The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-03-24
The Cambling Houses Of Wa.hinEton

The gamblingshOVSeS OF Washington
havc greatly decreased in number since
tho close Of the war. Owing their main
support to tho transient population then
brought into the city, ono by ono they
have closed their doors, until now, ant OF
more than hundred that 1OuFishGd six
years ago, there ore but seventeen LEFT.
The business done by some Of these cstab,:
| llShmcnts when the army and It's horde OF
followers wCrC calnpsd around Washing.
ton almost exceeds belief. From early
morn until late at nightthGy were tllrong-
ell with motley crowds, ono and nll find.
Ing instant admission. To have judged q
man then from his personal appearance
would have had the effect Of keeping from
the Caming.tAbleS some Of the heaviest
betting men; and, although many poor
devil worked his way in along with the
crowd, with the sole view Of getting u
stake or going for n sleeper. the pro.
feSSional gamblers said nothing and let
them pass unnoticed. n Ig b
One establishment, during the years
1S6S4-5, paid its five hackers over one
hundred thousand dollars each. It closed
IN in 1866 on the plea Of dull times, al
though lis profits for that year were over
fity thousand dollars. The Chief Of PO-
lice reported in 1866, the last year of the
warSthat for each gambling. house, there
were on I'M average five GRGehea7 This
would make the sum total OF professional
gamblers then in the city about $50, or,
the population being 10000, one for
about every 2lS persons. An estimate
made last year put the number at eighty,
or, OF, the present basis Of 10000 OF p0pu'
latiOn, about one for every 1000 persons.
Several Of the gambling houses that arc
now lell ARE clustered together within a
single block, extending from Fourteenth
10 Thirteenth street. With but two eX-
ceDtiOns, they have o very uninviting cx-
tcrnul appearance, being generally but
one, or at most two stories high, md as
there Is in most cases a restaurant or
drinking.saloOn on tho ground floor, one
passes them by without the shadow OF o
suspiCiOn US to their real character. We're
It not for the singulurly wcll.kCpt, we'll
dressed men who lounge about on the
street corners and in front of tue bar
rooms on this block, better known as
Theatre square, no street in Washington
would have more honest look. /.
The hRbitucs Of gambling houses belong
10 nil classes ofsOcicty. Only privileged
few have the cntree 10 the first-class cstab.
IliShmcnts, so TINT tho others do o paying,
Though Il not very profitable business.
Government clerks, W0rking.mGn, and
strangers arc the principal means Of sup
mort though one hears occasionally Of
fiat" being "pIuckGd" to the tuncof few
thousand or so. When this happens, the
backcrs!of tho establishment generally
buy new "lay.Out," pay old debts, go on
spree for two or three days, during
which their, money ,,gocS q, easily AS Il,
came Sneh IL thugs s complaining 1lIe
police fbrmoney lSSg although Of irehuent
occurrence during the war, Is now rarely
known, for tho sums lost IRE generally 30
inconsidcrablc astO be hardly worth the
publicity Of a suit 1t court .rpr- ar
There is one gambling house, however,
that merits particular notice, as being the
establishment, par excellence, Of all those
in town. II occupies the two upper
stories Of handsome brick building, OF
which the ground floor ii used as a drug
store. within stone throw from Willard'S
Hotel: Il commands attention It only from
its inviting exterior. The visitor, on en-.
tCring the street door, passes through q
brilliantly illuminated vestibulc, up u
flight Of handsomely Carpcted Stairs, to
llOtticcd door, on one side OF which Il
small silver knob, attached by alwirc to q
pong.bell within. This lie rings, and, II
known, le is instantly admitted.
Ascending three more steps, and turn
ing TO the lCf(, the visitor finds himself in
magnificent apartment, extending back
the whole depth Of the building, and III
ted up In gorgeous style. On one side
stands an Immense handicapped black
walnut Switchboard, covered with richly
cut dpcantcrs and winC.glasSes, whose
sheen background Of clcverly arranged
mirrors catches up ind repeats with won.
dcrful effect. The COStliest liquors and
wines arc set out, for which nothing Is
charged, and which the visitor can use
with perfect freedom. a succession Of
closely falling curtains prevents any rNy
of light from being seen from without, so
that the building, save on the ground
floor, is seemingly wrapped In the pro.
Eoundest darkness and silence. Several
tables are scattered around for the con.
ycnicnce Of card parties, one or more Of
whom may always be seen engaged In q
game Of whist or cuchre. At these
games money is always played for,
| though, from tho few words spoken and
the emotionless faces Of the players, prin.
cipally elderly men, one il hardly made
aware Of the fact. MINI
On tho walls half dozen pictures are
hung, mostly portraits ofprominCnt South
erners who figured before and during the
war. A Brussels carpet, thick enough 10
leadcn the heaviest football, cOyerS the en-.
tire floor The furniture Is Of the richest
possible material, and Is abundant, with.
out being cumbersome. The back apart.
mcnt Is used Us dining.hHll, and the Ia.
bic, which Is always spread, Is capable Of
seating twcnty.lour persons. Three meals
are given every day-breakfast at 1880 A.
NJ, dinner at 4:30 r. NJ, and supper Of 1890
I'm. The choicest delicaCies Of the mar,
ket arc supplied, and the guest IL at ltber.
ty tocall for anything his fancy may sug.
gess. "
Roulette and faro arc tho only games
played; but the visitor may sit as long as
hc pleases, for, no matter what the hour,
tho game never lacks dealer As fast us
one tires another l. on hand to take his
place, and so the machine rolls on for days
together, sometimes until the last check
| has been lost, or the player has won his
limit" Il would require an cxtrnordi.
nary run ofluck to break this bank. Some
idca may be had Of tho capital ut It's back
| from the daily outlay it 10, called on 10
i make In addition to q heavy rent and
the other necessary expenses for keeping