The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-01-20

Commercial Advertiser.


WAsHzxGroN, Oct 26-One of the most celebrates
aid successful sportsmen Of this or any other countr,
wAs buried in this city on Sunday week. The occa
saon OF hrs death affords me an opportunity Of giving
your readers . sketch Of the man and q description O
his gaming house. Let it serve - . warning, not a
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 successful operations Of bis
house % His " house. being the most elegant, and
bis Z" bank the most weighty and substantial in the
country. it has been for years the fashionable and
fascinatng resort Of wealthy planters. fast Congress
men. aspiring diplomats. and ambitious sportsmen
from every part Of the world. For many years past
he has lived in the most luxuriant style, having, like
certain other rich man. been clothed in purple
and fine linen and faring sumptuously every day.
In person he was above the medium size, fat end
sleek, Of pleasing address, and q generous disposition;
exhibiting in his general department to strangers the
characteristics Of q we'll fed. good natured clergyman,
rather than those Of . heartless. unrelentingg gambler.
His reputation for generosity was widely establish
ed ns college was to be endowed, n church built,
or private charities to be dispensed, his was sure to
Be among the most muni6cent of the donations His
wife. now q widow, was Of good parentage a woman
Of rare beauty and accomplishments, possessing social
qualities which, combined With the dazzling allure
ments Of wealth. insured her troops Of admirers and
c~oartiess- Rolling along the Avenue, in her imsgni-
6ssnt e~quipage. which far exceeds in richness and
style that Of the President Of the United States, or
that Of any other gentleman in Washington, she
looked q very queen-being quite undisturbed by any
Thoughts that her presence sent q dagger to scores Of
hearts, whose patrimony, unlawfully obtained, had
contributed to her enjoyment, in the same proportion
that its loss had added to the woes and Wretcbedness
a the behulder. tEpfFW s<- 3
His " establishment" vas upon Pennsylvania Ave
nue., between the National Hotel and the Capitol
Let rs approach and look in.
You enter by q door of variegated stained glass,
which, by gas light, reflects all the colors Of the rain
bow. Ascending . fight Of stairs you reach q door,
pull the bell, and instantly 9 small aperture opens
and you are greeted with n pair Of red eyes and q
double row Of ivory, set in black, which naturally
belong to Sambo, but which. in fact, are the property
Of the proprietor. A glance sufices You have filled
Sambo's eyes and are deemed passable. The door is
at once opened and you are ushered into the ante
room-the vestibule Of he'll. This room is not large,
but elegantly appointed-the chief attraction being
The side board, which Is Of solid marble and white as
Diana's breast. Here are arranged in long and
glistening colur rs decanters Of cut glass. sparkling
ike brilliants, filled with the choicest nectar, and
blushing to the very necks with the glowing vintage
Of the olden time. II you pass this Rubicon without
tasting its sparkling but dangerous waters, it ia not
from any deasth Of hospitality on the part Of your
persuasive host The spacious Sporting hail. is
now visible The floor is covered with Competing from
the Orient, Of immense cost and marvellous beauty.
The walls are adorned with superb paintings of the
old masters and the new, while pendant from the
windows hang curtains Of embroidered lace. covered
With golden tapestry Of Oriental magni6cence; with
mirrors Of mammoth size rejecting your form and
features from a score Of cleaning embrasures
Along the hall, at convenient distances. are ranged
circalar- tables OF polished rosewood, around which
are seated numbers Of thoughtful, anxious, dark
visagsd men, Who heed you not-their eyes having
another and stronger attraction. One would natu-
rally suppose this 20 be a theater for jests, drollery,
aoi song, or baechanalian revellings, or p~ugifistic
encounters Far from it On the contrary, all is
hushed, silent, sepulchral-
~No real rojce or sound,
Within th<se cherries walls are found-n
You are oppressed with the fearful stiffness and
awful silence which pervades the place. A laugh, n
joke. or even a curse would be . sensible relief But
you hear nothing Of this An occasional long breath
o. halfsubdued sigh 10 all that tells the ear that
these mad devotees are possessed of lungs and life.
An hours inspection satisfies your curiosity, and
you are about taking your departure, when . soft
hand taps you on the shoulder, and a low voice
ssPlease don't leave, sir-supper will be ready in a
kw minutea" At precisely half-past ten O'Clock,
the doors OF the dining hall are thrown open, and
I" supper's ready" proclaims an immediate armistice
between the combatants, and invites to o more
healthy and rational duty. The long table groans
beneath their burthen Of gold and silver plate, and
the heaps OF delcacies which surmount and adorn
them. Here are yenison from the brown forests Of
Maine, turkies fron the broad savannas Of the West,
from the placid Potomac, tro1t from
Superior, and salmon from the st. Johns; together
with fruits. flowers and wines for every taste and
from every cline
The repast over you are permitted-with a patron