The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1868-09-09

modest hallway, furnished respectfully
but not gaudily A thin, sallow COM
plexioned gentleman meets us at the
door and grasps our hands. This is
Mr.. George w. Hill, owner and propri-
etor Of the Club House. He is q gam.
bier and Is not hamed to own it. Why
should he be !? He risks his money
against the money of his patrons, and
allows an honest turn of the cards to
decide the issue. Mr.. Hill says this in
q conscientious tone, and undoubtedly
consoioniiously means it. d" We were
just about TO sit down to supper gentle.
men, and should esteem it great hon~
or if you Gould favor Us with your com
panyw Certainly. We stepped with
in hansomely furnished front parlor.
A large silver waiter and urn of the
same precious metal crowned The martel-
pieco, small but elegantly furnished
sideboarG stands in one corner, and a
liable fairly gsoaning under weight of
delicious viauds is stretched in the centre
of the room. Mr.. Hill takes the head
of the table, and with gentlernanly
courtesy places us at his right. He has
a smile and a jest for every guest, and
his eyes flash with brilianoy not sur
passed by the diamonds winking on his
bosom. First we have oysters on the
shell, aud Little Neck clans. There
are no vacant seats at the table. On
the left of Mr.. Hill sits Henry Cotton, a
partner with Dancic of No. 8. Barclay
St, and the owner Of The most fashiona-
BILE gaming houses in New York City.
Next we have Cincinnati merchant
who yearly visits Saratoga, and yearly
loses from $4,000 to $4,000 at the
the faro table. For Is years has he
kept this up, and still he holds his own.
At his side we find a well known officer,
bat his wealth disappeared in the smoke
of the war, and, while venturing bat a
few dollars at the faro table, he invari-
ably turns up at the supper hour. The
man dissocting tn body OF wo d 'ock 8
a New York Judge, Plays ?--ot course,
he plays 4; and I am told that three New
York Judges have been seen iu front of
the gaming table here at one time. And
here is we'll preserved old gentleman,
whose gold headed cane stands iu one
corner Of the room. lie, came very near
being, at one time, Secretary Of War.
He has a military bearing, and is a
military man. These frog-Iegs are fine
eating and so is the Salmon, tho trout, +,
tho woodcock, the povor, the snipe, the
picked olives the bananas, the pate de
foie graS, and the dozen untastod dishes.
The finest Champagne flows unreserv-
edly, and regardless Of expense, and you
find it necessary to caution the attentive
waiter if you wish to leave with tenn
perate allowance. Supper is over and
you are handed fine favored cigar
This feast is free ore, and is paid out
of the slight percentage on split cards
allowed the proprietor at faro table.
We lounge into tho opposite parlor.
This is the inner den Of the tiger. At
our right dealer is running off the
cards in game of faro, with keen
lookout, and drowsey cue keeper at his
side and directly in our front we hear
the mellow trip of the ball on the rous
lettc table. In a room on our left we
catch glimpse of another faro bank
in full operation. A soft carpet sleeps
beneath our feet, and cushioned arm
chair invites us to drop aud rest. With
this exception, the room is furnished
quite plainly. The walls are not fres-
coed. The ruddy gaslight throws a cosy
mellowness over the group of gamblers,
and every thing is quiet. You hear
scarcely word from ihe gaming tables,
where men are hourly losing or winning
their thousands, and save for the gentle
hum arising from our own party, the
room would be as quiet as a sitting room
at home. Mr.. Hill sits at our side
retailing a hundred gambling reminis-
conces, how he lost $4,000 at oue sit
ting, how he made 500, 900 at another,
and how he cleared over S250,000 in
one year at the corner Of Broadway and
Prince streels,in the very rooms now oc-
cupied by Barney Jackman. He points
to the roulette table, and gives jean
Pauls" experience. Jean won money
SO fast that he was on the alert for a
boy with u basket, in which to carry it
away but in ten minutes the luck
changed, and Paul left the jungle of
the tiger with a heavy heart and light
pocket. Viii is a man Of nerve. His
quiet confident manuer of talking and
the decisive style in which he chews
his cigar assures Of that. Let US look
at the table. At one end of j: is lit
tie sink with fiat sliding wheel, on
which are a score of small compartments
all numbered, and alternately painted
black and red. These numbers run as
high as l9, topping off with box in
which is painted an eagle. The other
| and larger eld OF the table presents a
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