of his intellect, and the opportunities he has had for becoming proficient." The future historian, whose name will naturally be written on the highest peak of the sun-crowned Sierras of fame, on whom shall fall the godlike task of tracing the rise and progress of draw poker in this state, will find the pathway that leads him back in his researches to the barbaric splendor of 1849, strewn with rich incidents and racy anecdotes of notable "hands" that have been held, heroic "calls" that have been made, and gigantic "blinds" that have been promptly seen."
In September 1858 a little game of "draw" was played on the classic banks of Georgiana slough, in Sacramento county, which is worthy of notice, for the reason that it proves the plastic character of the game, and the illimitable resources that it affords the skillful and experienced gambler. One evening a young man, named Stone, who had been de^ oting his attention to the cultivation of sweet potatoes on the slough, and had just disposed of his crop, was seduced into a triangular game of poker with two professional players, Budd Davis and Garland Adams, who, of course, had entered into a conspiracy to pluck the young and in experienced potato-merchant. Retiring to a little cabin in the suburbs of Georgiana, the trio sat down at a rude pine table, one corner of which was garnished by a descendant of the house of Bourbon, of the capacity of a quart, more or less, and by the dim and flickering light of a tallow candle, began to court the favor of fortune. Stone was rather a flinty subject to handle for the reason that he would not drink, and was so excessively cautious that he would not bet unless he held an almost invincible hand. For a time the gamblers were undecided, and played along in meditative silence, winning but little more than the mere ante-money from Stone, who paid no attention to the presence of the royal visitor, and could not be coaxed with ordinary full hands and fours to loosen his grip on the potato-money, Budd Davis finally
