Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-11-18
EVENING STAR,
A LoEDOH oAkDLlN0 IOVSE
ITS IHNlR LIFE.


ITS IHNlR LIFE.
A little volume has recently been pub
lished in London, entitled "My IIaunts. ~
which contains some very light and
agreeable reading, The following do
scription of . celsbrated gam bling house.
would doubtless apply in several respects
to many OF similar character in our swn
city, SO far as its fittings up and its h0b-
itues are concerned. To be sure we have
no "broken-down nobemen," or Idiot.
10 guardsmen" as hapsers-on ct our
fashionable hells. but there is q class OF
ancient merchant princes and ..fast
young men" who well supply the places
of their more aristecratic European BRO
totypss But to the sketch.
"Come, We have reached the aristo.
cratic neighborhood of St. James street.
and yonder houss-that one with the
bright fanlight svsr the doors the
sesne of our intended visit. 10 you So
those two police oenstablss, one on either
side of the doorway! Some ysars ago
the son of an eminent Statesman, recent
y deceased, lost . very large sum OF
money in one OF those places, and Nne.
that time the doors of all suspected ssn,-
ing houses have been watched BY the Pc
lice. They are supposed to take an ao-
surats account of the number Of persons
who enter. their style, and apparent po-
stion in life.
They wish Us good night rs ws pull
the ivory knob communicating with q
! spring bell that does not make the uspal
elatter, but sounds only once: and for
that good night you will, if you win,
give half crown as you emerge into the
cold grey light Of morning. The ser
gsant passing on his rounds will Zee you
slip the coin into the haad Of his subor
dina'e, will give you good morning q.
yea pass, end, in oil probability, bs paid
with cigar for his civility. TN the CAV
spirits Of the metropolis do the propT,e.
tors of houses Of this sta1p mainly de-
pend, sad many little perquisites sol.ee
the arduous duties Of the w.st sad night
policemen.
mo sooner has the bell sounded than
as in the story of the White Cat, the
door is opened by an unseen hand, and
our entry is Immediately closed behind
US. We find ourselves faced by second
door, paselled with iron, and covered
with green bai1e, with q small aperture
in the centre, At which a cleaning eve
appears. / am recognised sn iron bar
is swung back, two bolts withdrawn,
and having asoended a fight of most
softly carpeted stairs, we stand within
the wallis of a London gambling house.
"You will observe that the first hoGr
is that portion Of the house in which play
is carried on. The basement may be =
tailor's or bootmaker's shop. The mys
teriss Of the upper regions has never
been penetrated; bat the drawins-room
contains the real Lares and Penates OF
the proprietors. And very handsome
rooms they are; brilliantly lighted, warm
ly curtained, and plentifully mirrored.
Look at the table spread out in the back
room, and covered with cold fowl, ham,
tongue, beef, aud salads; these, with
wines, spirits, and cigars, are provided
grataitously. Indeed, the more YOU
drink the better pleased are your hospit-
able entertainers.
Let us push through this lot of men
lounging in tho doorway, and discussing
racing matters an odd thing il i.
that your horsy-doggy kind of men al
ways congaegate In doorways and
make our way to the play table. This,
you will observe. is an ordinary billiard
table, furnished with pockets, cushions.
&C.: and yonder, in the corner, stands q
rack Of cues-an arrangement which has
been adopted recently, in Consequence of
the frequent visits of tho police. And
now let us look round at the company.
That tall, dark man. standing at the
centre of the table, is one of the proprie-
tors Of the house, and handsome, dash.
ing lsraelite he is. He is very rich, al
ways dresses to perfection, and, bus be-
side being the owner Of two or three
racers, keeps q cabriolet and mail phse-
ton-in one or the other Of which YOU
may see him nearly every afternoon in
the Park; and you seldom 90 down to
dine, either at the Grown and Sceptre a,
Greenwich, or the Star and Garter at
Richmond, on Sunday without finding
his trap at the door during some por-
ton of the evening. Idiotic guardsmsn.
would-be aristocratic stockholders,
green hands from the universities, and
fast youths about town, have paid for
that vehicle, and honest Moss gives them
q subdued, but intelligent nod of recog-
milton, as he drives in it.
1.-The sharp looking, wiry little man.
opposite to him, is the croupier. He
calls the odds, and never makes tbs
Aightest miScalculatiOn sees that the
proper sums are staked at a single glance,
and helps his principal to pay the win
ners and sweep up the stakes of the
losers. For this latter purpose they Go
not use rAkes, such as you may have seen
st Wissbaden or AK, but small booked
st,aka. The rakes would ha too ma