Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-16
Oldfish on Old Sports.

There WAS once Il time in Indiana,
throughout the towns and cities" re-
marked DR.. Oldfish To his usual coterie
of listeners, when indoor amuse-
ments. such as poker. seyen-up and
faro, We're not held in the slight es-
TEEN now accorded to them. when
respectable elderly gentlemen with no
taste for croquet-golf had not then
arrived-considered it not tn their dis
credit occasionally by way of relaxa-
poker with friends.
In that earlier day it was by no
means difficult To find gentlemen's
game, ably conducted by profess
sional, at any of the hotels: and,
though sporadic attempts were made
from time to time by the city authori-
ties to collect an impost for revenue
only, the exactions were modest and
did not materially disturb the indus
try.
Even at that early day this city
had established widely spread repu-
tation for hospitality. II was we'll
understood that during the sessions OF
the state fair and especially when the
legislature was in solemn conclaye
nothing was to be done TO disturb the
feeling of serene security that should
attach to the game when the tables
were spread for visitors to our beauti-
full city.
illinois street in that day from
Washington street to Market street
was designated as the Via FortunatuS
the road of fortune-and on both
sides of the way the stranger could
hardly go amss in his search for a
moving picture show with its alluring
pageantry of kings, queens ana
knaves. Now and then, but rarely.
the pressure of public opinion would
seem to place This charming trust and
confidence of the sporting men--a
euphuism they always used in speak
ing of themselves, preferring it to the
coarser term of gamblers-in jeopardy.
But an alert lookout or a timely tip
would save them from the disa gree
able consequences of an untimely
raid.
quick witted gentlemen were our
friends, the sporting men. One night
a big game was on in the st. Charles
the site is now covered by the Block
department stOre-when a feather was
handed to the dealer by the man at
the door. 1t was only a feather, but it
was symbol, it meant flight, and the
game closed. When the blue coated
minions of the law arrived, the place
was dark. All the birds had flown on
a single feather.
Less fortunate was John Stuck,
who for many years run game, but
in his later days abandoned the de-
ceptive pictures and developed into a
respectable horse dealer. Mr.. Stuck
could neither read nor write. but no
man could better estimate the value
of a pictorial combination. He is
credited with having perpetrated the
choicest unconscious felicity known in
the history of the profession when
describing raid in which he was the
victim, he said: The pleece came in.
an carried off the whole faroparnalia.
Mr.. Stuck is also known to fame as
the donor. as a mark of personal es-
TEEN and application, Of a pair or
gold sleeve buttons to the Rev. Myron
w Reed then pastor of the First Pres
byterian church, not that the pastor
ever sat in Johns game but John had
on a couple of occasions sat in one of
Mr.. Reeds pews and he liked his style
of preaching.
You may recall with me some of
the sporting talent of that time. There
was Howard Barnes, tall, of most dis
tinguished appearance, kindly, civil
spoken gentleman, who dressed in ad-
mrable taste and was noted for his
open handed generosity. especially 10
comrades who had met with bad luck.
There were times when Mr.. Barnes
was able to indulge in a pretty stiff
game, when fortune smiled upon him
and he rolled in afIiuence. But, like
other of his brethren, fortune, tickle
Jade. sometimes failed to favor him
and he would have trouble to raise a
stake for even the smallest game. But
whether on the crest of the wave or
dashed among the breakers he vas