The sun., 1908-04-26
A WAD ESCAPES
a THE POKER CROWD.
Disappointing Conduct Of a PromiS-
ng Newcomer at Grecnhut'S
Saloon.

AZ how he wouldn't never get nothin
& eat thouten he sweat fopit.
"'Pears like II was some severe. bein' ss
Ea'd ony took what him an his wife wanted
FRA snack but stands TO reason he d oughter
been punished f'r stealin' apples when he
mought "a had Watermelons. A shif'less
man like that most gently suffers.
Later on the Ouss was shifted over onto
the sons O. Ham. an the niggers had TO
sweat f'r the white mans Viotuals, but
want till after civilization como Z men
had sense to see how foolish twas TO sweat
when there was other ways O. gettin' q
Twin Taint nowsys needful fr TO make
a list O. how many. but reckon piety an
draw poker Is the two best.
If man has talent enough for 10 be
preacher or poker player he won't
halter sweat frequent, an he's tol'able
sure o gettin his grub all the same. o.
course there's a heIlova lot depends on
how much talent a mans RELY got.
Stands to reason he may have a gift o.
CAB sufficient for TO make him a bright,
shinin example into a pulpit. an yet have
sich habits aSll qualify him f'r q Job as a
mule driver. Handicapped thataWay, 'tain't
noways reasonable fr him to look f'r no
helroarin' renown as a preacher.
similar. he may have inOelleotooal quail
tiles sfcient for to play a poker hand the
way I'D ought 70 be played an not DO
deIterious enough with bis fingers for TO
make sure O. gettin' the hand to play. not
even when he's dealin' hisself. That's his
handicap, an II he's got good hoss sense
he'll stick to preaohin' an leave draw
poker alone
"Mebbe you'm right about that said
jake Winterbottom, somewhat doubtfully,
an then agin mebbe you amt. I've
knoWed some preachers I'm time to time,
but | don't call to mind none on EN- as
had boss sense. Pears like II a man had
boss sense he moughtnt be q preacher
'Oh, | don't know broke in the ire
pressible Mr. Owen Pepper. There was a
preacher near where l come from In the
Tennessee Mountains what had sense
enough TO leave home an stay away. Some
o the Marie men lowed he'd get on
better some'res else
Old man Greenhut looked from one to
the other Of his interrupterS with deep
disdain. Shaking his head thoughtfully, he
pulled a fat black cigar from his pocket
and lighted 1t carefully. Then walking
over 70 his favorite chair he put his feet
on the windowsill and said deliberately:
The Good Book says how evil adutera-
tions corrupts good liquor. an tn ere's time
when il looks to me like there was con-
sd'able danger TO my morals In 1owin'
sich wrybeld an, irreliSious talk TO be let
no proper respect f'r nothin'.
Where do you reckon the peace O. tn
c'munity d be II want fr the preachers
giyin' the women somepin' else TO think
about besides stirrin' up trouble to home?
There wouldn't be no liyin' with 'em.
What | was speakin' Of was the moral
inhooences O. piety an draw poker workin
together 10 lift on the cuss I was laid onto
mankind in the way o havin' TO sweat f'r
livin'. an ] won't stand f'r no more sich
infidel remarks as was just made.
AS for Pepper, he al'ays says he don't
know, an there amt nobody as looks f'r
him to know; but I'm ashamed o. you, ,
Jake. Bein' a tol'able good poker player
your own self, it's nat'ral enough, mebbe,
f'r you to look down some on them as hain't
rose to your level. but 'tain't fittin' fr you,
nor nobody else, TO heave obblequy at them
as is doin' the best they can.
There's preacher right here In Ar
Kansas City now I oughter have SYM
pathy an assistance I'm everybody In this
room, std O. bein' reviled at like he was
nothin but a roustabOut.'
II you're talkin about the new Metho-
dist preacher" said Jim Blaisdell angrily,
i call your hand right now. He hain't
lone a thing sence he come to town but
lake up elections, an he's got tol'able
nigh all the money the women en- lay their
hands on now Tells 'em he wants it f'r
heathen an talks II right out OF 'em. He's
got gah gifts all right
Jim said old man Greenhut earnestly,
-I've knOwed sOmepin' about this here
reverend ever since he was a barkeeper
40 10 Little Rook
Ben Stout his name was then, but he's
The Rev. Benjamin +. Stoughton now,
Shows how enterprisin' he Is. Pears he
had 10 leave Little Rock long O. havin'
shot a member o. the Legislator Z thought
Ho vas holdn' out a ace one night.
u seen him slip tn ace up his sleeve
my own self, but ! want in the game. an
nat rally Ben couldn't stand f'r no such
talk nohow. an the feller was considerable
thought Of; so when they found he couldn't
live there want nothin' f'r Ben to do but
skedaddle, an he done It.
Ben sure was a fair poker player, an
I'm that time on he done tol'able well of
an on travellin' round as q crossroads
Tin horn, but he 'peared 10 have hand luck
IN the way o havin' doubts 'Xpreesed I'm
time N time o. how he handled the deck.
Hem rs he was bot spirited an some quick
with his gun he was al'ays gettin' In a row
an didn't pear poplar into any place where
ne II stay more n q week,
met up with him on the train that
time went 10 Little Rock to see the Gov
enor touchin my 'pintment az Justice
o the Peace, an Ben says to me as how
he'd done reformed.
Il amt no fool he says. an ON see
how risky tits for 10 keep on playin' poker
thouten gettin' more dexterious q am
he SAYS. an take 70 pfeaohin' for llvin'
hl ] en- practise 4 few years longer with
my fingers an get 80 q 7 ! en- handle
deck 'thouten bein' criticised
We'll, that's the man. seen him t'other |
day an ] asst him how he was comm on
with his practice, n he says he's tola BILE con-
l1ent now Z there can't nobody find no |
fault with his dealin'. More n that. he |
says, l ben 'cumulatin' consid able Of
Wa1 since ! gave over the sinful ways o. |
IN world. an / amt sure but what this |
here game has consld'able advantages !
over draw pokef.'
The old man paused and looked at his |
cigar Finding II had gone out, he relighted |
II carefully and smoked on in silence.
We'll Of all the dodgasted hogwash |
ever hear talked, said Joe Basset. indig- |
nanty after they had waited in vain for |
a continuance OF the story, that there is
sure the worst. Here's a sanctimonious |
pirate a-robbin' the women Of Arkansas
,lIy right an left an here's old man Green
nut talllnt re ~ eriva htra awnnnathy apt l