The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-07-29
PLAYING A 'HUNCH'
(Copyright)
BY PETER FLINT.

Don you will find dot right on the
me between Pecos and Brewster
ecanties. That is the city OF Hay
nond. Not many persons know OF
Raymond and have acquaintance with
ks greatness 1t Is not important az
commercial or an agricultural center
but 1t Is remembered. especially among
tsiegraphers, on account Of its being
the scene OF one OF the strangest
games OF poker that ever was played.
A telegraph operator named Stevens
put Raymond on the map some 20
pears ago, Stevens had worked in
O4d Mexico on the construction of the
Perrocarril Central Mexicano, when
Drmer Governor Anthony of Kansas
was general superintendent of that
property. He had been all through New
Mexico and had worked at Las Lunas,
San Marcial, Ysleta and other places.
He was first-class operator, but his
efficiency was impaired by his fondness
Tor poker. At Ysleta, for instance, he
almost brought on an Indian uprising
one night by winning all the coin pos
Bessed by the peaceful Pueblos He
was bounced from one road and from
one station to another; but good op-
orators were hard to find In those days,
and he was employed again and again
despite his failing.
One morning he awoke In Ell Paso
with empty pockets, He was as good
8 poker player as he was telegraph
operator, but faro bank always was
bis undoing. He struck the dispatcher
Of the Galveston, Harrisburg and San
Antonio for Job, and was sent to
Raymond. In those days Raymond
consisted Of box car on a blind sid
Ing and large, hastily constructed
section house.
In the section house lived some 80
Cinnamon whose overload was an Irish
foreman. Half hundred miles away
was the Rio Grande and to the north
west the Sierra Madres. The desert
stretched between There was one
passenger train a day and an occa-
sional freight. The nearest station
was 40 miles distant.
Stevens and the section foreman
bunked in the box car that did service
as station. 1t was very dull the first
month. Stevens mourned for the
gaiety OF Las Lunas. Ysleta, Albu-
querque, and Ell Paso, and waited for
bay day.
When the pay car arrived and Ste
vens received his $50 In gold the China
man found an interest In him. Ste.
vens found an interest In them also.
Whey had been working for IS months
and received $40 month each; and
Stevens calculated that somewhere
they had more than $4,000 in gold
hidden away. The boss OF the China
men invited Stevens to take a hand at
some OF their gambling games. Ste
vens did SO, for he would bet on any
thing. In an hour or two they cleaned
him out, and he retired moodily to his
box car.
The next day dog jumped of the
westbound passenger train, evidently
tired OF the long trip He chased liz
ards and ran around generally among
the powders and cactus, and finally,
after the train had departed, came up
to Stevens and barked for a drink OF
water. They were fast friends imme-
diately. The dog, whom Stevens
named Pete, seemed to be a mixture
OF many breeds, but fox terrier pre-
dominated. He had a stubby tail
about six inches long that he wagged
on every occasion.
Having nothing else to do, Stevens
took charge of Pete's education There
never was more intelligent or willing
pupil. Pete could do as many tricks
as dog In circus before the next
bay day came around On this occar
sion. also, Stevens lost his months
salary at fan-tan.
> Pete loved the telegraph sounder
When not otherwise employed he
would lie down on the rough boards
that served as table and listen to
The clicking Of the instrument. Ste
Vens declared to the Irish foreman that
20 would teach Pete the Morse code;
VT Pete never could handle the key
Then, at the foreman's suggestion,
Stevens taught him the names OF the
% cards In the deck so he could pick
them out Immediately,
Here is the rest OF the story in Ste
ven's own words:
"one day Murphy. the section fore
man. and started to play poker for
h1n. We used cactus needles for chips,
| had given Murphy my word that |
wouldn't go against any more of those
Chinese games, and there wasn't any
thing else to do asked Murphy IL
the Cinnamon knew anything about
poker, and he told me that three or
four Of them were among the best
players he had ever known.
80 l suggested that when the pay
car came around again we have little
nolxar MurDhv auroAod h,,f ooid ha