The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-19
ROBBED BY EARTHQUAKE
Startled Player, With Winning Hand,
Flees Before the TFemblor.

They were swapping poker stories of the
good old days in CalifOrnia-the California
before the fire and earthquake laid its
great metropolis in ashes and robbed It
forever of its distinction, according to
Robert Louis Stevenson, of being the most
cosmopolitan city in the world They
were seated in the VesGbule of the Hotel
AstOr talking, one d lawyer from the
Nevada, ana the third a nOndescript, but
still a gentleman, who appeared TO have
seen better days.
Talk about poker as it used to be
played on the Pacific coast when Lucky
Baldwin was in his prime" remarked the
lawyer as he puffed at a long, black CT
gar. You don't see the game any more
because it has dwindled down to a two
bit limit. and I hold that a limit game
is just like shaking dice. The luCkiest
man wins, ana science is no element in
the proceedings, as il was in the old days
when the limit was the sky, and the desire
of the players to call any bet that might
be made"
sure, that's right" unused the monde
script gentleman as he rolled a cigarette
and lighted il. Poker has been shame
fully debased by pikers who demand q
limit It's 10 longer a test of nerves, grit
servatiOn Of men and things. but merely
a succession Of show downs and the best
hand wins"
The cattleman laughed quietly q amt
y
marked, as he took a handful Of fine cut
and slowed it away between teeth and
check Il made the biggest KILN in my
experience at limit game o1Ct."
What was the limit?' inquired the
lawyer
list an ordinary thousand"
BY BaCChus.' calculated the monde
script That's worse than table stakes
Where did YOU play a game like that?
AT Virginia City, in the early Com
stock G1VC. ~ Was the rpnlT Il was 2
young fellow then and struck d claim
which netted me $4,000 in q month There
was some right smart gambling gOin' on
in town and ] got into it up TO my neck
7 lost all but S2.000. and was about to
skip the camp when [ went to Mullaney's
saloon and began to watch table stake
game then in progress"
ANY money on the tablet asked the
nOndesCriDt eagerly
Fully fifty thousand. I reckon was
the reply. There was four chaps playin',
and one Of 'em was a young chap from
Baltimore who represented syndicate
or somethin He was well-nigh brcke
and plungin'. The others were sports, all
right, but while they was gamblers they
was straight players and never took adj
vantage The young fellow was about 10
quit the game. when ! felt a bunch and
sat down. at the same time putting down
my solitary $500. resolved If I lost half OF
e ] would break away for good.
I've said the same thing g thousand
times. remarked the nOndescTipt. with
a PARKWAY look In his blue eyes And 1
went broke every time"
well" resumed the cattiemau. 1--WE
had played q pot or two and I pulled In
fifty or so on aces up. when the young
fellow pulls oUt five thousand IN bills and
proposes. inasmuCh as he was IN hard
luck. to make IL q thousand limit. There
was some discussion. but we finally
agrees TO crafty the young sport, and the
limit is fixed at thousand. The ante
was made $50 so that each pot was 500
before a card was drawed. The young
chap. who was out about $1,000 or so,
drawcd his chair close 10 the table and
began to Enuckle down TO business in
good shape. Every time some one opened
a pot for two-fifty, the size Of it, he
plunked in d thousand dollar bill on
raise He got couple Of US with openers
only and didn't get q call. though l sus-
picioned he was a dTivin' OF US out des-
peratg ike. and while ] felt sOrry for him
in a way. I made Up my mind to teaeh