The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-01-21
A Western Man Goes Up Against
Drawing-Room Poker in the
National Capital
washington Post)

nOkeF Is plum ltOISOll5 BIONltU lIll
western man in the bar of Washing.
ton hotel the other morning. But thi.
here drawing room poker is deadly
Worse'n that, it's immoral being con.
trary to the principles of civilization
and the game as played by men who
have devoted their lives to the
science"
The western man crooked his finger
at the aproned person standing ex-
pectantly by and beckoned the post
man to the vacant seat at the table.
Never heard of this drawing room
poker?" he queried few moments lat
err as, with a eontented sigh, he set
down his glass and finished up the re-
siduary cherry with a toothpick
"Well, neither did until about 10
o'clock last night. when l met it for
the first time. Say, I'd ratherve seen
a ghost.
you see, this is the way the play
come up" he continued, growing con-
fdential under the influence of the
cherry I'm here in Washington to
help my senator get through some
legislation to keep those bloated set
tiers out west from gobbling up all
Uncle Sans cattle range from the
poor cattlemen and turning it into
farms. Yesterday the senator says to
me:
Wagon Box in Society.
Wagon Box, which is my nondy-
plume on my native heath, on account
of my residence for the first six
months in the west being in a wagon
box-'Wagon Box, to boost the good
cause, you've got to get acquainted
with society
last name, and where does she work p
Then he explained that it amt just
one woman, but a bunch of EN-, and
they're a power In politics.
NOW, I've gotten you an invitation
to dine this evening at the palatial
home Of Mrs. De Jones' he says
'There'll be senators and congressman
there; also society. l want you to go
and do the honest western stunt
But | amt no actor person., l in
terposes.
- You cont have to be- he chirps.
I'm not given to compliments, but I'll
gamble that when you get on bird
coat you'll have vaudeville skinned to
the hooks
so he washes me and SLAVES me
and puts me into a rig with the tail
split up the back, til | looks as grand
as hotel waiter. Then | sticks the
spurs in my flanks and gallops around
to the De Jones domicile.
Say, sure Redeemed up some when
! met this society in the drawing
room, as they called it. She looked
like she'd dressed in a fit Of absent
mindedness, thinking she was going to
bed instead of to dinner Well !
thinks, it's you that's going to catch
cold in your appendix for lack of pro-
tecting it, not me, so l said nothing.
TraiIed to Play Safe.
Everything opened up pleasantly
and pretty soon / felt as easy as
though | was sitting in the back of
the Dirty Devil saloon in Deadwood
watched the whole bunch and trailed
in on everything they did, to play
safe.
Along about the last hand Of the
feed the hostess says as how they'd
get UP little game Of poker after din
ner to aid digestion. Say, those words
We're like the watchdogs' honest bark
to me. / knew that, in the home-like
Surroundings of a poker game !
wouldn't have to watch folks-that is
not to find out what to do! When
the senator had hobbled me in the
funny clothes had slipped a couple
of ten-dollar bills in my pocket, and
felt confident that even with the Wors
of luck, l had enough to skin these
simple denizens of the capital.
Well, 30, when we got sorted out
around that table in the drawing room
1t looked like anything this side Of
Hallcarnassuss but a poker game.
There were six Of u.s. Next to me
were a couple of wkbilled doWa
gers Of long Philadelphia lineage, as
they confided in me before the cards
were shuffled. But when l told them
that !, too, was of noble blood, having
been born in one of the Oldest families
of North Platte Neb. and jerked up in
Del Norte, they stopped talking fam
lily.
Buxom FIIy Branded Maude.
Next to them was a washed out
youth with head about the size of a
shirt stud, who tried to look wise
Next, and just within easy borrowing
distance Of him, sat buxom My
branded Maude, who tried to appear
artless; they both failed; Maude,
gathered later, had engaged this Bertle
boy to herself, and even then regarded
him as permanent spending money
Last of all was the hostess, who KEPT
insisting that she merely sat in fol
sociability--but that impression WASH
lasting after the first round of hands
Holy jaclpots, but that was game
fearfully and wonderfully played! &c
thought that 30 years of close atten'
ton to roker had taught me at leaS