The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-03-13
QEl RIERl5GANlBLEIRSi.
How the Cotton Planters Made
the Sharpefs Bisgorge.o
morn yTd TTS5 DOY bdA
a DRAMATIC GAME OF POKER.

The Hand That brought Matter. ia d =
Climbs ana he lvVsyAlt was Played
tS1a Finish on a Floating eambiihs
P1fl 's s 9r the The w. White River. 80
In the palmy days OF steamboating
there were some palatiai gambling
houses which were run on ho1sebosits.
They piled the inland streams, stop
ping FOR days and weeks ii points
where the territory was promising and
good play could be had, moving on
yhentA territory was cleaned out and
all Of the pigeons plueked.s $50 sev
An interesting story was told BY a
veteran river Captain Jots an incident
happening TO floating gambling house
that was accustomed to travel M and
down White river Id Arkansas ana
fleece the opulent planters and river
men BY methods that We're, not, at all
in keeping with the rules OF the game!
The incident In question occurred Mt
Indian Bay, Ark, then prosperous
village. At that time Indian Bay was
thriving metropolis, where all of the
river packets landed to receive and
discharge freight and passengers and
where the planters Of the fertile White
river bottom lands came to buy their
supplies and receive their mail, it be.
ing the only postoffice in d large terri.
tory d artl 5,
| The honseboat, which was fitted up,
In palatial style, with gambling rooms
after the most approved fashion and
a4-bar that would compare fayorably.
In the magnificenee of Its mahogany,
fixtures with thoseyof the best city ho-
tells of the same period, was owned and
run by two. brothers.
It was the days, Of, freeze out poker,
when strikes were as highAas one cared
to play and where. one player could
take the pot without q show down II
he only had sutficIent coin to lay more
upon the table than his opponents
could muster. The brothers scorned
the customary house. men that gam
bling places employ and participated
themselves In all of the, games that
were started. AS rule. they played
a game ,ostensibly fair, but 1t was
whispered about that they were more
deft with the cards than was accredlt-
ed to them by their svlctimsl for they
always won.
With persons of consequence they
were careful of their play and to all
appearances held strictly within the
letter Of the code which gamblers wete
supposed, to observe. But with those
Of lesser Importance they were not 3
particnlar. and they resorted to any
means to pdFt the unwary from his
cash. 1t was a well known fact thar
the game. never ran too high for them,
and rpmor had, 1t that there was fof-
tune IN the big. safe of the private Of
fee of the Brothers which opened OF
sil ina lssi sR n
There wasif lapiE Arkansas nlantsr
Of uncertain ancestry who lived negr
Indian Bay. aid tfis paatiehlhf rail- lie
HARVESTED ana sold large cotton crop.
realizing therefrom some $4,000, whRsh
he, ms was then the custom, brought
)baek 'ftola New Orleans. WHERE he mar
ketef hls CLIFTON, fpecaslii He was one
rof the, Regular victims of the brothefs
or the plagnifcent gambling Hons ebo&t
and had conttiBdtefD hia1y fioHdfs be-
fore t9s1tgJAsg bii8 efiisOihs9 stored
'Sraightwdy iap6h ihisi return to tie
bayIfhs sought ont the hight fihgersd
gentry Of the ,houseboat and, with,Sa
few lletehbotfng epiahtefs to ill oft,
started bis. poker game, which wansd
and Faxed and grew apace through
several days and nights, throughout 8ll
Fof (which time the, taplw planter say
his cotton money dwindle away ina
steady stream across the table to the
opulent pile Of chips before the broth
ers. So steadily did he lose that his
suspicious became aroused, and ON the
evening Of the last day which the boat
wasRto remain at the bay, for the
broth rs had announced the time of
their departure, he sat In the game
fully satisfied that he was dealing With
eard sharks, and his mind made up to
secure q square deal at any cost
The grand coup or the hopseboatl
brothers was to lbide their time luhtila
victim had SECURED an invincihle hand
doubtless of;their own fixing and then
after Turing him on By tdhtaiizmg bets
and raises to place upon the table ev-
cry centihe {possessed to- raise him
further bringing, out "a sackful Of
gold from the inexhausdble supply Of
the safe for that purpose. II had been
gold season for the planters, excel
lent crops and high prices for cotton
giving to. all ample funds, and the
brothers had reaped rich harvest Al
Indian Bay ial6ne they had cleaned up
something over $4,000. On this. last
night OF their stay they expected to
gather in the small leavings which had
thns'far escaped them. Two big games
were going. each seven handed, all Of
the losing planters having focked in.
for A last attempt to reeOup their