Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-01-12
YANKEE Versus
SOUTHERNER
BY HARRY VAN AMBURC
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

the other two-thirds constituted a gil
gantic gambling establishment-not an
establishment run by bank, but used
by gentlemen and sharpers, the former
for amusement, the latter for swim
ding. At mealtimes one long table
extended through the mems cabin, and
when dinner was served the captain of
the boat would enter the ladies' cabin,
offer his arm to one of the ladies and
escort her to the table, the rest follow
ing. AS soon as they were seated the
bell was rung and waiting crowd
dropped into their seats.
Southern gentlemen travelled on these
steamers, men of the olden time, whose
"word was as good as their bond"
One day Colonel st. Leger Of Canton,
Miss, and Major Carter Of Baton
Rouge were enjoying a social glass be-
fore the little Punch and Judy affair
in the bow of the boat that served for
q bar when the colonel said:
"Maiah, do you see those sharpe's
ovah thai fleeing that Yankee? He
will 20 back to Connecticut or whar-
evan he comes from and report that we
a. all swindle's down heah. Now, il
were to tell him that these men are
cheating him he wouldn't believe me-"
"There must be some way Of saving
him from them, colonel, if we could
only hit on it."
at doesn't Occu' to me, suh."
Now, every gentleman in the south
at that period played poker. and these
two were both experts at the game.
They finally agreed that the best way
to save the Yankee would be to get
him into stateroom by himself, win
his money and at the end of his jour
ney hand it back to him with a lee
ture on the folly Of playing cards for
money on a Mississippi river steam
boat AS soon as the small tables
were united in a long one for dinner
Colonel st. Leger approached the Yam
kee, entered into converse ton with
him and after the meal invited him
into his StaterOOm to sample some fine
old Kentucky bourbon he had there.
ter joined the party. After sampling
the whisky the three sat down to a
friendly game Of poker.
Since the Yankee played very poor
ly and the two southern gentlemen
were among the best poker players in
the south it was not long before the
Yankees money was transferred to
their ownership. But just as they
thought they had him "broke" he pull
ed out fat roll of new twenty dol
lar bills, with which he began to play
recklessly. The colonel looked at the
major and the major at the colonel,
The colonePs look said, "By Jove,
what a haul this would have been TOR
tie sharpersv' and the majors look
replied, Eyes, and we must take It out
Of him for his own good
One by one the twenty dollar bills
passed into the hands Of the Yankees
. benefactors till at last all but one had
been taken from him. With gasp he
! opened a jack pot with it, raised and
kept on raising the confederates until
there was something like a thousand
dollars in the pot. In the showdown
he exhibited four aces against the
| colonels four queens and the majors
| full of tens,
/ Again the colonel and the major eX-
! changed glances, this time Of astonish-
ment But they kept on their benevo-
lent effort. Presently the Yankee said:
Guess we'd better raise the limit.
You fellers have taken $1,000 out O
me, and | want to get it back
/ The southern gentlemen would have
considered it reprOach to them TO re-
fuse under the circumstances and
agreed From that time forward the
hands the Yankee held were phenOm-
email 1t seemed that all the court
cards in the pack fell into his hands
and, singularly enough, the cOnfeder-
ates held large hands. too. but always
a trife smaller than his Then when
the former had recovered his losses be
pushed back his chair and said:
"Gentlemen. you thought you had il
me greenhorn whose money you
could easily win. I'm regarded the
best poker player in Hartford. | dom
wish to punish you for trying to swim
die me, so / decline to play any
longer"
Again the confederates looked a
each other, this time in dismay. Their
Colonel st. Leger, stammering and res
rs a boiled lobster. told his story, The
Yankee put out hand to each of his
intended benefactors. saying:
rs there anything more honorable
as we'll rs guileless than the tru,
southern gentleman?"
When they settled up the Yankee
generously turned over to his friends
the new bills he had brought out. tax
ing the worn ones himself. At New
Orleans the three parted with express
sions of mutual regard. the southern
ers going to the same hotel An hou
later they met in the barroom, eacl
with new twenty dollar bill in hi
: hand.
"Majah," said the colonel, this bill
is a counterfeit"