National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-09-09
lishment is thus described.

Z
met by an elaborately dressed mailman,
whose duty it is to attend the door. The
obsequious colored servant takes your
hat, your coat and whatever outside gar
ments You may have. With particular
nicely he shows you into the parlor and
there you meet scene of unexpected
| luxuriance. The front apartment is
carpeted i'll velvet, with softly uoholster-
ed cushions to match, and the ants cor
respond with the prevailing coloring Of
the walls which is finished in delicate
shades of lavender
| The ceilings overhead have been treated
by an artist hand, and they show en-
circling the gracefully outlined medall-
ions, gilt traccry and carved scrollwork
that are very fine. Large wall mirrors
ascend over mantels of Vermont marble,
and pier glasses terminate either end of
the double parlors. The front apartment
is devoted solely to the reception and en-
tertainment of visitors. 1t contains some
elegant works of art. A large copy of
Dante and Virgil in the Frozen Regions
of He'll is supported on one easel, while
another bears copy of "Jephtha's
Daughter" Bronzes of very consider
able value are placedupon pedestals about
the room, and represent human attri-
butes, fowls, beasts and muscular action
| A cabinet safe which the writer would
/ scarcely take for anything above parlor
ornament. is conceal 9d in the rich PANEL
! ings of ebony and rosewood. BY going
into the parlor at II o'clock it is found
| filled with the customers of the house
They sit around III the easy chairs, smoke,
order wines, discuss the topics of the
/ day.
Several visits during busy
evenings by the reporter disclosed the
astonishing fact that Chamberlain house
Is not only frequented by what the world
calls gentlemen. but also by men of cru
ditIon, refined tastes and acute discrimi-
nation.
The back parlor is used for the game
On the eastern side stands the roulette
table, one of the handsomest pieces Of
/ furniture III America. Immediately OPP
! posite on the western wall IS the side
/ board, provided with decauted liquors
and the choicest cigars. Standing ath-
wart the room, at the southern end is the
/ faro table, which, probably more than
any other on the Continent. has been the
/ foundation for building good or i'll for
tune to fabulous degrees. In other res
poets the furniture matches that of the
/ front purlor. Passing through a heavy
rosewood door at the southern wall Of the
I back parlor, we are III AN elegant dining
room fitted expressly for the purpose OF
( epicurean feaStS.
I In all that relates to richness and lavish
I elegance this room is well suited to its
/ purpose. Its colors are dark. the wood
/ work heavily moulded. the figures
wrought III profuslon of gilt, and the
wainscotiug. sideboards and mirror
frames IL ate 'Steful eKtrnVagance
Even the IS globes of the chandeliers
are cut Ill figures, representing rural
scenery, hunting exploits and marveIs of
the animal kingdom. Fifty can dine at
one spread, The large hallway leading
10 the front door is tesselated in rich
mosaic work, and is capacious and lofty.
supper is served at quarter-pa,t
/ eleven, about the hour the theatres and
other places of amusement close. The
table is thickly strewn with dishes which
represent every department of refined
cuisine. Game, salads, vegetables from
the tropics all kinds of fruits gastrono-
mical dchcacies, prepared pastries, creams,
ices, relishes and wines seem to be eX-
haustlcSS.
supper continues for upwards of an
hour, so that it is past midnight before
active play commences.
Sitting next TO Chamberlain says the
writer is wealthy banker His name
is stercotyped in the daily press. There
is literary light, humorist, the author
of number of successful books he, too,
is famous Further in we catch the fea-
lures of gentleman who was the theme
of Washington dispatches to the morn
ing journals for months. by his side is
"a distinguished lawyer near 10y are well
known stock operators, Legislators, mer-
chants and sporting men of the higher
grade The bell rings, and a general of
the United States Army walks in. Upon
other evenings the observer could note a
Judge, IA senator or n statesman. The
table is gradually deserted. Cigars fol-
low. The game takes brisk start and
those who wager on faro gather around
the dealer.
After dealing the game Of faro the
writer proceeds to show how the Bank
makes it pay. Chamberln says, he re-
marks that If men were to study and Ia
bor ten thousand years, they could never
beat the bank, or rather the game. II is
something which no one understands
lie lost steadily nearly every night for
thirteen months but this did not shake
either his capital or his determination.
. His books show that fare yields less per
ccntagc than any other banking game IN
/ the world less than the same amount OF
money would bring invested in n busi.
p ness enterprise. Knowing this, Cham.
! berlin does not hesitate to play faro him
self. frequently as loser frequently ~
winner At II two hours sitting som,
time since he lost Sl7, 300.
3 There are sixteen servants employed III
! the establishment, and the actual eXpcu
scs are 500, 900 year.
! 4 Lively TMEpIECE "A clock pcdlci
/ WIS tramping along. hot, dusty and tired
9 when lac came to II meeting house where
IN sundry friends were engaged IN silen
( devotion. The pcripntctic tradcsmnI
e thought he would walk IN aud rest him
4 self. He took II seat upon bench, doile,
T. his hat. and placed his clocks on the floor
Z There was u painful stiffness ia the meet
+ ing house, which was broken by one o
i the clocks, which commenced srikiu.
iufluusN. The cprulcr WIS IN ugony, bu
z he hoped every minute the clock woul,
i stop. Instead Of that II struck four hun
1 drrd and thirty times, 10y the actual coun
y of every friend in the meeting for cvci
q thr hest disciplined of them couldn't he'll
v numbering the strokes. Then up ros
:. one of the elder friends. ut the end of Tia
10 t.ur hundred and thittipth stroke, nm,