Before the war, there was hardly a boat of any size that plied up
and down the Mississippi and its tributaries that did not count
among its travelers or passengers some peddler with his pack. For
the most part, his stock in trade consisted of cheap jewelry, gilded
sleeve-buttons, galvanized watches, plated chains, various notions
and unassortable knick-knacks. Sometimes these peddlers carried
along a wheel, and had the things marked with numbers corresponding
to those on the wheel. The charge was a dollar a spin, and at
whatever number the wheel stopped, the article corresponding belonged
to the investor in the game.
Captain Dix was then in command of the _Hiawatha_, a packet running
from New Orleans to St. Louis. One evening Captain Dix said:
"George, I have got one of those infernal wheel peddling chaps
aboard, and he has been annoying the life out of me. I've driven
him out of the cabin, and he has taken refuge in the barber shop.
I wish you could take him in."
Strolling down towards the barber shop, I caught a glimpse of the
fellow; and being satisfied that he did not know me, I watched his
game for some time, and then ran against it $5 worth.
"That's a heap fairer game than I lost $1,000 at," I said to the
owner.
"What game was that?" he curiously asked.
"The fellow called it Rocky Mountain euchre. I'll go and get you
some of the tickets, and show everybody how the fellow chiseled me
out of my money."
"Oh, that's three-card monte," said the wheel man.
Alexander was along with me; so I began throwing the cards around
awkwardly, when my partner stepped up to the table and began guessing
for fun. Finally he bent one of the corners and showed it to the
wheelman, whispering to him:
"Let's have a little fun out of the old fellow."
Aleck told me to mix 'em up, and offered to bet the drinks that he
could turn up the old woman.
"I've got two chances to your one," I replied; "but I'll go yer."
He turned the wrong one, and I laughed, as did the wheel man.
Aleck then began blackguarding me, saying that I dare not bet on
it; that he did not believe I had any money; till at last I pulled
out a bundle that made the wheel man look wild. Aleck kept on
daring me, so at last I bet him $100 that he couldn't find it the
first time after I had done mixing them. Then he made the bet,
putting the money up in the wheelman's hands; and sure enough, he
turned the old woman. Then I offered to bet him again for $200,
and he turned it a second time. Then I pretended to drop on him,
and refused to bet, saying "that his eyesight was too fine;" but
he offered to bet me "that the wheel man could do it." I replied
that I'd bet any amount that he couldn't, unless he told him how.
This settled the wheelman, who said that he could turn the right
card for $100.
"But I am already a loser for more than that, and I won't bet now
for less than $500."
He began counting out his roll, but could only make out $430. He
was wearing a $100 watch and chain, and Aleck whispered to him to
put up that for the remaining $70. This he did, and I soon raked
them in, as of course he got the wrong card. The fellow looked a
little blue, but Aleck made him believe that he had in his hurry
picked up the wrong card. So the fellow was bound to have revenge,
and he put up his jewelry and wheel, all of which I soon won.
When Captain Dix came around, he was so overjoyed that he set up
the wine and had a hearty laugh over it. I gave the fellow $50
and paid his passage back to St. Louis, while his jewelry I gave
to a lame fellow that I knew in New Orleans, and it was a start in
life for him.
The next morning, before the story of the jewelry man had gotten
out among the passengers, we took in two or three suckers, and were
intending to get off at Baton Rouge; but noticing several good men
getting aboard, determined to try our hands on them. The fates
were propitious, for we won $1,400 and a watch from one of them,
and the other was plucked for $700 and a $200 diamond pin. I
afterwards learned that they were both wealthy men who had been up
to see the Governor, so the trifling loss of their pocket money
did not affect them.