Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-02-09
The Fashionable s'Hells" Elegant Ban
quets -Thad.a Stevens Victims.

Armed with card, sought one Of the
more famous of the four known to the better
beg pardon the upper class of the sporting
fraternity found the No brightly gilt on
the transon light the glare of chandelier,
in the most frequented part of Pennsylvania
avenue. Entering the unlocked door, passed
along the handsomely carpeted hall and ascend
ed the stairs, found myself at a. door closed
and locked, and gave the bell pull a jerk, that
was responded to in second by pair Of eyes
peering at me through a small grating that
had not before observed. | put before the
watchful eyes the bit OF magic pasteboard 1
held, and immediately the door few open and
exhibited a well-drcssed mulatto, who invited
me to walk in; and following the guide, / as
cended more stairs passed along another hail.
and was ushered into a large, well lit, hand
somely- furnished suite of rooms On my right
was sideboard, giittering with decanters and
goblets; on every side were paintings that came
under the popular head of old masters, and
soule under that Of old nlistresses and at the
further end of the last room, under a huge
painting OF a tiger, large as life, that looked
like a hearth, very gorgeousy framed, stood
the fatal green table where men wagered their
money and lost their souls. There were few in
the room, and those few were, singly Or In
groups, reading the paper, or conversng IN q
subdued tone, or slipping quietly from glasses
of mixed drinks The proprietor came forward
in an easy, courteous manner and babe me
welcome Hv was man of sixty or sixty five
years OF age. with a white head OF hair so
evenly and regularly combed out that 1t sug
gested wig, and flowing whiskers, English
cut. Of the same snowy tint. smile sat ama-
bly, in his grey eyes, and fingered about his
forehead aud nose, but faded out near the
mouth, that was as poisonous, cold, and rigid
as that of an executioner He had the firmly
fixed old stilted poiteness of Virginia that goes
SO we'll with the peculiar dialect that comes
from the much abused Afrlcan-as, indeed, the
manner does have given the interior in de
tail. for the description will serve for all of the
firstclass establishments. This is one of the
oldest in Washington. Here you meet your
congressman, your rich contractor, your head
Of the ring, and respectable navy and army
officers This was the favorlte haunt Of the
late Thad. Stevens, now euloglzed, lamented,
and sainted-- he who is well canonizeu, and was
SO lately cannonaded. sai a4a} as9 ;
But. to return to our mutton: made the
knowledge of This wicked interior many years
since, aud cannot give better illustration of
the fascinations of the den than by relating the
manner of it. [ was passing through the ro
tunda of the capitol Immediately after the ad-
iournment (for the day. Of Congress, when
encountered, as I shall call him, the Hon. Dick
Marshall, NJ G. from border State a. ~
ssFor what are you heading, mine ancient 2"
he asked, locking his arm in mine. eo
Making for my daily Indigestion, called a
dinner [ replied. H
..You don't mean to say that you have had a
dinner since coming to Washington? That S
all nonsense. But, | say. pay for the hack,
and LII show you dinner. @
"Dick, - | said solemnly, II know what that
| means. and won't do it. = .s s..ltBsz3
Nonsense. I want only the princely meal
| I promise not to gamble. | am in earnest !;
you may carry my purse-that is the most SOL
emn assurance of earnestness that can give
| Now come. as8.
i permitted myself to be persuaded, and We
drove to the place l have described. 1t was
the hour of dinner, and as the guests were about
taking their places at the gttering board Dick
was hailed with delight One and all knew that
he had for weeks back been on the reform, and
they laughed merriIy on seeing him in the old
haunt again. The dinner was superb The
choicest wines threaded their glittering way
| through the rarest dishes, and for nearly two
hours the CAV crowds ate, drank, smoked and
talked. It would startle many of our readers
| were | to give the names OF the guests about
| that table. -,
The dinner over, Dick fingered. | could not
| get him away. He wished to watch the plays
| Ing Tor q lew ml0utSS. 1HCh AS uChduucu d
| V out of his purse to pay for the dinner. q
s But you promised me.
swell, yes; but We can't sneak off, like
loafers, without paying tor our GU dinner Come,
give me v, and swear ii go then like a
| gentleman"
reluctantly gave him the golden five. Un-
fornately, it won. Again | urged him to 60,
but he persisted in his determination to pay for
the dinner and So continued playing. In de-
spair at last abandoned my friend carrying
away his purse, believing that the best way to
| stop his gambling.
| At 10 o'clock went to his room to find it
deserted. / waited an hour without seeing
him return. / went away and came back, but
found no Dick. at last, about midnight, l
sought the hell have described. The rooms
/ were partially deserted, and at the table found
my friend with pile Of gold near his elbow.
'~Has he won all that?' | asked of his
cousin, an old habitue of the place.
'sDevil a bit,'' he replied ''he has been
checking out his pay and mileage, and has for
hours been running up aud down like rotten