At one time, before the war, silver was such a drug in New Orleans
that you could get $105 in silver for $100 in State bank notes;
but the commission men would pay it out to the hucksters dollar
for dollar. They would put it in bags and label it with the man's
name and the amount. At this time I was coming out on the steamer
_John Raine_, and, in looking around for customers, I found fifteen
chicken men on board, who had sold their "coops," and had their
sacks of silver setting in the office, as there was no room for it
in the safe. After supper I got my men in the barber shop, pulled
out my three cards, and began to throw them, at the same time
telling the men I had lost $1,000 at the game, and that I was going
to practice until I could throw equal to the man that had beat me
out of my money. They all took a great interest in the game, and
could turn the right card every time for fun. About this time the
"capper" came up, and said he was positive he could guess the card,
and kept insisting on betting me $100; so at last I concluded to
bet him, and he lost the $100. Then the fun commenced. One of
the chicken men saw the corner of the "right" card turned up; so
he jumped up, and wanted to bet me $500 that he could pick out the
"right" card. I told him I did not want to bet, but if he made it
$2,000 I would bet him, and if I lost I would quit. At the same
time I pulled out a large roll of small bills, with a hundred dollar
bill on the outside, and laid it on the table. The chicken men
held a council of war, and of course they all saw the corner of
the "right" card turned up. They went for their sacks of silver,
and planked down four of them, with $500 in each. I put up and
said: "Gentlemen, you must all agree on one card, and select one
man to turn it, as I must have the two chances." They picked out
their man; he turned the card with the corner turned up; but, of
course, it was not the "right" card. The boat was just landing to
take in sugar, so I said, "Gentlemen, I will have to bid you good-
by, as this is my sugar plantation." I called two of the porters
and told them to take my sacks ashore. They said, "All right,
Massa George." You should have seen the chicken men look at me
when I landed with my sacks; and all the niggers came to shake
hands and say, "Glad youse back, Massa George," (for I knew all
the niggers on the coast). After the boat pulled out, I opened
one of the sacks and gave each black one of the "chicken" half-
dollars. They guarded the money until another boat came down,
which they hailed, and I was soon on my way back to New Orleans to
catch some more suckers.