River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-08-26

be enough play around here to open
up game for. 1t is more private
than the open gambling houses and
should appeal to gentlemen like your
self who do not like to be seen in
the public places. Besides, there's no
limit to what man can bet. If you
ever feel like taking a flyer at the
tiger they will accommodate you up
stairs. / don't go in the place myself,
but there is a man in charge that
trust with the bank roll"
Jack Cleland, cool and imperturb-
able, acknowledged an introduction to
Maj. Skinner and never turned hair
when Floyd asked him to send two
stacks of chips, deck of cards and
$4,000 over to the poker table. He
counted out the money as if to him
| it was a sum to be played for at any
| time of the day. The two stray play
ers who were betting white chips at
the bank, however, pricked up their
ears when they heard there was a
game of freeze-out on for $4,000 side.
Each man put up one chip in the
center of the table. These precious
chips had value of $3.50 each. Floyd
won in the cut for DEAL The game
was to be all jack pots and he opened
| on the first deal and took the money
in the center, as the mining man did
not stay in the pot to draw cards. On
the majors deal, neither could open
the pot and again each placed another
chip in the center. This time the
major opened and smiled as Floyd
stayed out and he raked down the
pot Again the chips piled to the
center and Floyd won and he was but
couple of checks ahead of the major
when the next pot was started. The
deal passed until there was $4,000 in
the jack pot. Floyd had dealt and
Mai. Skinner showed the remainder
of his stack to the center. Floyd
seemed to hesitate for a moment and
followed suit. The major smiled as
he announced that he did not care to
draw.
! .'Well, I've got to catch something
then" announced Floyd as he laid
down two pair, face upward, on the
board.
eff you fill you have me beaten"
said the major as he showed down
five diamonds.
"I'm afraid to touch that top card"
laughed Floyd, who had not yet picked
up the deck "You pull it off for me,
major"
The fingers of the mining man trem-
bled as he reached across the table
and pulled from the top of the deck
the card that made a full hand for
his opponent.
Two days after Maj. Skinner had
lost control of the Shawlneck Mining
Company in a brief game of cards, he
was surprised to see Jack Cleland
walk into his Office While Gliding
himself at being beaten in a game at
which he prided himself to be an ex-
pert, he laid his loss to bad luck and
took it in fairly good part. He was
therefore surprised when Cleland an
nounced to him that Floyd had
cheated him in the poker game.
'I'm not sure that he did," ex-
planned Cleland, "but do know that he
could if he wanted to. Outside Of
myself he is one of the slickest men
with a deck of cards in the country"
"And why are you telling me this"
| inquired the surprised mining man.
For the simple reason that l owe
him a grudge myself. He double
crossed me in a deal some time ago
and doesn't think / know about it.
He's left town now and gone over to
Goldfield to take charge of that claim
he gat away from you. He's going
to put a man in charge there and then
go back east to promote the company.
He's left a bank roll Of $4,000 with
me and If you will go in with me, we
can get it without his knowing there
was anything crooked about. You can
win the bank roll and split it up with
me-"
'T'm from Missouri. You've got to
show me how it's DONE" replied the
major.
That's easy enough" replied Gle
land as he produced from his coat