The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-31


Zone Summer along about forty years
ago outcast hit our neghborhood and
sawed off his society on us heap longer
than we wanted it. who packed with him,
one of the few four-barrelled names
ever run up against in this vale of tears.
The cognomen he handed to us was that
of James Madison NAPOLEON Bonaparte
Hicks, which I've always noticed that the
longer mans name is, beyond certain
limit, the more no-account he is. That In
crate was not only unashamed on them
numerous verbal handles of his'n, but he
doated on 'em-alvays handed out his
Identification as if he was presenting
red apple to a bootiful maiden. He
squtters In on us with the brake off. like
wagon down a steep hill, and announces
hisself as a sport from Ely-ton, Jefferson
County, and he deepens his statements
as to his gaming propensities by produc-
Ing 'chuc1S-a-luck, outfit and organizing
for blood.
Folks nowadays don't know what kind
of a delusion Chuck luck instigates,
never haviNg bucked one of them dead
falls. 1t shore is simple as crfSing bat
ter cakes. Just three bones-some call em
dice-a match box, or some other kind
of holder to rattle them bones in and
pour them out of-and fiat plank for
them to land on-them's s the whole works.
The dice has got spots on them and the
gamblers bet on them spots falling on
the plank according TO each ones guess.
1t Is like backgammon played on fiat
board, or craps, or any other dice game.
Oodles of sports can stand around the
board and bet at one and the same time
the bets all being as to how many spots
the bones will show when they fall; of
course IL you guess wrong the dealer
wins.
Outcome Of Chuck "a Luck
'The game of craps Is the outcome of
Chuck-a-luck; in craps you have to have
the dice come either seven or eleven, but
In Chuck luck you had to guess the ex-
act number them dice would add up when
they lay on the board. The Robber who
runs this joint don't have nothing to do
until all bets is tabled and the money up,
each citizen naming his unbiased opinion
as to how many spots them three dice
will add up when they fall on the board,
and then the Avaricious Felon who is
running this brace pours out the spotted
cubes for the inspection of the interested
populace. If any scientist In front of the
table has hit the bulls eye with guess,
that successful Arithmetician pockets the
loose change on the plank, but IL he has
failed to solve the conundrum the bone
sharp, who has got his dead-fall rigged
for murder, absorbs the Savings of the
Innocent Agriculturalist.
Hicks is a undersized. dark, ignorant
tousel-haired Hill-billy, sallow, and evil
seeming. dressed in about enough clothes
to wad sinsle-barrelled shotgun. A
protracted wrastle with the remorseless
drinks. Jefferson County may have
put a crimp in his originsl beauty. but
at the period he confers his society un-
asked on Peckerwood his face wasn't
deuse high for good looks. Talked all the
time, too, he did. though he didn't say
much that amounted to anything. And
as his mouth was working he would keep
looking about furtive and quick, like
cat. At any minute he might have pro-
jected off into the jlm-jams, or INDUCED
in Mysteries without surprising folks, on
account of his nervous. quick, curious
way-though he had set smile on his
face all the time he was talking.
Likes Excitement
Folks in the backwoods likes excite
ment the same as those IN the City and
1t wasn't no time until the husky youth of
Peekerwood swarmed up to that "Chuck-
a-luck" board and backed their judgment
as how them bones would fall--scanda-
lous. OF course this here condick re-
suited In devastation to the Finances of
them sportive Reubens and great fat
ness In fiscal affairs on the part of j. M
N. b. Hicks.
"One thing, especially that added to the
popularity of this recreation was the fact
that this here Hicks, felon, had a Sister
who was as purity as red shoes. She
constantly pervaded around the game and
kept her eve on her Bud like hen over
a young chick. How an onery bandit like
that Alphabet Hicks could have acquired
good locker for a Sis such as she was
passed our understanding, bis Natur fre-
quently cuts just such capers as that
even in tho best regulated families. We
all knowed she was a regular sunburst
of a hollyhock for female lovelness and
we let 1t go at that without asking any
fool questions.
Hampton Cook fell in love with that
gal, unanimously. Hamp was a Ken
tuckian, hard working, handed. liked
by all the boys and he had right smart
chance OF property as we'll ~ good looks,
but Hicks with the multitudinous name
wouldn't stand for Hamp's courting
little bit-although Hamp shorely loved
that gal. In season and out of season, as
hard as mule kicking. He doats on
every word she utters like it was roast
possum. They goes meanderng off among
the ferns and honey suckles, Hamp walk
ing as II he was treading on eggs and
she with her bonnet sv~lsing by the
strings. laughing at intervals same as a
mocking bird, with Chuck A Luck Hicks
glowering after her plumb somber, On
steps and sing My Old Kentucky Home
Good Night her clear voice twisting and
twining around his big bass notes. and
trilling In and out like a shiney little
creek over white rocks, while Alphabet
Hicks just gritted his teeth and cussed
under his breath. Didn't see no reason
for his objections-as 1t 'peared to me
they was the best mated couple in these
diggins, and / can't discern no reason
ergin these nuptials
Just to Be Near the Gal
Occasionally Hampton Cook would
buck that Highway ay-robbery of q Chuck
luck bank just to be near the gal He
would gamble mighty gay and nervy. and
he had a run of free nigger luck at IT.
too, making the right guess as many as
three times out of five, which result lust
seemed to set Hicks wild When Hamp
won he would guffaw, and tease that
Porch Climber OF Hicks, jingling his
money and allowing that it was just as
easy as taking candy from a kid which
made that Alphabet mad enough to siz-
gle. The gal would stand by, showing
her white teeth with a indugent smile
at Hamp's ,foolishness, knowing that he
was doing this carrying on just to please
her.
In the main that Chuck a luck scheme
is winner for Hicks to the extent Of
pillaging the neighborhood of all it's loose
change, all the dead game Sports of the
settlement surging into their collars and
going up against Sat brace game for
keeps. which I figure that at the end of a
month Hicks ha~ coppered a bank roll
of about three thousand dollars. This
here accumulation of wealth conduced to
swell the head of that Polyglot named