The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-03-19
OLD RIVER GAMBLERS
How the Cotton Planters Made
the Sharpers Disgorge.
A DRAMATIC GAME OF POKER.
The Hand That Brought Matters to a
Climax and the Way II Was Played
to a Finish on = Floating Gambling
Palace on the White River.

Palace on the White River.
In the palmy days Of stcamhoating
there were some palatial gambling
houses which We're run on hcuscboats.
They piled the inland streams. stop.
ping for days aud weeks M points
where the territory was promising and
good play could be had. moving on
when the territory was cleaned out and
all Of the pigeons plucked"
An Interesting story was told 10y
veteran river captain OF an incident
happening to n floa;lng gambling house
that was accustomed to travel up and
down White river in Arkansas aud
fleece the opulent planters and river
men by methods that were not at all
In keeping with the rules of the game.
The incident In question occurred at
Indian Bay, Ark, then a prosperous
village. At that time Indian Bay was
Il thriving metropolis. where all OF the
river packets landed to receive aud
discharge freight and passengers and
where the planters of the fertile White
river bottom lands came TO buy their
supplies and receive their mail, II be
ing the only pOstofiice In large terri.
tory.
The houscboat, which was fitted up
In palutlnl style, with gambling rooms
after the most approved fashion and
bar that would compare favorably
In the magnilccncc of its mahogany
fixtures with those of the best city ho-
tells of the same period, was owned and
run by two brothers.
IL was the days of freeze out poker
when stakes We're MS high rs one cared
10 play and where one player could
take the pot without show down II
he only had sufficient coin 10 lay more
upon the table than his opponents
could muster. The brothers scorncd
the customary house men that gam
bling places employ and participated
themselves In all OF the games that
We're started. As a rule, they played
game ostcnsihly fair, but IL was
whispered about that they We're more
deft with the cards than was accrcdit-
cd TO them by their victims, 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 We're
supposed to observe. But with those
of lesser importance they We're not so
particular. and they resorted TO any
D..
cash. 1t was a well known fact that
the game never ran too high for them,
and rumor had Il that there was a for.
tune In the big safe of the private Of
fee OF the brothers which opened on
the Oar
There was lanky Arkansas planter
OF uncertain ancestry who lived near
Indian Bay, and this particular fall he
harvested and sold large cotton crop.
realizing therefrom some $4,000, which
/ he, as was then the custom. brought
back from New Orleans, where he mar
keted his cotton, In cash. lie was one
/ OF the regular victims OF the brothers
OF the magnificent gambling houscboat
and had contributed many dollars be
fore this TO the pile Of coins stored
away in the big safe.
Straightway upon his return TO the
bay he sought out the light fingered
| gentry OF the houscboat and, with n
| few ncighboring planters TO fill out,
started big poker game, which wancd
and waXed and grew apace through
several days and nights, throughout all
| Of which time the lanky planter saw
his cotton money dwindle away In n
steady stream across the table 10 the
opulept 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
was To remain ut the bay. for the
brothers had Announced the time Of
their departure he sat In the gam,
fully satisfied that he was dealing with
card sharks, and his mind made up tC
secure n square deal at any cost.
The grand coup OF the housebont
Z "a