Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-12-27

Washington for many years had been a
hot-bcd for gamblers of high and low degree
There were a dozen iaro-hauk~ on the Ave
nue within q ~tunc'S-thr0W of GadSbv'>. on
the corner of Sixth Street. Many Of these
establishments had cluh-ru1mS attached.
where members of Congress and other~amu-ed
themselves with brag, ,ingt-et-un. and whist.
Dmw-p0ker came into vogue at % later day
Gambling, and for large sums. was common.
particularly among Southern and Western
members. Scores Of them from Ohio. In
diana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Gulf
States Squanderel their modest per diem.
then eight dollars only, at the gambling
table, and some impaired their private for
tunes by the same indulgence ) ) PrentiSs
was reported to have lost thirty Thousand
dollars the first winter he was IN Congress
The most notorious and da>hing gambler of
the day was Edward Pendeton lie came
from Virginia, where he was well connected.
his family being Of the best blood in the State,
and he married most respectable and ac-
complished lady, whose father held respon-
slble office under the government Pendleton
gave sunptuOus entertainments at his club
house, which We're well attended by some of
the most eminent public men in the district
Mr.. Mangum, then President Of the Senate.
John j. Crittenden, John NJ. Bolts, John B.
Thompson, Of Kentucky. and Linn Bovd, at-
terward Speaker of the House. and Others of
lesser note, were frequently his guests. Con
gress had enacted stringent penal laws 10
prevent gambling. but they were dead let
ter, unless some poor devil made a complaint
Of foul play, or some ileeced hackleg sought
vengeance through the aid Of the Grand Jury
and there the matter was usually compounded
by the payment of money
Whist was favorte game with the for
eign ministers and the elder statesmen. Mr..
CLAY, General Scott. Mr. Bodisco, and Mr..
Fox-nephew of Charles James Fox-who rep
resented William the Fourth and Queen Vie
toria, often played together. hundred dol
lars being the usual stake. They generally
PLAYED well, As HOvle taught the game but
many Of the members of the fashionable clubs
Of New York play with more skill than was
dreamed OF forty years ago Governor Marcy
was great lover of whist, but be would ney-
er bet money on the game There We're al
ways nyeterate whisters in the Senate. \
story was current at one time Of a protracted
sitting at the card-table, at which Governor
Stokes of North Carolina, and Mountioy
Bailey, Sergeant-at-arms Of the Senate, were
two OF the players. II ran in this wise the
Senate adjourned from Thursday over TO Mon
dav. The party sat down to cards after din
ner Thursday evening. They played all night
and all the next day, only stopping occasion
ally for refreshments The game was con-
tnued Friday night and Saturday, through
Saturday night and all day Sunday and Sun
day night, the players resting for a snatch of
sleep as nature became exhausted Monday
morning the game was in fall blast: but at
ten O'Clock Bailey moved anadi0nrnment, al
leging that his official duties required his
presence in the Senatc-chamber Stokes re
monstrated, but the sergeant-at-arms persist
ed, and rose from the table The Governor
grumbled and scolded but finally gave it up.
swearing that if he had suspected Bailey
would break up the game thus prematurelv,
he woald not have invited him to Join the
party. Mr. Webster PLAYED whist. but in
differently only. The Nirginians were ad-
dicted t. that stupid game known as shoe
maker loo. President Tyler was fond of loo,
and on a rainy day, when there was no great
pressure of public business, he has been known
To make up n game at the White House. and
play all day, having dinner in his chamber.
His companions usually were William Selden,
Treasurer of the United States, Cary Selden
his brother, storekeeper at the nayy-yard,
and sometimes Governor Gilmer, Of Virginia,
with now and then another fayorite. The
amount played for was always small, bat Mr..
TYLER was as much delighted at taking pool
as if he had won hundreds.
Public opinion wns'not so ayerse to gaming
in Washington as in most Of the Northern
cities. Probably the tone of public morals is
no more elevated now than it was then, but
there was then less pretense and ostentation
of purity At a large party given by the
wife of a cabinet minister, Mrs. Clay chaper-
oning a young lady from the North, passed
through room where gentlemen were play
ing cards, Mr. Clay among the number.
:. Is this common practice?,,' inquired the
Young lady.
" Yes said Mrs. Clay, "they always play
when they get together" "
:. Don't ii distress you to have Mr. Clay
gamble ~ 49,,
eomposedly, "he most always wins "
In the winter of 1871 General Scott, Mr..
CLAW. Mr.. Fox, and Mr.. Bodisco played whist
once week for some time, the stake, as
uSual. being hundred dollars. They played
a match game, Scott and Bodisco against