The yellow fever was raging in the South in 1867, and nearly every
one was trying to reach the seaboard, as it is considered that the
disease is not so violent there. On the steamer to Mobile one
night a big game was in progress. Ten dollars was the ante; no
limit. I was $1,300 loser, and soon resolved that I must stir
myself and do something. There was no time to lose, so hurrying
to the bar, upon some excuse, I got a deck such as they were using,
and ran up four hands, being careful that I got the best of it.
Returning, I played fully half an hour before I came out with my
deck. At last it came my deal, and I gave them threes and let them
fill. It would have brought a smile to a dead man to have seen
them bet, for they put up all the money they had, and one of them
went to the office, and bringing out a valise, said, as he laid it
on the table, "There is $18,000 in that valise, and I raise all of
you that much." What to do I did not know. I was in a quandary,
when, quick as thought, a plan flashed upon me. I jumped up, and
rushing to the office, got all the small bills they had--mostly
ones and twos--and securing a piece of brown paper, wrapped these
bills around it, which made an enormous roll. There was a five
hundred-dollar bill on the outside, and, putting a strip of paper
around it, I marked it $20,000. Then rushing up, I said, "Boys,
I have at last raised the money;" and as I was about to put it on
the table to call the bet, the owner of the valise snatched it off,
saying, "That was only for a bluff." So I deemed it best to show
down for what money we had up, as I knew all the rest were up all
they had, and I have always made it a rule never to bet a man more
than he had, to run him out, but always to give every man a chance
for his money.
Turning to the fellow with the valise, I said, "I will bet you
$1,000 on a side bet that my hand beats yours." He counted out
the money and put it up, and there was nothing to do but show hands;
but in the draw I took in another nine, which made four, and a five
spot. That broke up the game, as that was all the money, except
what the man with the valise and I had, and he got cold, for the
money he was playing with belonged to the Government. He was a
paymaster, and had I won his money I should undoubtedly have got
into trouble again. Paymasters in the army were among the best
suckers we ever had, and I fear we never shall have such fat plucking
again.
"PRANKIN'" WITH A NEW GAME.
I had a partner at one time by the name of Tripp, and he was one
of the smartest gamblers I ever worked with. He would play any
and all games of chance, and would play them as high as any man in
the country, and come as near winning all the time at most of them.
He was a good, clever fellow.
He and I were on the Michigan Southern Railroad at one time. Tripp
was to do the playing with the three cards, and I was to be on the
look-out. I began my part of the business; and in looking around,
I saw an old gentleman that I thought might be well fixed in money
matters; and if he was, I judged he would be a good subject; so I
sat down and opened up conversation. I told him I was a miner from
Colorado; that I had some of the richest mines in the country, and
that I was on my way to Washington to take out a patent on a crushing
machine that I had invented. He became very much interested, and
I learned that he was from the State of Michigan, and was very well
fixed in this world's goods. I gave him some big talk about the
mining business, telling him I often took out $1,000 a day--and
much more of the same sort. He did not let me do all the blowing,
but gave me to understand that, while he was not taking out of
mother earth $1,000 per day, he was--and had been for many years--
getting out of the ground quite a number of thousands.
While we were telling each other how much money we had accumulated
for a rainy day, a cow-boy came up and took the seat just in front
of us, and in a few moments he turned around and said, "Be you
gentlemen going to New York?"
The old gentleman said, "I am, but this gentleman is going to
Washington City."
"I be going to New York with my steers, for them fellars in Chicago
won't pay my price, and some of them beat me out of $2,000 in less
than no time," said the cow-boy.
I then told him to turn his seat over and tell us how they got his
money.
He got up, turned his seat, and said, "They had some kind of a game
that they bet on; I got to pranking with it, and I just lost $2,000
afore you could say Jack Robinson."
"It must have been seven-up, or some game of cards," said I.
"It wasn't no seven-up, for I reckon as how I can play seven-up
with any of the boys."
"Well, tell us about the game," said the old gentleman.
The cow-boy then took out an old dirty rag, which I suppose he
called a handkerchief, unfolded it, and produced three cards,
saying, "Them thar fellows gave me these ar cards, and I'm going
to larn that ar game, so as when I get back to Texas I can beat
all the boys."
I told him to show us how they could bet on three cards. Then he
bent them up and began throwing them on the seat beside him, saying
at the same time, "I'm not as good at it as those Chicago chaps,
but I'm going to practice, and when I get down in Texas I'll get
even on our boys."