The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-14
OLD MANS DAY OF SORROW
(New York SUM-

Beats ALL" said old man Greenhut,
how things pears to conspire ag in
upriht man sometimes, more special
if he's a poker player
''There was Bill Neupott. Bill was a
God-fearin' man. an some capable, at
draw poker, but 'peared like he
couldn't take keer o. things.
Had a race horse t stood him in
mOre'n two thousand, an the critter
was struck by lightnin'. Owned about
forty niggers an twelve on 'em run
away, N three more died o. cholera.
Then his wife took sick an want
nothin' but expense to him firm that
on. Pears there was a flaw into the
title o. the first property he bought, an
he lost that an wad more I the law
yers got.
Some other little things like that
come, one after another, tofable swift,
an Bill Neupott 'peared to get some
downhearted. Some would "a took TO
drink, but Bill aPays drinked more or
less an that want no amusement, so
he took to the boats
He'd played up an down the st.
Francis valley till them that he cd
beat got leery of him, an them that
cd beat him was some numerous He
dropped in here soon alter 1 come to
Arkansas City an talked things over
with me.
II was takin heap o. comfort into
my boy, SAM. he says. till he turned
on me. Now he says, I pear to be
nothin' better n outcast an waif.
Z" Sam sure was a good boy when he
was little. He cd whip anythin' t
didn't weigh more'n he did, short of
catamount, an he drinked red liquor
an chawed tobacco like a man afore
he was S years old.
"a I teached him all / knowed, an by
the time he came 20 years old. he be-
gin teachin' me a few. One night him
an me made up to play freezeout FIR
a hundred.
"''Twa' MT more'n half an hour be-
fore he had half o. my pile. Next time
it come my deal 1t looked like things
was liable for to come my way, bein'
1 had three aces, an he raised me ten
after I'd made it ten to play, his ante
bein' two calls five.
CT want taken no greet chances
with Sam, even at that, bein' as the
luck had been with him that far, SO l
seen his raise an 'ast him how many
cards he'd have. 1 took two, an 1
noticed the back o. the second one as
it fell looked mighty like it mought be
the ace o. clubs.
"I leave it to you, Greenhut, If
that didn't look tol'able well. Him
drawin' two cards, couldn't "a had bet
tern threes, an me with three aces.
Then him gettin' t'other ace in the
drawn couldn't "a bettered 'thouthen
the other one was his fourth.
d" 1t looked good enough, anyway, FIR
me to shove my pile in the pot, feelin
tolable sure t he'd call on threes. bein
as I'd only took one to throw him off
Well, he called all right, an showed
down a full house-three tens an a
pair o. queens.
1T kind o. sprised me at first, an
he reached for the pot, but I grabbed
his right hand, kind o. hasty, to re-
monstrate some, an I'm hornswogglied
if that ace o. club didn't fall outen his
sleeve.
"'WeIl. l leave it to you again.
Greenhut, if that want some embar-
rassin'. I couldn't very well shoot him,
him bein' kin. Looked to me like the
on'y thing was it was up to me to lick
him.
ct didn't lick him, though. After
we'd mixed 1t up some l says to him,
sort o. conciliatin', if he'd give up
mebbe we mought call it square, but
he says he hain't had no reel good
chanst afore, an If it was a question
o. gettin' square he reckoned he'd just
about settle up FIR number o. lickins
u gave Hlll pItNlOuS.
" Looked to me like he done it, an
will say FIR Sam I when he done any
thin he arays done it thorough.
reckon faint no great wonder l got
discouraged an quit the st. Francis.
Pears like there's more room some
where where Sam amt"
Old man Greenhut sat and smoked
for a while IN silence after he had fin
ished telling the story Bill Neupott had
told him. Just then a tall, elderly man
opened the door and striding UP to the
bar called for drinks for the house.
AS old man Greenhut stepped nimbly
to his place he looked keenly at the
stranger, and said:
why, howdy, Bill. We was just
talkin' about you. How's things?"
Poly" said the newcomer. IT
reckon 1 must be gettin' too old. The
youngsters is drivin' the old reliable
men outen business. Pears like they
amt no show FIR man It's grayheaded
no mo-"
"Oh, don't know" said Mr. Owen
Pepper, who saw chance to butt in.
There's some o the gentlemen here
t amt overly youthful, but we young
sters amt a-driving 'em out count o.
that"
You en- bet your shirt you amt"
muttered old man Greenhut, looking
around for his bungstarter
But the stranger interrupted him.
Likely that's true, but you uns here
amt got no son a-chasin' of you all
over the universe"
That's so. too" said old man Green
hut; ''but speakin' o. sons, how's
Sam? Have you saw him lately?"
GOD forbid" said Neupott fervent-
ly. Last I heard of him he was up
to Memphis, but there was a boat COM
in down when / landed. / wouldn't
be none surprised f he was to come
in here. Pears like this here yearth
amt big enough FIR us two to find sep
arate spots"
Just then a rugged but well dressed
man of more than ordinary stalwart
appearance entered the room, and look
ing around exclaimed, "Howd'y, Dan.
Howd'y, gentlemen. Hope you'll all
have one with me-"
They would. and they did, as soon
as the elder Neupott's treat had been
| disposed of. Meantime that gentleman
had sunk into a chair and seemed so
overcome that Joe Bassett handed him
his second drink rather than see him
make the effort to rise.
ssThinpS &c deSp'rit dull {" said Sam