The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-11-25
One of the Washington Gam
n, bling Houses. a
Correspondence. of the Boston Post.l

i
| Correspondence of the Boston Post.1 iay
| WAsHNGroN. Oct. 25. 1858.
One Of the most celebrated aud successful
sportsman Of this or any other country, was
buried in this cityson Sunday week. The oc-
casion of his death affords me an opportunity
of giving to your readers sketch of the man
and description of his gaming house. Let it
serve as warning, not as an example.
| He had been resident Of Washington some
fifteen or twenty years. during which period
he amassed great wealth by gambling, or, to
use the mild and honest language of the avenue,
.'he realized an ample fortune out of the sue
cessful operations Of his house!" His" house
being the most elegant, ard his bank the most
weighty and substantial in the country, it has
been for years the fashionable aud facinating
resort of wealthy planters, fast Congressman,
aspiring diplomats and ambitious sportsmen
from every part CT the world. For many years
past he has lived in the most luxurious style,
having, like certain other rich man, sheen
clothed ia purple and fine linen, and farIng sum
| ptuously every day." In person he was above
the medium size, fat and sleek, of pleasing
| address, and generous disposition; exhibit
ing ia his general department to strangers the
CHARACTERISTICS of well fed, gool natured
I clergyman, rather than those of heartiess
unrelenting gambler. i. fr g..-
| His reputation for generosity was widely
established. If college was to be endowed, a
church built, or private charities to be dis
pensed, his was snre to be among the most
munffcent of the donations. His wife, now
widow, was Of good pareDtage-a woman of
rare beauty and accomplishments, possessing
social qualities which, combined with the daz-
of admirers and courtiers. Rolling along the
avenue in her magnificent equipage, which far
exceeds in richness and style that of the Pres
dent of the United States, or that of any other
| gentleman in Washington, she looked very
queen-being quite undissurbed by the thought
hearts whose patrimony-unlawfully obtained
had contributed to her enjoyment in the sam e
proportion that its loss had added to the woes
and wrechedness of the beholder.
| His establishment" was upoa Pennsylvania
avenue, between the National Hotel and the
! Capitol. Let us approach and look al ii.
! You eater by door of varegaled stained
glass, which by gas light, reflects all the colors
| Of the rainbow. Ascending flight Of stairs
youreach door, pull the bell and instantly
sna!i aperture opens, and you are greeted
with pair of red eyes and a double row Of
|
ivory, set in black, which nominally belong to
| Sambo, bui which in fact, are the property of
! he proprietor. A glance sufiices. You have
| filled SaHbo's eye, and are deeIaed pas5able.
The door is at once opened, and you are ushereG
into the ante-room, the vestbule OF hell. This
room IS not large, bat elegantly appointed--the
chief attraction being the sideboard, whidh is
Of solid marble and white as DIana's breast.
| Here are arranged, in lone and glisteniug col-
umhs, decanters OF cut glass, sparkling like
briiiants, filled with the choisest nectar, anl
blushtngto the very necks with The glowing
vintage of the olden time. Ii You pass this
rublc on3 without tasting ITS spag kliHt. but dau-
gerous waters, it is not froin any deaFth 0i
hospitality on the part of your persuasive host.
rhe spacious sporting hall" is now visible.
The floor is covered with carpeting from the
Orient, of immense cost aud marvellous beauty.
The walls are adorned with superb paintings
of tie old masters aud the new, while pendant
| from the WINDOWS hang curtains of embroi-
dered lace, covered with golden tapestry OF
Oriental magniicence; with mirrors of nam
moth size rejecting your form and features
| - -
! the hall, at convenient distances, are ranged
circular tables of polished rosewood, around
which are seated numbers of thoughtful, anx-
ious, daikly yisaged men, who heed you not
their eyes having another and stronger at,rc-
ton. One.would naturally suppose this to be a
theater fer jests, drohery and song, or ba cch-
anaian reyslings, or pugilistic encounters
Far fromit. On the coGtrary, all is hushed,
silent, sepulchral.
No real voice or sound,
Within those cherries walls il found.
You are oppressed with the fearful stiffness
and awful silence which prevades the place.
laugh, joke, or even curse, would be a
sensible relief. But you hear nothing of this.
An occasional long breath or half-subeued sigh
is all that tells the ear that these mad devotees
are possessed of lungs and life.
An hours inspection satisfies your curiosity
aad you are about taking your departure. when
a soft hand taps you on the shoulder, and low
voice" Please don't leave, sir, snpper will
be ready in few minutes" AT precisely
half past ten o'clock the doors of the dining
hall are thrown open, and ''supper's ready,p
proclaims an immediate arnistce between the
combatants, and invites to a more healthy and
rational duty. The long tables groan beneath
their burden Of gold aud silver plate, and the
heaps of delicacies which surmount and adorn
them. Here are yenison from the brown forests
of Maine, turkeys from the broad sayanpahs of