The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07
COOLING DOWN
1 OF SlLAS PETTIWEBER
Old Man Greenhut Relates an
Incident That Proves
a Proverb.

There 10 times said old man Greenhut.
when Il do seem like the Methody Church
went s,archin' up an down the country
for to nnd the biggest fools for to send EN-
AZ preachers to Arkansas City, ] reckon
'tain't likely that's what they has In mind,
but pears like the result is the same.
There has been preachers come here
Z was lib'ral minded an a to
the o'munity while they stayed. but some
on en- amt. an this here gszabo rs como
this year for to look after the spiritual
welfare o. the women an children 10 the
~dodgssted gsloot we've had here frr the
last fifteen foods. Goes round interferin'
with men. an pokin' his nose into business
matters what It stands to reason he don't
understand. Std O. stickin' to the SEWN
society an the prayer meetin's where he
belongs.
Come In here to-day. an begin a song
an dance with me touohin' the evils o.
the rum trade I seen no meant to DO
personal. an I nays to him I ] was with
him ag'in rum. Rum l ssys 'aint no
ft drink fr a man. There's sugar enough
into IL for to sat up the linin' OF his stomach.
Dut primo WutoAey , uhucicut' Nh whoh
l says that l sees his eyes kind o. shine.
90 l set up q p'hclar bottle an asst him
TO try some
There wa'n't no more said about the
liquor business. but I reckon he had to
preach about somethin'. 90 he set In On
draw poker. Called 1t gamblin'. an said
1t were q sin.
faint often ! waste time on them kind.
but there want nothin' doin' Just then.
an l give him a line o scripturai talk t
set him dizzy The Good Book I says
TO him. 'is full o. draw poker. an there
amt nothin' said ag'in 1t. When them
patriarchs wanted one another's clo'es
an things. didn't they cast lots for emf
Well. that was poker. on'y they didn't call
II by that name. not bein' really edioated.
When men play poker now they cast lots
o. chips In the pot. an the winner takes It..
It's the same thing
He didn't pear TO be convinced, ven
then, but when | sprung a text on him
FIRM the book o. Proverbs, he looked kline
o. confused. an he says, Mr.. Greenhut, l
reckon you know more about the o
Book nor I'm ever likely to learn An
he went away
What was the text you chucked at himf'
asked Jake Winterbottom.
Better the sang fraud OF a good player.
than a jewel Of gold in the snoot Of hog
said old nan Greenhut, complaoently.
We'll, what the blue blazes IL sans fraud?
demanded Joe Bassett. lis 1t something
TO eat?"
NO, faint nothin' to eat. nor to drink
said the old man sarcastically. Sang
fraud 40 Latin nm ~ ata nda for aoId hlpnd
as nigh as the trapslators can get at il.
Stands to reason, a man amt goin' to
make no sort Of poker player il he's hot
blooded. II he gets het up hes liable
for to lose his Judgment.
aThere was old Silas Pettiweber, him
that come to Do knowed a. the Scourge o.
tn Ozarks. count o. him bein' the biggest
money getter at poker Z there was. 'Twan't
fr a good many year Z he got his repyta-
ton fr winnin', bein' As he wa hssty in
his younger days, an more give to shootin'
first an sstin' questions a'terwsrd nor
he was 20 reasonin' about things. That
we're his nat'ral disposition, him bein'
redheaded, an bein' as it was the custom
o. the neighborhood, anyhow. he fell into
the p'vailin' habit 'thouten any study o.
tn onwisdom on It.
Il amt a-sayin' as all this were any short
comm on the part o. Silas Pettiwebsr.
Hit were just the way the Lord made him,
an he couldn't help it, but II surs did hinder
him some oonsid'able in playin' poker.
Pears he was double jointed in his
knuckles. an cd pick up pins with the back
OF his hand as we'll as he could for'ards.
Bein' some proud o. this, no practised till
he cd flop them fingers o. hisn both ways
to onost, so rapid there couldn't nobody
tell what he was doin' with EN-. Findin'
out tn advantage o. this when he was q
boy playin' marbles. he took to studyin'
out what he cd do with IL when no come
to play poker.
-Bein' as he were q nat'ral genius, 'twan't
long sfors he seer t there was various
ways o. maxim them marvellous fingers
o. his'n useful. One thing was 10 give
hisself two d&ws when he was dealin'
an a gettin' q big percentage ovsr the
other players. He'd look over his hand,
s'posin' he had a pair. he'd come In
lay his hand on the table, with the pair
down. Then, while he was dealin' OF
the draw to the others, he'd pick up the
three top cards often his own hand workin'
his fingers back'ards an slip three more
offen the bottom o. the deck, down into
his hand.
Then when II came TO servin' his own
self. he'd stop an lay down the deck an
look at his own a n again an maybe find
threes. 90 he'd discard two an draw reg'ar.
There was other pints about Silas Petit
weber's play Z showed talent. too. They
said he'd count back'ards an for'ards at
the same time, an no cd spot the mark On
q card 'thouten ever missin' IL, II 'twan't
no bigger'n a pin prick, but I reckon them
wonderful fingers O. his was his best asset.
But there was sl'ays n thing stood in his
way, like I was sayin'. Them KNOWN him
like they did, an KNOWN he was red headed,