The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-11-26
||yV|HI|EN YOU.
By A, Mark Hunter.

I-ROM time Inlmemorlal there has been gambling
liz on steamboats,. the practice obtaining on the
liz transatlantic liners, coastwise steamers lake
II boats and, what is pertinent to this
n x,or the Ohio and Mississippi river packets
III Tn autebellum days the cotton planters of the
smth frequently travelled up and down these rivers
IN business and pleasure. They had three of the
eeessary requisites for poker game in that thew had
ample time their disposal were generally well sun
\ nied with cash and invariably possessed of an in
l;nation TO take a chance -
'2 On almost every trip the larger boats numbered
smong their passengers numerous soldiers Of chance
! rho ready at any time TO accommodate such
J slow travellers cared TO participate IN scancc
q Al the card table
II OF late years. because OF extensions built by the
Isse gambIing on the naokcts but bs,o n,sd t -
,umber OF trips between Cincinnati and New Orleans
- The water route during the past ten Years and on
y occasion did / notc that any one was compelled
ID PLAY solitaire Those most anxi Gus to gamble al
mannsGa % I" oer m ugS fnH1En Pay@r & TO make up
pa bridge The old sunshine and Gitv of ' Memph. %
Iioh big sdewheelers. have been the scenes of many
sapes for high stakes, and not many years ago
On ono occasion, when on the down imp. a poker
,ne started shortly after leaving louisville,
IKy. / WAS invited to take hand in social
1me " but declined. because recognized in one OF
d he PLAYERS a gambler known Mr. Wentworth, and
ii felt that with him in the game the word social
n Crossing from Southampton to New York wear
Igsvious. had met Mr. Wentworth, and recalled that
~
niform success until it became general report tho
ner that he an exceptionally clever card shark
d! down at some distance from the table TO watch
\. game. ORR or in Teatg to see if conld detect him
curiosity and had intention of telling any
cse what I might discover.
n It became apparent to that Wentworth
|hd confederate in the game in the person of a
ruung who introduced himself as Mr., Richards.
| 10 the other pIayers-four southern gentleman and
~ old steamboat pilot Captain Bryant, whom | wei
emembered because Of some of his original remarks,
shich amused me greatly
This old pilot quite character favorably
@ 20 %e sn% b no use for
| any whom he considered q crooked Ho liked
was generally understood that lie knew more tricks
\ ttan the majority of the sharks who infested the
boats. This knowledge, however, he used only lor his
q HoRTLY after the start of the game In question
10 Wentworth took tho deck when it came his turn
deal and slufHed the cards with easy graceful
notion which indicated that he was not a novlce
r fitting the cards h he s tbe ttsr the dso T
he captain cut the cards, then turned and spat
Matching closely ! noticed Wentworth picked up
b. two portions of the deck but kept his little finger
tsyeeu them. and then, by an extremely deTterous
rd the relative position Of the two portions of the
kk restoring the cards to the order in which they
h bseu placed when submitted to the captain Tor
Blown among gamblers ''shftipg the cut,
Me to Richards dealt three aces, The captain
q too foxy TO get badly 'stung and he failed to
liz, the bet. satisfying himself with merely calling
Cpnu being shown The three aces ho turned TO Went
oTfh and calmly inquired you don 7 chew tobacco
you1''
:srhats one bad habit I never acquired, was the
rpN
- thought YOU was too wise for ANYTHING like
hat - reloipcd the captain, g No ought to chew
obncco in a poker game. I chew. and every time /
urn 10 spit 7 get three Of kind or come other big
hand, but never big enough to WIN
Everybody joined in The laugh wbich greeted TINS
:, 10, poria ntN buf Npnt and
Ing of the remark
The captain had not seen tho movement which J
detected and was not sure that there anything
wrong. but he was extremely suspicious.
4 little later while the other players joining
n a social drink. Mr.. Wentworth took advantage OF
the opportunity when one was paying amy atten
lion 10 the cards and substituted for the deck which
bad been in play another deck with the same design
and color Of back. In the parancc of the sporting
PATERNITY this is known ringing IN cooler
For the bene6t Of the uninltiatcd woul explain
that cooler is a deck Of cards which have been
ananged in advance for certain purposes, the CARDS
being arranged 10 such order that when they are dcI