Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1862-12-17
Gambling at Washington

Gambling at Washington
A Washington correspondent has "been
to see the tiger" and here is the way lie
| describes tie animal
A ring at the door bell, and reconnois.
slnoe through its grated uper half by a
stalwor, negro, then up a pair Ct stairo,
! through an Urte-room, and we stand in
! the carpelcd, elegant juuges OF the mod
EN- "trger.' There are two wide lofty
rooms, divided by folding doors, both
dazzling with light, softly carpeted, deco
rated with elegant and voluptuous paints
lugs and seeming'y ju9t the SPOT where
poor tired humanity would come to get q
lorctaste OF Eden, and reCuuerate ior the
stein battles of life. In the first room
is a sideboard, upon whose shelves are
rows Of elegant decanters, through which
biushes the purple stain, or flashes the
crystal extract Of the juniper--Aughcc gin.
In this room is also a roulette table,
which as we enter is vacant, around which
is gathered half dozen men, so absorbed
in the game that were Gabrial to rock the
earth with a blast from his trGmpet, they
would Fever hear it.
won't describe the game, for what lit.
tie if any one is known about it IL Chicar
70, is not known any where else, even IN
this city ofiniquity Washington.
Behind the table sits the deaIcr-long
in finger, white in hand, and with the in
eyitable cluster OF brilliants sparkling
from digit and shirt bosom. He is grey
eyed, pockmarkcd, resolute, and yet pleas
ant iu appearance, with breadth OF shouI-
der and depth Of chest that show him to
be no mean mau in case Of an exchange OF
tistic cOurtesies.
On the right hand stands n captain,
|pIayinc with half-dollar checks, and in.
vestigating one at time. eyidcntly a
loser for, us his check is raked down, he
follows it with a 5 gb, and doutt not a
curse upon the capuciousness Of fortune.
lie has but half dozen checks, in min
ute they are gone, and after going 10 a
corner and examining an empty pocket
book. he turns and stands mOodIly watch
ing the game.
Next to him is a ;hick-set young man,
who. with something less than bushel Of
ten and twenty dollar checks at his side,
is, with the most perfect ponchalanCe, bet.
ting from one to five hundred dollars upon
his cards, and winning and losing without
the slightest change OF countenance. But
he il lucky; every card he bets on wins
until, aTtcI half an hour lac iooos throo ~
four times in succession, and then. with
the remark, My luck is changed, ! guess
I'm quit" he counts over his checks TO the
dealer. who coolly, as if it were matter
, of five cents, passes over 10 the lucky IN
dividuai, thirty sever one hundred dollar
tLree per cent. coupons of United States
Treasury notes. Thrusling the immense
pile Of paper in his coat pocket, the gem
tleman rises, takes a segar and drink at
the sidcbcard and then with a 'good
8 night gentlemen" he walks out
The dealer proceeds unconcerned.y
while !, dazzled at such results, draw o'i
{ asolitary five and deposit on The king
! lE lust three seconds the claws OF the 4.
gel covers Hy lonely and long treasure.
five, ald see it, more-and | may a!l
that haven recn IL since.
! a young Gentleman, evidently cierf
) in d dry ruojs store sits On my lett, and IL
: betting and losing. Two or three times
! his checksrun ont and then he goes 10
friend and finally returus with a ten
which he invests in checks, ana loses
4 st last he comes back frou one Of hi, sid'
excursions with a lowering brow and nc
money. lie sits down. watches the game
moment, and leaves.
About in this style went the Eame-ont
e man winning and all the balance losing
. Bv and hy IN elegant supper was serve,
5 in an upper room, and then the party
> commenced PLAYING roulette, and officers
: appcarcd to be out Of luck, for here, N
u less than half an hour, | saw a Fedora
] captain loose some six hundred and TWEEN
% tv dollars. Everybody lo,t I'LL JIst before
I'll LETT when the young gentleman whC
y had been borrowing aud betting on faro
returned He watched the spinning of The
: ball short time, and then took by
stander aside.
4 But you owe me fifty now, heard
= the other say.
' "Ill give it all back tomorrow wa
the reply.
7 back" to the amount Of twenty. lie pu'
y il all on the red red won. The whole
a pile apgin went on the red and agar
red was winner. lie changed to black
e and black won. In short, everything ht
e lald his money on was the winning color
i In less .han FIVE miDutes from the tim,
he began, be quietly cashed bis check
o and left with over eighteen hundred dol
lars.
So much for luck.
During the two hours that ! vas in th'
establishment, some five or six thousanC
= dollars changed hands.
There are some FIVE or six first class es
y tablishments of the kind in Washington
d besides any quantity Of others of lesse
T note. They are we'll known to the police
and in fact to everybody else, but are no
= disturbed. They are as necessary t
Congress as the negro question, and near
ly or quite as much patronized.
I Pa, didn't hear you say the other ola,
that YOU wanted cider press
YES, daughter. where can | get one"
I. NJ