The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-28


Claws nrc Cut-An Inside View of n
Famous Saloon
Tho special. correspondent OF tho Boston
Post sonds that paper the following graphic
description of play and players at Saratoga:
SARATOGA SPRINGS, August 16.-There is ono
feature Of life at the Springs which excites the
horrifed reprobation OF tho outwardly moral,
wears o garb OF mysterious fascination in the
thoughts of the innocent, and s yet 30 open
and devoid Of those gorgeous and ghastly ohar-r
aeleristics with which romancers have Invest
OF the place. Saratoga is pre.emmenlly u
money: spending place. The facilities for dis
possessing oneself Of filthy lucre are perhaps
ne great here ns any Jwhere on the continent,
session OF Congress and Wall-street all the
year round. People come here to lighten their
purses. and IL not with that doliberate inten-
tion, they find it forced upon them before
long stay. But for those who do not discover
sufficient accommodations in the ordinary
channels OF expenditures, there arc the estab-
hshments known as club.houses, where the or
dinaliiy unpleasant business OF losing dollars
is made d cheerful luxury, and a charm IS
thrown about the hazard OF a forture which is
unknown even Mt tho Stock Exchange:
TEE ''HELLs."
They are not 'hells' in any shape, but like
many other institutions, good and bad, they
flourish under the attractive designation which
conscious rectitude bestows upon them. There
is something mystertously awful in the name,
which leads first to curiosity, then experiences,
and very oten to f1uai patronage. In painting
the club-houees Of Saratoga in such glowing
black and red hues, as heard at little chapel
here the other Sunday. very doubtful service
is done tho hearers whilo tho tiger ia benefited
by an advertisement upon which he could not
improve. But, In truth, this glamour of seduc-
tive wickedness which is cast over tho business
is simply fictitious, the s'gamo, in Saratoga,
being carried on In strictly commercial style,
do not go mad, or blow out their brains aud
give coroners fee, or cut their throats and
spoil velvet carpets with the ensuing flow OF
blood. They do not often get very poor in The
pursuit OF their amusement, for tho most OF
the fresgnsntsss ef ehs Iteblse fS n@Rv able tn
There are but two or three first clnss club.
houses in Saratoga. Messrs. Heenan & Mor-
rlsssey have had disagreement and dissolved
their connection. the Benicia boy setting up an
establishment OF his own down town on less
elaborate scale, and the Hon. John continuing
his game i'll tho well known brown stone front,
near the depot. In point of magnifcence, Mr..
upholsterer aud decorator having made it lux
urions and respendent witli Axminstor car
pets. luce curtains, inlaid rosewood furniture,
gliding and frescoing. rh, tables are flooded
with gaslight from massive chandeliers with
many globes, and every appointment suggests
tasto moro lavish than elegant. He does
good business, if one may beiieyo the go sip
which goes Tho rounds OF the springs oach
morning with the glasses of mineral water
According to this authority. veteran New
York politician won SG000, and lost $1,000 more
experienced IDOL OF the people WAS kindly fur
nished by his frieLd. the Congressman, with
check sufficicntto pay his hotel bill and take
him home, after Le had seen his last dollar
vanish, in tho shapo of nu ivory chip, into ihe
drawer oil the faro table.
GEORGE HILLS.
Closely adjoining the Union Hotel. with
convenient ei trance at tho rear Iron, that cara
vansery, is the clubhouse par excellence or
Saratoga. It occupies tho old Putnam resi-
back parIor where tho founder OF the Springs
used to SIT at home. It is n quiet, sedate looll-
ing house. lacking as entirely the glaring at
fractions t lions yhloh blazon forth the buslness of
W. Hill, tho proprietor. the characteristics OF
the traditional keeper OF tho tiger. single
gas.lamp lights the shaded grass plot in front.
and shows the odsst entrance at all hours OF
the night and early morning until llie sun
ohanhe es it to yellow flicker and calls to con-
gress water or perhaps to bed. You enter
no, yon do not,r OF course, enter; but If you
ing gate, ascend q few steps and pull a ready \
door-bell A quick negro answers the ring,
gives one ganco through the SLATED door-for
tbIss i is Psoe ,Sa and ,he o'k 99s
that impresament. which js acquired in its
grandest extent only by our newly made sur
tragists. % AZ you enter the hall Iyol aee,st
ohcS suao Luo uouHe u not large, Bucl as wound
serve forc. the residence OF comfortably,
to-do family and nothing more. An attendant'
squieiy relieves you OF your hat and canes and
ySr pass tn.suSh s1 open door On your lett
room 'ofmoderate size, with quietly frsscoed
and %odesiiy furnished k Throughout. ' Your Your
press brussels OF small and tasteful pattern
The windows are cur urtained with lightly work
ed lace, and the chairs uphols tered 10 COM
Portable reps, while single chandelier lights
able aud easy. as If You were walking into . phi
ystepar!or whose occupants cared little for
display but much for elegant quiet and har-
mony Of snrronndings. You do not see The
fractions to catch the eye and bewilder the
senses OF which the preacher spoke. There is
nothing OF the steamboat saloon or bridal
appointed son cannot but confess that Beelze.
bub shows much better taste than tho children
OF light give him credit for. - s,
THE r1sER's HOSPITALITY. -
There is a long table; with snowy cloth, set
down the centre Of The room, accommodation
some twenty persons. sideboards with glass
and. silver flank IL. and at the head ellis The
host. 8ho with Low, and ,ssmiJe 1giyesf you
welcome and waves you to seat at the board.
"W sshington' 10 moi here this season. but bis
and napkin. deity shovels your oh air. under
yor, and softly whispers an inquiry as to your
wishes. Here is ohicksn, young and te1der,
with trnfass from far of Normandy; woodcock,
yenrson which Mr. MIrray's pilgrims might
have shot butdidn.t; lamb :Animeiles, delicate
And succuient, their light brown relieved BY
sers s sPesf is% sss; spssfsa s g. .1du J.
nS.s.n fS% the s.sS sSd byssks S
vouLl ahame tha ari,hrosiA NJ Ojvnn,,s,s !, :, Hore