The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-18
GREENHUT SHOWS WHAT
A PUSH WILL DO
All Billy Biuefoot Needed Was the
Proper impetus of Poker.
New York SUM-

EiSPSi tHfSh1S VI EOHSts
New York SUM-
There amt no tellin' how fur a
manll go if he's pushed" said old man
Greenhut as he sat by his favorite
window with his feet on the sill, smok-
ing and gazing outward with meditat-
live eyes. IT'S a heap different with
mule. You take a reel, first-class mule
an try to push him along an he'll not
on'y go backards, but he'll more n
likely kick your head off a dOin' of it.
Same with woman.
But somehow, pears like man has
more sense. If he's beein' pushed he
most gently sizes up what tits a push
in of him, an If it's somepin' he can't
push back-say it's a flood or ele-
plant or gun or whatever-he'n most
ly get out o the way f he can.
Take the case of that Lem GOTkins,
what's comm up the road right now,
some consid ably hasty. They tell me
there's been a strong feelin in the
c'munity in favor O. him leavin' town.
He's been told, over an over, t he was
more'n likely to be tarred and feath-
cred if he stayed, but there hain't been
no reel pressure put on him till now.
But, 1 reckoned last night when Joe
Bassett got word O. him beatin' up his
wife some harder'n customary, t
mOre'n likely JOe'd take steps. He's
takin' 'em now. | notice, nigh about
fifty yards to the rear O. Lem, an
there pears to be some question o
which one one on 'em en- travel the
quickest
Il shd say there was some doubt
whether Lem is amin FIR the river or
the railroad depot, but bein' as there
amt no train gOin' out f'r cOnside'-
able time, an bein' as swimmin' is
cheapern Tidin' on the cars, an Lem
amt liable fur to have the price, 1t
looks more like he was headed for the
said. Shows what 1 said. There amt
no tellin' how fur a manll go if he's
pushed. Joe sure is a pushin' of him,
powerful hard, an / reckon Lem d
ruther drownd nor to be shot"
The old gentleman fUmbled in his
pocket for q match, and having found
it proceeded to relight his cigar When
ne looked out again Joe Bassett was
walking leisurely back from the edge
of the IeVes and Gorkins was no longer
in sight.
What become o. Lem?" asked the
old gentleman, and two or three of the
group of Ioungers who had been look
ing on with no keener interest than his
own. replied that he had gone over
board.
Joe Bassett. when he entered the sa-
loon, corTobOrated this. Il told him to
keep on swimmin', longs he'd got
started" he said, "bein' as 'twan't no
good him thinkin' O. comm back 10
Arkansas City
Good job, too" said old man Green
| hut "On'y thing is he mOught posi-
bly, keep up long enough to land some
! where's else"
We'll, 1 reckon he won't come back
here, if he does,' said Bassett.
True" said the old man, AN he
sure was pushed proper. Queer what
| pushin' IL do FIR a man. Sets him up
to the top or lands him in the river,
! 'cordin' to the man. There was Billy
Bluefoot, growed up with me in Green
VILE. peared to be pushed at nigh all
the time he want bein' walked on, I'm
the time he was a prattlin' child, an
look at Billy now!
He want more'n years old when
| mis- mother got religion considerable
severe an old Marin Bluefoot 'peared
! to think il was her duty to get Billy
up to the mourners bench every year,
I'm that on, but Billy's father, he al
| avs drinked consid' able moren was
good for him, an he swOre he'd be
| hornswoggled f any son o. his was
goin to join the church, not if he ca
| help it.
/ so Billy was tore at two ways. His
marin KEEP his face washed, an licked
/ him FIR tearin' his clothes when he was
little. an his dad tored his clO'es lick
| in him FIR not dom what his marin
wouldn't let him do Then when he got
bigger tn old lady done all she could
| to keep him in the broad an narTer
path. an the old man teached him to
drink an swear an be a man gently.
An Billy Bluefoot just nachully didn't
know which way to turn
However. as the good book says, It's
a long worm that hain't got no turn,
an Just about the time Billy BluefoOt
come TO the conclusion as he'd been
trod on about all he cd stand, he took
a turn.
He come to me one night, an he
saws. 'Greenhut. amt there no way Fl
a Young Teller like me to make his way
in the world alone?'
so I tells him what I'd begin to see
FIR myself even then, afore long Xper =
ence had proved it, as draw poker was
the one great instrument in the hands
of all wise providence for settin
everything right. Well, he were SEN
sibIe sort o. yOungster, an he seen
was right after we'd talked it over q
smell. so he gets him some cards an
goes off to a hidin' place he had some
where's round home an he begins
l'nracticin' l reckon it took him some
longer fer TO learn what C d be die
with a deck o. cards nor it would il
he'd had anybody to show him. He was
workin' at it nigh two years afore ne
tried to play into real game, but
i even if it did take longer, havin' nc
| teacher, there was some advantage
into it. FIR Billy had some few private
| stunts of his own, an he'd fingered Ou
tola BILE nigh all the old ones FIR his
self.
~ will say t Billy Bluefoot was
thorough. He didn't do nothin' hall
way. When he seen t he had a gooC
workin' knowledge O. the cards he SCI
out to learn the principles o the game
Pears he had a nat'ral head FIR fig
gers. an some things seemed to come
to him thouten bein' taught. He was
the first player l ever seen I would
figger up how much there was in the
pot an how much it cost him to come
in afore he'd draw to a four flush
'Twa'n't much, but it showed he hac
a nat'ral gift.
They was a lot O. young feiiers