The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-11
ONE EYED MAN MADE
> AN UNUSUAL BET
Involving Another Visit TO a
We'll Known Saloon i'm
Arkansas City.
40 POKER GAME THIS TINE
~ DAVID 4. CURTIS.


Arkansas City in the olden days, the
place was quiet. Even in old man
Grccnlaw's saloon there would be
nothing of importance doing as a gen.
cral rule. and II 1t was quiet there.
everybody who knew anything about
the place realized that it would be
l useless tn look for activity elsewhere
in the town. Commentators agree
that Arkansas City was the locality
Tcnnyson described as "a land WHERE
II was always afternoon" though :hc
inhabitants followed the custom of
tho Southern States and called ii
"cvening."
The arrival Of a stranger however,
IN Arkansas City in those times was
always the occasion of renewed inter-
est in life among the citizens. Not
infrequently the stranger would have
money on his person, and there was
always the possibility of getting 1t
! away from him.
One Eye had been in Arkansas City
before, not only once, hut repeatedly,
and. as was proved by the fact of his
Areturn at this time, he had always
|'~hucceeded on these previous occasions
in getting away with his life. That
he had done 50 was considered by Joe
Bassett, the Sheriff OF Arkansas cay
tn the light of a personal grievance,
und by the other citizens as stand
ing reproach.
lie was not the only man who had
ever sat in AT the poker game in old
| man Greenlaws saloon and won
money. Others had done that though
there were not many who had. for the
aggregation of talent in the group Of
players that was always to he found
in the back room of the saloon was
very great. No man who was UNI
possessed of exceptional ability could
hope to prevail against it.
And in those rare cases In which
some player Of unusual skill had sue
ceeded in putting crimp in the house
Z 'wad. IT had not always happ ned that
ne had gone away from Arkansas city
with his winnings. Those who lost
their money found no difficulty in
going away from there peaccably. The
old man would even advance the
b. necessary funds to enable them to de-
part. rather than to have them re-
81 main. he having firm conviction
= that penniless outsiders were undesir-
able persons to have around.
His prejudice. however, was equally
strong against having any depart with
more money than they brought into
his place. and possibly because Of this
feeling on his part there were some
times untoward circumstances that
mil tated against the strangers col
lection of the winnings that had ac-
crucd to him. wherefore ii had come
TO he generally understood, up and
down the Mississippi River, that al
though there was much excitement to
I've had in the game there was little
profit to be obtained by sitting in
a.ainst the house players. There were
f'w indeed who had derived any.
one Eye. however. had done Il re-
rcaiedly. and as was said. had thereby
gained great unpopularity in the place.
J. was even considered 10y those who
were ,uuvcrSant with the facts that
Il was more or less unsafe for him la
visit the saloon again. Joe Bassott.
he Wa fropucntcr of the pace
I ard a man Of somewhat turbulent
! character. had gone So far aS'to de-
. clare that he would Kill the one eyed
man an sipht and +,,ssett,s friends
! h4d moi e,ep remnn.tratod
s,fatv hnwsvor w,s q, secondary
when r. came to a., nucs,ion NJ n".'
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sjr NJ cnu,Ion ~ nne rnI,. roaIi,i""
that his missinn ,,s ~, ,roo ernr, a
certain element of noril ~ bimseIf hc