsiders don't go home with
a satchel full OF money
You may have spelled the school
down, stopped a runaway horse or shot
a mad dog before reaching the age Of
twenty You may have friends who
have made you believe that you are
almost as great as George Washing
that belief more than a week. The
market for other Washingtons is fat
We make q hero of man for about
twenty-four hours, and then We drop
him TO inquire if the potato crop is
coming all right. Better start in with
out any red fire and last the longer.
Your pa and ma and other relatives
and friends who have heard you de-
claim in school or read Shakespeare
at a social entertainment are certain
to tell you that a theatrical career is
the only one you should adopt. You
can't help but get the swell head over
it, and you can't help but dream of
filling Irving's shoes. Therefore it is
to some manager.
They. are paternals class. They also
speak plain English. They are also the
fool killers for the country at large
T4r~- -f~~~~
bring tears of disappointment to your
eyes. but it's like taking a dose of
castor oil@you feel better next .day.
Don't order the scenery for YOUR NAV
until after you have consulted a man
ager, and don't lay il up against ua
and ma and the rest They were hon
est in their beliefs. They thought ac-
tors could be sawed into any length
same as cordwood.
Between the ages of seventeen and
twenty-one many young men turn TO
poetry. They produce sonnets to the
moon and other things. and the first
they know they are advertised to take
up the poets trade and push It along
for living. There is room for poets in
both this world and the one to come
and it IS not for Tae to speak dis
eouragfng word The hours are short
and there is no lost time, and If you
ever have enough money to pay
pubIisher for bringing out a volume
he'll make deal with you. Don't for
get. however. that you can't eat poetry,
either bound or unbound. You have
got to have beef and potatoes as a
foundation If you can't get them. out
of writing poetry don't be over ten
years finding it out and turning 70
something else. Expects have gone
into the lightning rod. business and
made money at IT,
You may have a voice for singing.
Your pa and ma your best girl and
the justice Of peace may have told you
So You have been around singing So
los and serena q hg and received much