Connecticut western news., 1911-01-05
YANKEE Versus SOUTHERNER By HARRY VAN AMBURG Copyright, 1910, by American Press
 Association.

One-third, the ladies' cabin, was used exclusively by women and children; the other two-thirds constituted a gi- gantic gambling establishment-not an establishment run by a 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 a waiting crowd dropped into their seats.
 Southern gentlemen travelled on these steamers, men of the olden tiIlc, whose word was as good as their Dond." One day Colonel St. Leger of Canton, Miss, and Major Carter Of Eaton Rouge were enjoying a social sass be- fore the little Punch and Judy affair in the bow of the boat that served for a bar when the colonel said:
 "Majah, do you see those sharpe's ovah tha' f1eecing that Yankee? He will go back to Connecticut or whar- evah he comes from and repo't that we a all swindle's down heah. Now, If 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."
 "It 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 a stateroom by himself, win his money and at the end of his jour ney hand it back to him with lec- 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 Yan- kee, entered into conversation with him and after the meal invited him into his stateroom to sample some fine old Kentucky bourbon he had there. The Yankee accepted, and Major Car 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 a 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 coloneIs look said, By love, what a haul this would have been for the sharpersr' and the majors look replied, 'Yes, and we must take 1t 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 1t, 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 colonel's 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 $5,OOO out O me, and want to get it back
 The southern gentlemen would have considered it a reproach to them to re- fuse under the circumstances and agreed. From that time forward the hands the Yankee held were phenom- enal. It 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 trff1e smaller than his. Then when the former had recovered his losses he pushed back his chair and said:
 "Gentlemen, you thought you had in me a greenhorn whose money you could easily win. I'm regarded the best poker player in Hartford. I don't wish to punish you for trying to swim dle me, so I decline to play any longer"
 Again the confederates looked at each other, this time in dismay. Then Colonel St. Leger stammering and red as a boiled lobster, told his story. The Yankee put out a hand to each of his intended benefactors, saying:
 ''Is there anything more honorable as well as guileless than the true southern pentlemanW
 When they settled up the Yankee generously turned over to his friends the new bills he had brought out, talk ing the worn ones himself. At New Orleans the three parted with expres- sions of mutual regard, the southern CTS going to the same hotel. An hour later they met in the barroom, each with a new twenty dollar bill in his hand.
 "Majah," said the colonel, "this bill is a counterfeit"
 "So is this"
 "We've been done by that rascally