Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-10-14
HE HAD REFORMED
SOUTHERN MAN WHO REFUSED
TO PLAY ANY MORE POKER.
Declared 1t Was a Game of Deceit and
Treachery, and Six Others Now
Can Vouch for Truth Of
Statement.

A gentleman from Savannah was
telling the other day about a poker
playing friend OF his who'd reformed.
Il met him in Asheville last win
ter said the Savannah gentleman,
for the first time in a number OF
years-he lives in a different part OF
Georgia. Back yonder in the SOS and
COS, when he resided in Savannah ne
certainly had something on all of the
poker players of Savannah, and there
were and are, some good ones in Sa-
vannah.
But he sure was a chanSed man
when | met him in Asheville last win
ter. I'd heard from somebody OF other
that led reformed, but didn't know
that it had hit him real bad. But when,
n rainy evening, l was shopping
around trying TO herd up about seven
to sit into a little game of the five
dollar kind, and I'd asked this old
friend of mine who'd reformed If he
was going to make one Of us at the
table, he staked M to a gaze that
was both sad and sweet.
my boy he said, I thought every
body knew that l had ended my evil
ways. | don't play poker any more. L
am not averge to an occasional game of
cards by way Of amusement-but not
poker; no, stree; not poker. Poker,
sir, is a game of deceit. 1t is a game
that enables-nay, demands-a man
TO deceive his friends out of their
money"
Grand said I. I wish I had two
bits for every time you deceived me
IanIr ,1.1l, - Co-n1 Huhnn I
was
"'POker. my boy he cut in on me,
is a game of pure deceit, an under
handed, t~reacherous, stab-in-the-back
method of gambling. l am through
with it, sir. Yes, sir, decidedly, l am
forever through with it
We'll, l got together the requisite
number for the game that evening,
and my Savannah friend who had in
reforming developed such a disap-
proving view toward the game of
draw, followed the bunch owe to the
cottage to watch the game.
""There is no harm in watching it,
he explained to me, rather unneces-
sarily, on the way over. There is
temptation in the world all around
one. and one has to live in the midst
of it, and, in a way, participate in it.
1T was a pretty tidy and comfy
game, and my Savannah friend, sit
ting behind my chair, watched it with
q kindling eye that became more fe-
vered and sparkling every minute the
game progressed.
H shook his head sadly, too, over
some of my poker errors for he was
in a position to see my hands, and Oc-
CasiOnally he'd lear over and breathe
maledictiOns into my ear for
thing particularly fat-headed that I'd
done with my cards, according to his
really expert view.
Toward midnight one of the seven
in h game had to drop out in order
to write some business letters at his
cottage for the morning mail.
"'Oh, kick in here, parsOn,' / said
to my friend from Savannah, who'd
reformed. Take that empty chair
over yonder. You're due to be trimmed
overdue. Come on in. The splash
ing's fine
4 could see by his hungry eyes that
a great tumult was going on in his
breast.
Its f~ve-dollars limit you all are
playing, isn't ito he said, finally, after
a long pause, in a hoarse tone tina
told OF his inner conflict.
"'Ffve-dollar limit, said l.
"'Well, I'm glad of that said he, as
he made the empty chair in two
strides and pumped down into the
seat, because, subs, five dolluhs rs
the limit in nv chu'chI'
Then he bought a stack and
cleaned the bunch of us to a fare-you-
we'll"