The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-08
BOTH THE MEN HAD STRAIGHT FLUSHES But Jim BIaiSdeII'S Was One Point Lower WANTED RAKE0FF ON GAME creenhut's Saloon in Arkansas City Has a Poker Game That Breaks
 Long Season of
 Harmony
 
WANTED RAKEOFF ON GAME
From the Washington Post.

From the Washington Post
 For a long time nothing has disturbed the harmony that made for efficiency and success in the poker game that was iplayed on occasions in the back room Of old man Greenhuts saloon in Arkansas City. The group of players that had gathered together by slow process ot accretion and by natural selection was composed of men who had realizing sense of the importance of union and who. moreover. had very considerable re- speot for one another's talents.
 Knights of the green table, they held themselves like the Knights of the Round Table, each the peer of the next. and the question of precedence or of preference had veXed them not
 While the word harmony is used to de- scribe the more or less amicable agree ment which certainly existed among these worthies, it would be inaccurate to in sist that there were never any difference of opinion among them. It might happen. and in fact it did happen from time 10 time when no outsiders were present, that there were differences of opinion, strong words and even threats of violence, to- gether with the bandying of uncompii- mentary epithets.
  shooting at one another, which of itself proves the harmony. For any one of the group would promptly have shot at an outsider who should venture to use his tongue as they used theirs to one an- other
 Possibly the house rule against shoot ing and the proprietor's energetic enforce ment of rules with bungstarter had tendency to preserve this harmony when ;Ol,t ntI, ha hapn strained. hut a common interest in the poker game was after all the main reason for it.
 It was therefore a thing worth noting when there began to appear certain sls- nificant symptoms of discontent with the existing order of things, when slurs and unhandsome criticisms were put about with a veneer of hypocritical politeness and assumed mirth instead of being slung straight from the shoulder.
 Jake Winterbottom was by no means blind to the condition, and personally he deplored it greatly, but though he pom dered the matter long he could see no remedy.
 Plumb Sore on Baisdelf
 "The boys is plumb sore on Jim Blais- dell" he remarked to old Greenhut as they sat alone one night. Looks to me like as if there's liable to be a gen'l bust up if somepin ain't did right soon. Pears like it'd be q pity for to have the best poker game on the river broke up, but I can't see how it's goin' to be holp."
 We'll said Greenhut, "the Good Book says The old opsr O things changes, 1nalxin' way f'r pA,g, an the Lord works out his plans .a ihany ways fir fear O one good thiHs a1ttin' corrupt There's d heap O sense in that, an more'n likely if this here poker game was to last too lopgsit'd get to be a trap and snare to some"
 ei'But that's q long ways off. Jake. l reckon we c'n manage to make it last out our time Faint likely we'll be corrupted none. What'r they sore on Jim for?"
 "Well. there aint no question, but Jm's done changed consid rable Whether it's bein' gettin married or whether it's trav- eln' on the Belle O the Bayous. or what I don't p'tend to say, but he puts on more airs n a gameeock. an the boys won't stand for it much longer. He wears n clean shirt every day an he smokes cigars stead of pipe. an he makes his nigger black his boots stead O greasin' of en-
 An that ain't nothin" said Greenhut, sagely. Likely his wife makes him do that. She's red headed, v know. But that'll all wear off in time.
 There's considerable human natur', Jake, about a woman bein' boss fr spell ter she gifts married. more special if she's red headed. Later on Jimll brace up, more'n likely.
 Hes considerable of man. even if he was fool enough to get married. Do they find any other fault with him fur's you've saw?'
 ''Well, it's some hard to say" said Winterbottom. "O course them things I spoke Of is all on tn outside. so to speak, an they're what the boys is piekin' at mostly. Pears like there was q p'vail- in sentiment amongst 'em. though, as how he puts a estimate on hisself Us out O p'portion.
 Wanted Rake-off on the Game.
 "'Pears to think he's the on'y reel first class player in the crowd. Just nachully that don'n worry me none, but some O the younger men don't like it. Even Joe Bassett is gettin reckless, an you know what Joe is if inc breaks loose"
 That's tofrable ser oue.' said old man Greenhut. "A man t sets hisself up fi' a better poker player n his neighbor is liable for to suffer oonsid rable mortif- cation 'thouten he make good. Pears like it thought be some sensible for to cut his comb
 As if in response to call. Jim Blaisdeli himself opened the door at the moment,