Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-29
WIRELESS POKER IS
POPULAR GAME FOR
MARINE OPERATORS
NOVEL PASTIME INDUCED IN
BY TELEGRAPHERS
Boats Which PLY OFF Pacific Coast
Kill Time by Playing Cards
without Fear of Inter-
ference

1t was the wireless telegraph opera
tor on the steamship Portland of the
Alaska Pacific Steamship company
that first heard the weird, mysterious
acrograms In the air while off the
coast of Alaska. This operator was
listening in the small hours of the
early morning, when almost all wire
less business had ceased for the night.
For long time there had been silence.
Then suddenly he heard the call, "PZ."
For almost a minute all was silence.
Then "PZ" licked in different tone,
indicating another station had sent
out the signal.
Silence for few seconds, then came
the mysterious "PZ," once more from
still another and deeper-toned spark.
'PZ;' wonder who Pr is? Guess 1
had better look up my schedule of
calls / don't seem to remember any
such call as Pr" thought the Portland
operator as he reached for his list
of wireless calls. After carefully scan
ming his list he failed to find any such
call or signal.
Again he adjusted his head phones
and listened. This time he was even
more mystified. This is what he heard:
Draw three" Draw one." 1.-TWO"
And each Of these came from a diff
ferent spark, indicating three different
stations were working. He listened
again. This is what came:
Zone red" call" RAISE red"
There was no address nor signatures
designated them was the difference IL
the tone and clearness with which they
reached the ear of the Portland man.
Again came:
Call" "Out." Three fours." Three
nineS.'
His Curiosity Intense
About this time the Portland opera
tors curiosity could stand the strain
no longer He called Cordcva and
asked of the operator If he had heard
the mysterious signals. The Cordova
man apparently didn't understand.
Katalla seemed to be in the same sit
uation when asked for an explanation.
Even the man at the high power
United Wireless station at Ketchikan
what was wanted. But after that, lis
ten as he might, the Portland man
failed to hear another tick that night.
The mysterious signals ceased as sud-
denly as they began.
The next night the Portland opera
tor lost many hours of sleep listening
for the weird messages. He heard
nothing. He asked the steamship Ber-
tina, steaming northward from Seattle,
If they had heard the messages. The
reply was in the negative. The Port
land man succeeded that night in
spreading Ine inquiry AL GOWN IHe
Pacific coast. The result was there
wasn't an operator on land or sea that
wasn't listening for the signals. But
all was quiet except for the press and
commercial messages, and early in the
morning these, too, ceased. But the
unknown messages were not repeated.
For a week the all-night vigils were
kept. But as not even the slightest
indication was heard, the operator be-
gan to relax and the Portland man was
accused of hearing things"
On the next trip out of Seattle the
Portland operator took solemn oath
to solve the mystery or break a con-
and waited. Nothing heard. The third
night about 2 o'clock a. m. there flash
ed out "PZ." Then the two others
just as on the night he first heard
them.
Down went the antenna Switch of
flashed "PZ." There was moment OF
silence. then came, "Are you in?"
"Sure I'm in. What is it?"
penny ante, two-bit limit" came
the answer.
Realizes It's Poker
The truth flashed on him like shot
from a twenty-kilowatt generator. The
wireless mystery was solved. 1t was
wireless poker. Cordova, Katalla and
Ketchikan were the participants IN the
sessions.
The game waxed fast and furious.
with the honors in favor of the new
player. the Portland operator. Sud
denly the steamship Rupert City's pow
erfui spark cut through the ether.
1t was calling the Portland and
wanted to know what all these mes
sages meant. "Cut in the game. It's
wireless poker" came the reply. The
Rupert City man fell for the session.
That was the beginning. Now theI
game has become so popular that pas
sengers on the Alaska boats are par
ticipating in the events Wireless
poker is all the rage.
The beauties of this system, as ex-
planned by one who has tried, are that
one deals his own cards and there is
no chance of interference from thel
authorities of the law The operators
have a careful system of checking &C
counts and a settlement is made at
such times as agreed upon.
LECTURES ON TRIUNITY