The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-05-31
The CON" MAN
Old pays on the MIsslssippI.

all Of the type pictured nowadays by
some fellow in a New York attic who
has never even seen The stream.
THE professional gambler was not
permitted to fleece our passengers.
Wen. occasionally a smart Alec who
upon being told that he was sitting In
with sharpers guessed he was q
years old and knew his business was
allowed to go his way. with the result
that he usually gained in one night an
experience that in after years was
probably worth all that it cost him.
"The really bic poker game was
among the planters friends and
neighbors-who on trip to New
Orleans on the fine steamboats, Of
those days in the carly sixties would
play for stakes that would make the
hair Of the locker on curl. No, indeed
we nevor inteffered with those games.
Poker was a part OF their religion.
'The civil war developed new type
of gambler in the southern country
the con man, and the ingenuity these
fellows displayed kept us guessing as
to what would happen next
cone evening in the spring Of
eighteen hundred and sixty odd
backed the Enchantress out from the
New Orleans wharf with a cabin full
Of passengers bound for st Louis.
when ! went or watch at midnight
| went down to the bar for the Gus.
tomary niehtcap before turning in.
Old Dan Bolts. character for Dick
ems. was the barkeep Finding him
alcap. invited him TO join me in
/ d,ain NGN. Whenever | did this
(which d,1 aat do when passengers
were aroml) Dams unvar,hng Gus
tom was 70 place the decanter and
glasses on the counter and then come
out from behind the bar and walk
around on my side for the drink. l
never asked him why he did this, but
from thas day TO this Il has puzzled
me. My idea is he believed that on
my side OF the counter he was a gen
tleman but on his side he was only
the barkeep.
Now. Dams chief delight was TO
spot gams and crooks of every sort
and his many years on the river had
given him great ability in that line.
"On the occasion of The midnight
drink he said that case on board
was troubling him. A young chap that
he had spotted for a sport had taken
no part in the poker games of the
evening. had done nothing, in fact, but
sit around and look pretty but old
Dan was sure he was on a lay OF
some sort.
Next day noticed the young fel
low He. seemed TO be rather favoritC
with the passengers and his quiet de
meanor gave no token that he needed
watching.
"About nine o'clock that night We
landed at Red River Among the pas
sengers that came on board was az
! old chap hespattered with mud, spurs
on the boots into which his trousers
were tucked and sahllebags on his
arms-evidently a country man jus
in from hard ride, He paid his far'
to Vicksburg, secured yoom, II
which he deposited his saddle bags
and returned to the stove in the for
ward cabin, where he sat down AM
without a word 10 anybody produces
a small square bag from his overcoa
pocket warmed it at the stove, and
holding It to his face, proceeded 4
nurse an apparently aching tooth.
IAN this attracted the attention O
the young chap Dan had had his ey
on 'Toothache, stranger said he
Yes, toothache by c., was the r'
ply. What you got in that bag?' Ho
salt, you d--d idiot; lemme lone.
"The youth subsidized and there wer
no more questions.
"After a while the old man got Il
from his chair. laid his bag OF sal
1 on the stove, walked down the cabi
and out through passage to the ba
which was locSted on the starboar
side amidships
while he was gone the youth, wit
q wink at the passengers nearby too
the bag of salt, ripped a small hole
It with his penknife. emptied the sa
into the sawdust box under the stow
filled the bag with sawdust closed n
II rip with a small safety pin and r
placed it on the stove.
The old man soon returned, pickle
n up his bag and again gave his who
attention TO the aching tooth, Oblivion
p Of his audience of grinnlng passenger
Never heard OF hot salt for
y toothache before; don't believe IL
salt said the youth addressing u
y passengers.
y got $500 that says it's salt sa
y the old man with some heat
m Now here was a situation-a ms
n. Offering to bet $500 that his bag
n sawdust was salt. A tempting pro
osition to an audience not too pious
ID bet on sure thing.
& The young man looked aehast +
an instant and then said that he on
had a ten. but he would bet that. OF
Ie ers eagerly chipped in and that s.
Ie was quickly made up
We "The bag with safety pin stiii in
a was opened and contained
" "A little after midnight. at poi
~ where the boat landed for wood. I
- old man and his pal walked asho
y and forgot 70 come back
4 THE small trifie Of duplicate safe
u pins was the artistic thing in n