The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-26
New York SUM

back room oil OfQ man GfeShllu-S Sd
loon in Arkansas City. The group of
players that had gathered together BY
a slow process of accretion and by ma
! tural selection was COMPOSED of men
who had a realizing sense of the i'm
portance of union and who moreover
had great respect for one another tai
ents.
knights of the green table, they held
| themselves, like the Knights of the
Round Table. each the peer Of the
next, and the question OF precedence or
of preference had vexed them not at
all.
| While the word harmony is used 70
| describe the more or less amIcable
agreement which certainly existed
among those worthless, it would De in
| accurate to insist that there were never
any differences of opinion among them.
1t might happen, and In fact It did
happen from time to time when no Out
siders were present, that there were
differences of opinion. strong words
| and even threats of violence, with nan
dying of uncomplimentary epithets.
There had not, however been any
shooting at one another, which of it.
| self proves the harmony For anyone
of the group would promptly have shot
| at an outsider who should venture 10
use his tongue as they used theirs TO
one another.
Possibly the house rule against shoot
ing and the proprietOr's energetic en-
forcement of rules with bungstarter
had tendency 10 preserve this har-
mony when it might otherwise have
been strained, but a common interest
| i'm the poker game was after all the
! main reason for it.
1t was therefore thing worth not
| ing when there began TO appear GER
tain significant symptoms of discomfort
| with the existing order of things, when
! slurs and unhandsome criticisms were
put about with a veneer of hypocrit-
zeal politeness and assumed mirth in
stead of being sIung straight from the
| shoulder.
Jake WinterbOttom was by no means
blind to the condition, and personally
he deplored it greatly, but though he
pondered the matter long he could see
no remedy.
The boys is plumb sore on Jim
Blaisdell," he remarked to old man
Greenhut as they sat alone one night.
Looks to me like as if there's liable
to be a gen'l bust up if somepIn' amt
did right soon. Pears like it'd be a
pity for TO have the best game on the
river broke up, but 1 can't see how
it's goin' to be holp."
We'll" said Greenhut "the Good
Book says, The old order O. things
changes maxim way fr new. an the
Lord works out his plans in many ways
| FIR fear O. one good thing gettin' cor
rupt.' There's a heap o. sense in that
an more n likely if this here poker
game was to last too long it'd ne q
trap and a snare to some.
But that's a long ways off Jake
reckon we can manage to make il
last out our time. 'Tain't likely wei
be corrupted none. What r they sore
on Jim for?"
well, there amt no question but
Jims done changed considerab 'e
Whether it's due to gettin' married Oh
whether it's travelin' on the Belle o
the Bayous or what 1 don't ptend tC
say, but he puts on more airs n q
gamecock, an the boys won't stand
for it much longer. He wears a clean
shirt every day an he smokes cigar!
stead of a pipe, an ne makes his mig
ger black his boots stead o greasin
EN-
IAN that amt nothin'." said Green
hut sagely Likely his wife make:
him do that She's red-headed. Y
know. But thatll all wear off in time
There's considerable human natur'
Jake, about a woman bein' boss FIR
spell alter she gifts married. more spe
ciaI if she's red-headed. Later OF
Jimll tbrace up, n recover. more I
; likely
Hes considerable of a man, even i
he was fool enough to get married. D,
the fellers find any other fault viii
him fuT's you've saw"
We'll, it's some hard to say" sal,
Winterbottom. 90 course them thing
1 spoke of is all on tn outside. so t,
speak. an they're what the boys /
| pickin' at mostly. Pears like Their
was a pvailin' sentiment amongst EN-
though, as how he puts disp'port'nat t,
estimate on hisself.
} Pears to think he's the on'y rec
first class player in the crowd Jus
nachully that don't worry me none, bu
some o. the younger men don't Tx
it. Even Joe Bassett is gettin' reck
less, an you know what Joe is if h
breaks loose"
That's tol'able serious" said oil
man Greenhut "A man I sets hissel
up FIR a better poker player n hi
. neighbor is liable for to suffer consid'
, able modification 'thouten he make
good. Pears like it mought be som
sensible for to cut his comb, afte
ALL"
AS if in response to a call Jim Blais
! dell himself opened the door at III
moment. and after inviting his two oil
eronies 10 drink, he said;
"Greenhut. / want a business undar
standin' with you, an l reckon "
, mought as we'll settle il now"
Sure" said the old man. What
eatin' YOU JIM
Il reckon I'll have to have a rake
off on the game over an above tn
! reg'iar p'centage we all gifts If I'm go
in to set in any mo-"
why, hOw's that, JIM" asked tn
old man. "Ain't the boys tolable we
satisfied with the old arrangement ?"
II can't speak about that said Blais
dell. 81 amt speakin' FIR the boys.
mean | am tired o dOin' the heft o tn
work an winnin' the most O. the money
an sharin alike with them that play
second fiddle"
5 Him" said the old man. 80 that
{ the way you feel about it
E And Winterbottom, who listened i
/ silence, was expecting an outburst. T
], his great surprise, however. Greenhu
quietly continued:
r ''Well, Jim, l reckon you're right
Il like you alays is. If you be the bcs
player in the crowd you sure ought (
! have the biggest rakeoff The onl
question is, be you the best?"
'Well, / sh'd say there want n
/ doubt o that" said Blaisdeil boastfuI
ly. Has any one on 'em been off o
: the boats an come back with $1,000 i