Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-08-11
A Poker Game
By REGINALD D. HAVEN
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.

When Thomas Morgan Of Kentucky
made up his mind that the wal of 'Gl
was coming on he concluded to take
his slaves into the heart of the south.
where be considered that they would
be safer thai in u border state. They
children. a boy and q girl. He had
reached Bowling Green. where he was
obliged to wait for a train for Nash
vile, and was lounging with his hui
man chattels in the station when a
man stepped up to him and began to
chat with him. ringing in questions
about where he was going and what
he was going to do with the negroes.
Having learned the facts, the stranger
asked if he would like to sell them.
Morgan said he would prefer that to
the trouble of taking them south.
The stranger went away. but soon
returned with several men and said:
1--WE don't like to see the niggers
going south: we want 'em here. These
gentlemen and l would like to buy
your slaves. but no one of us has
enough money to buy EN- all. and
we're against the principle of separat-
ing families. What do you say to
selling us chips to the amount of your
price for 'em? Then Wen play a
game Of poker, and the man that even
tually gets all the chips has the mig
gers"
Morgan. who was anxious to turn
his negroes into cash, consented. and
the party adjourned to a hotel near
the station to carry out the plan.
Twenty-four hundred dollars was
agreed upon as the value of the prop
erty. The owner. much pleased to be
able to get so high a price-for the
coming struggle had lowered the
market value of negroes-agreed to
take a share of the chips and enter
the game with the rest. AS they We're
arranging themselves around the Ia
BILE a gentleman wearing a white era
vat stepped up ;!nu demonstrated
against the sin of gambling. When it
was explained to him that the object
of the party was to keep a family Of
negroes from being separated he re-
GREETED that he knew nothing about
the gam or. clergyman that be was. he
would take a share and a hand.
"Oh, come in" said one of the party.
We'll show you how it's done. and
you will soon get used to it."
All begged the clergyman to join
them. and finally he agreed that since
the object of the game was a noble n
there would be 40 sin in taking a
share. allowing some one else to play
his hand. but they wished that he
would do that himself, and. dragging
him down into Il seat. they put the
cards in his hands.
For awhile the numerous questions
asked by the clergyman about the val
ue of the cards or the rules of the
game delayed the play.
Nothing but an occasional case Of
blind luck prevented his being frozen
out. Several times when his pile Of
chips was reduced to Il minimum be
held the winning hand in a large pot
, and saved himself. On this account,
z while one by one the other players
), dropped out of the game. the dominic
kept his place. Morgan also kept a
respectable pile before him. and when
all but he and the clergyman had been
frozen out it began to look as if he
would still own the negroes and the
$2,40O besides. In case this turned Out
to be so he could not even be prevented
from selling them separately.
ttT4 Ill <lo~o,5. ,,ron -o,, ~oceo- >,
said n of the party.
"Gentlemen.' said the clergyman,
II protest against the fate of these
poor negroes being left in my hands,
t One of you play for me-
But Morgan protested. and the cleri-
cal gentleman was obliged to play his
own hand. Despite the blunders he
made he held hands that enabled hin
S to keep even. Morgan. seeing that his
Z adversary was having a run of luck
ceased to bet till that run seemed tc
have ended. then made several appar
b ent bluffs with the view of getting
considerable money in the pot and talk
r ing it. Sin@ularly enough. every time
he tried this e%Xpedient the clergyman:
hand laid over his own
r When several Of these hands haC
been played $4,000 of the $2.4O0 was
before the clergyman. Morgan bcgal
r to look concerned. 1t seemed singular
V to him that a man who at the begin
9 ming Of the game didn't know the value
Of the cards should have remained il
r the game and hold more than four
e 6fths of the whole sun invested, H.
e cast several scrutinizing glances at hi
e adversary's face, but it showed moth
ing other than piety and benevolence.
But finally each seemed to hold
hand that warranted high betting
Morgan opened with $50: the clergy
man raised him S.. Morgan raiseI
$3.50. The parson raised all Morgan
s had left. 5000. Morgan had gone to-
far to withdraw. He saw" his op