Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-26

| bling house proprietor and hotel man
alike.
Things have come to such a pass in
New York that the gambler finds it
most difficult to make a living. They
have even descended to the humiliat-
ing necessity of travelling on trains for
more or less short distances, in hopes
of locating even a cheap victim. But
they must live somehow, and as it is
now they find life very hard lot.
The other day it so happened that a
young man who is in the service of
the government found it necessary to
make a trip to New York from Wash
ington. He boarded a train, and was
making the effort to while away the
long hours as best he might, reading,
| looking out of the car windows and
amusing himself by attempting to
analyze the occupations of his fellow
travellers in the clubcar
Soon after leaving Philadelphia a
| well dressed man loafed down to his
end of the car and commenced to read
a newspaper. The man hummed ard
| yawned, looked out of the window and
! yentured the wish that some one would
| start a game of cards, No attention
| being paid to the suggestion, he adj
! dressed the young man directly, and
asked If he would play.
1t isn't a very nice thing to always
| be suspicious of ones neighbors, but
something about the man recalled a
| type of gambler who haunted the old
time gambling clubs at Hot Springs
After studying the matter over a mo-
ment, the young man agreed to play,
! mr. q a
Almost Immediately two more men
sprang up from nowhere, apparently,
and the quartet arranged themselves
at table and cards were called for.
First the porter brought out al ex-
ceedingly ragged deck Of cards, with
which the deal was commenced, the
four having agreed to play auction
bridge.
The sucker objected to the cards,
not so much on account of the posi-
bility that they were old friends, but
because they were dirty, whereupon
the other three hastily agreed and,
duly admonished, the porter pro-
duced new deck.
The men were apparently strangers
to one another. But a great trouble
was that they were too much strangers.
They seemed to have absolutely moth
ing in common and no curiosity what
ever but carried on a line of small
talk which would be the making of
the most backward debutante who
ever bowed over her roses. They in
sisted that Mr.. Sucker score. Then
they suggested that the old count of
bridge was a trfie obsolete and that
instead of scoring $50 points for rub
Der won, 400 should be the bonus. They
also argued that it was strictly au
fat for the dealer to pass, hear all
the other bids and retain the right to
re-enter the bidding when it reached
him.
This was all very interesting and the
young man agreed to the wishes of the
three. Then the game commenced. 1t
was a marvellous game and the three
strangers made hay while the sun shone.
There was no time for egging the victim
on by permitting him to win an occa-
sional game or rubber. As time is short
between Philadelphia and New York and
these were parlous times, they started
in to win everything in sight. When, by
some oversight, the victim would have a
better hand than he should have, his
partner always took him out, merely to
be doubled and redoubled Then after
the smoke of battle had cleared away.
|, the partner would always be duly regret
full that his zeal had carried him away.
It may be well at this point to say
that the victim had seen a good deal
of card playing in his brief yet eventful
, career. and according to his story the
three gamblers used the crudest
methods in the world, scorning any
delicacy in their manipulations In fact.
the little group was thoroughly known
almost before card was played.
Three rubbers were lost and there was
barely time to finish a fourth before the
tube was reached 1t was not until the
train was about ready to take the under
water plunge that the game was finished
and time came to settle up The victim
} searched through has pockets, one after
another. and panied expression crept
over his face AS result of his search,
he was compelled to announce that he
could find no money on his person and
would have to give checks for losses.
There was no time to murmur over his
horrible catastrophy and the gamblers
were perforce compelled to accept.
Never mind a name" said one, Just
make it out to cash.
The "skinnee, demonstrating business
methods, declined to make out any such
checks unless in given names, and the
men agreed, all being winners so the
little slips were made out and the group
scattered.
The Pullman conductor, who is sup
posed to always be a wise man, was
briefly told of the occurrence and on
some pretext he was taken through the
cars to take look at the men. lie iden-
titled them as having boarded the train
at Philadelphia and at least one of them
as being a frequent traveller on his car.
When the station was reached a tele-
gram was sent to the bank stepping pay
ment on the checks, while a watch was
Kept for the gamblers. 1t happened that
a friend of the "skinnee" was inspector
of police of this particular railroad, and
he was notified of the little drama.
In due time the checks showed up at
the bank. where payment was promptly
refused At the same time the inspector