Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-31
Aniqa aud dispatch,
Largest Circulation in city and State
THE GATES OF "YE TIGERS
DEN" THROWN WIDE OPEN.

General Crowd of Judges, bishops.
Priests, DeacOns. Elders, Doctors,
Lawyers, Editors. Bankers. Brokers.
Prosecuting Attorneys, Legislators,
Merchants. and rhe Fair Sex Gem
orally -AuesIoneer Cook in his CIory
Splendid Furniture. Spirited hid
ding. Great Prices and. GoOd Tfme
Generally.
From The Richmond Times, Jan. "a.
The demise Of a gentleman "in the fancy /
line resulted oa yesterday IN the invasion
of one OF the raost elegantly furnished and |
extensive gambling establishments Of this /
city by a vast throng Of men and women |
OF eyeFg grade, calling and position. The |
rooms Of this famous establishment, from |
their central and fashioAable looation, az |
forled essy acce@ to slse largest and mosi |
fashionable assembly which We have seen |
in this city for many months. On the day |
previous 90 the sale, hundreds Of we'll
dressed and fashionable people were stroll !
ing through the different apartments ex- |
aiming the unusually rare and costly par
Tor, dining room, saloon and chamber fur
niture All through the war this esiab-
lishment did a roaring business, and was
nightly thronged by the elite OF the civil
and military circles Of the capital OF the
Coniederacy. When famine prevailed
elsewhere the tables Of this establishment
always groaned beneath the luxuries Of
every cline. Countless millions changed
hands over the green tables which excited
7o much curious examination from the iu-
dietary and clergy on yesterday. OF its
class the tigers den in question was always
the best, and, st the end OF the war, the
proprietor reiuuished il in the most costly
and substantial manner. He was a man Of
good taste. and while there were evidences
Of recklessness Of cost IN every article about
his establishment, il was furnished with a
grave, d0cOr0uH taste which wonld have re-
Elected credit upon che refined tastes Of the
most cultivated man of wealth. Carpets,
bookcases, chairs, tables paintings, chan
deiiers, mirrors, chamber furniture, table
china, plates, etc, etc. were all in the best
TASTE and the servants connected with the
establishment were all quiet, grave and
well-behaved men, the rare types Of the
now almost extinct race Of family servants.
The paintings were not numerous, but they
we're exceedingly appropriate, and strictly
ia keeping with the character Of the place.
Immediately in rear, for instance, Of large
and mysteriously shaped tables covered
with the inevitable green cloth, there we're
suspended capital paintings--two grim,
stern, demonstrating tigers and lions.
"Ie tiger looked down upon the faro
table, while the lion frowned ominousup0n
the victims Of roulette. Both Of these tutelar
diviuiiies Of the temple looked plethdric.
cruel end lriculerif, a. if they bad deyoured
many thousand pigeons, greenhorDs and
boobies and rather liked their diet.
Long before the auciioneer commenced
The sale, on yesterday, a vast throng Of peo-
pie crowded the large rooms and blocked
mp the ninircases Of the tigers elegant jun
gle. The church was superbly represented
by bishop Of great eminence and distin-
gnished learning and eloquence; Of priests
elders, deacons, 9nd lesser church lightsWe
can make 20 enumerations bat curiosity 30
see the haunts 81 ye terrible tiger at
tracied aVasi nfnber Of them, now that
the place was harmless, and the owner
gone 10 bis long account Judges. prose
cutting attorneys and editors-the lights Of
the three Professionalism solemn note Of
what they beheld, and were rudely josiled,
pressed into corners, iammed into door
ways, and hustled BY surging and ire
pressible crowd. LOcOmotion was almost
bidding was 30 spirited that the auctioneer
was spared all superauons lamentations
over unheard OF "sacri6cesn Everything
was Of the hest description, and the prices
paid were. ee imagine, greatly in advance
Of those usually paid for secondhand fur
niture The auctioneer had comparatively
an easy time Of Il, az the crowd bid for the
contents Of the tigers den, as though they
were oontending for the possession Of holy
relics The crowd was so great that the Ia
dies had rather q hard time oft; but their
curiosity must have been amply graft
fed, for they explored every por-
ton Of the establishment. We noticed 4
group az pretty women puzzling their
brains over a roulette table: and they
were about leaving the mysterious article
Of furniture an despair, when 10 was ex-
planned 70 them in a remarkably lucid and
eloquent manner 10y an intelligent deacon,
who had not forgotten the now abiured
weaknesses of early youth. As lotteries,
rafiies, etc, are fast becoming religious in
slituionB, she study Of this splendid
tigers den must have been instructive 10
those pious psrHonH who are embatking in
1uch thiDgs.
The anctioneer made speedy work Of the
contents Of this large gambling establish
ment. and BIZ this time mirrors Chande-
lies, paintings, etc, which have looked
down in their day upon many q scene Of
wild excitement and desperate hazard, have
been transferred 10 quiet and orderly Chris
tian households, where no worse kind Of
gambling than charitable rafiles and pious
lotteries are ever tolerated.
In making himself comfortable in this
world, Che gambler exhibits q wise, although
epicupan philosophy, for BE does not pre-
cisely know what sort Of quarters VIII be
provided for him in that great aud mystic
rious land Of shadows and spirits 30 which
all az as are Fastening Il may be that
there are other things than costly mirrors,
soft carpets, luxurious beds, brilliant chan
deliers, rich viands and yoluptuous psint-