The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-09
New York SUM

ct city OF Ndtchez, 'uSeter say as now
when the Lord put the big river down
into the big valley he done told it TO go
Wherever it wanted to. An they useter
chuckle some about the way the river
done just what was told TO il, even
while they was cussin' a blue streak.
tryin to find a new channel what the
river done found f'r itself to run in
overnight.
:" Pears like they was tol'abIe nigh
right, too. / hain't saw no greet change.
Hood times, FIR all them dinky little
mattresses TIL engineers has ben tyin'
uoWn, here an there, a matter o TWEEN
ty or thirty year
Il amt sayin' but what there's
changes. but all them changes amt
nothin' TO the difference there is on the
boats FIN what twas when 1 was a
youngster
Them days there want so many
railroads runnin' over cattle an folks
an dlsflggerin' the land. When man
travelled them days he cd ride, clean
an conf able, onto a boat as was toll
able nigh as elegant as his own house.
More'n that, he ed find a heap more
run an excitement into one trip on the
boats nor he was liable to git in a hum
ored year stayin' to home l reckon
that was why the quality done consid-
able travelin' them days
amt sayin' twas aPays healthy on
the boats. There was times when there
was conSid able more lead in tn air n
was good FIR a man I couldn't dodge
streak o lightnin'. an there's been a
heap It's been took with heart failure
consequence O. runnin' up against the
business end of bowie: but there was
sure heap o. fun, an excitement was
arrays to be had.
or n
night without a game o. poker into the
s'loon. An talk about changes, l don't
know nothin' It's changed more'n the
poker o poker has since I was a boy.
IF a spot o. them days was to set
into a game now, an was to stack up
agin a limit. an see jack pots played,
an hear talk about table stakes, l reck-
on he'd be liable for to be took with
fit. An if he was to hold four kings
an a ace. an hear some other Teller
put in a claim a he'd beat that with a
straight flush. tn amt no question but
what there'd be a rough house.
But you don't oughter make no mis-
take about there not bein' full as much
excitement into the game they played
them days as tn is now. Mebbe there
was more: ] reckon there was.
Il en- just about see one O. them
sharps t thinks he knows it all settin
in with some gazabo t learned the
game afore he was horned. Mebbe he'd
have a thousand in front of him. not
reck min on goin' no further but havin
a few thousand more in his kick.
"Sposin' he'd be settin' comftable
behind king full alter a two card
draw, an gettin' raise FIN the gaia
DO, him havin' took two likewise. Then
s'posin' he sh'd shove in his hull thou
sand, reck'nin on tn gazabo calm FIR
what he had in front of him, but see
in him pull out a wad bigger'n his leg,
an boostin' it, say about five thousand
more, GRIMM like a foolish mule.
Then it'd be W to him to let his
thousand go on a possible bluff, or call
FIR all he had left, agin likely four
of kind. Would that new style play
er get 'xcited?
''Mebbe he would. but ! reckon he'd
be more liable fer to drop dead. if he
was like the most o. them l see playin
these times. But that was what a man
was liable fer to stack up agin if he
played old-style.
Il en- remember a. thin, cadabolous
lookin' zap t useter come abo'd the old
Belle O. tn Bayous when l was tendin'
bar on her t looked like he'd been
shook to rags with chills n fever, like
he prob'ly had. He'd get on at Vicks-
burg about twicet a year, an play po-
ker all the way down to New Orleans
an back, an then get off.
" Feared like he'd stay to home on
his plantation till oncet in so often he'd
get blue moulded FIR a game, an then
he'd break away. He was rich, like
most o. tn planters was then, an it
didn't pear to make no difference to
him whether he'd win or lose when he
got through playin', but he played FIR
t he lose.
There was a heap O. Professionals
travelled the boats them days an some
D the planters wouldn't play with 'em. |
KNOWN they was all crooked. but this |
here yap-his name was ElliSon-he |
iidn't pear to care who he played with, |
so s t he cd count on gettin' into a |
pig game.
There want nobody ever seen the |
bottom of his pile, but there was more |
n oncet I ne dug up a small fortune |
sr single bet. There was less calm |
N the game n I see nowadays, but he |
was more OF a hand TO call II most
was, an consequent there want so
many bluffs worked ag'in him as there |
was with some.
Il useter wonder sometimes afore |
Snowed him long how 'twould be if |
here was a rough house, him lookin' |
ike man t d be better off in bed nor |
ne was travelin' round alone. on'y FIR |
his niger. Later on / come to see how |
twas I he didn't have no 'casion to fret |
liSSelf
He set into a game one night with |
our men t had been playin' the bet |
-er part o two days before he come |
ibo'd. They was wantin' a fifth hand |
but there want nobody on the boat |
vas hankerin' to play with 'em, bein |
is the chips was ten dollar gold pieces |
IN the bettin' was anything you like, |
maxim game t was some too high |
or most. special as two at the table |
vas known FIR the most dangerous /
)'fessionals on the river.
They was Buck Hawthorne an
Billy Bangs. an the two gentlemen as
vas playin' with 'em was both cotton /
actors I'm New Orleans, Dick Dare
IN Harry Masten they called each
'ther. both on 'em bein' high rollers
r fair an first-class players
They sure had to be good players