The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-14

CHARLESTON
1.-THE F0LLIES OF SARATOGA
THE GORGEOUS LAIR OF THE AMERI-
CAN TIGER.
John morrissey's GiIdcd He'll and the
Gamesters who Visit 1.-THE Sinful
SpIendors OF Baden-Baden Outdone at
the Great American Spa.
Saratoga correspondent of the World
describes as follows the gamesters and gaming
palaces of Saratoga 10 the height OF the mid
summer season:
Speculatlon, chance, betting, gambling
fcall Il what you please) is, and has been for
some time, the amusement OF The male popu-
Iaton here, and when they cannot vent their
speculatiye energies on racers or pools, they
expend 1t on poker or faro. Every facility Is
afforded them. There were never 30 many
gambling houses In full blast as is the case at
this date. The Union Clubhouse is closed. or
used only as lodging tender to the Union
Hotel, but there is large shell" on the other
side of the street, nearly opposite to 1t; there
is another some where on Philadelphia street;
there are several smaller 'games" on Broad
way. Above all, there is the world famous
establishment of John Morrlssey-a man who
cannot be. omitted from any faithful account
of Saratoga.
THE PRINCE OF THE GREEN TABLE.
There is no more unassuming or unobtrueive
man than John. He Is prominent only on the
race track, where he preserves the best OF
order; but, the races over, he subsidies. NOW
and then you may see him In the pool-room;
ever and anon he walks through the club
house; but he Is generally invisible to the
public eve, Is usually low.voiced, and, for
man of his size, soft-footed, and never makes
a needless show of himself, being Ia this re.
spect the very opposite of the late James FISK,
Jr.; and yet the Influence exerted In New Y York
| by the latter In his lifetime was not whit
greater than that now dispensed by John Nor
rissey In and about Saratoga which place,
by.the-by, is completely, though, Indirectly,
under his control He Is the leading spirit OF
the races; he is consulted and courted By the
hotel interest; he is on the best OF terms Win
\ the police, while he ls universally popular
with the villagers, and Is one of the largest
real estate owners In the village. He ls also
the chosen associate of many OF the leading
/
altogether, acIs the part here OF Deus er ma
china, or the power behind the throne.
| Such as he is, this man controls the greates[
gambling establishment In the Uated States,
and Is at the head OF the finest caro- ana
chance palace In the world. His domiclle is
erected directly In the rear of Congress aaii, ii
and embraces several lots. for which lie pald
| $40. 900, though their original owner had only
a few years previously purchased them for for
| about one-funrth that SUN. Over $2O0,0UO
have been expended on the buildings, SO mat
| the total Investment has not fallen short OF
quarter of a million of dollars.
..E-, A PAbATAL ESTABLISHMENT.
The club house or club hotel proper (or I'm
proper) is superstructure OF brick, tastefully
ornamrnted, is approached by an imposing
| t1ightof steps, and ls guarded by metallic
effigies of mystic enimals. You enter wide,
roomy, airy stone hall, and turning you ind
Yourself in one OF the finest receptIou-rooms
/ In America. No hotel room Of the kidd ap-
proaches it In taste and elegance. Here you
meet, or at least the writer and MIS- lrlenuS
met about eleven o'clock the other night,
some fifty or sixty gentlemen assembled, some
seated ut cosy little tables In corners discuss
ing wine, others rambling around eyeiug
things curiously, but The majority standing up,
hat on head and cane In hand, smoking treely
and talking occasionally swearlng) loudly.
Passing through the reeentloansr,om IN, ceD en-
ceIye Justly, the most delightful jungle which
has vet been afforded tor the retreat OF the
American tiger. The carpets are similar 70
those on the parlors Of Congress Hall, and
cost over trteea hundred dollars. The cnan-'
deliers are of green aud gold Of exquisite
workmanship; tne brackets are gems in their
way; the apartment is flooded with gas. therei
being sixcy-slx burners In this room alone;
there are several mirrors OF the largest size
and finest quality known outside OF Xlog's
palace; there are bronze Knights, anu natural
and artificial flowers and ornaments III pro-
fusion; the walls are light, and neat and clean.
and pleasantly suggestive 10 the eyei the cell
ing is elaborately carved, and, most promi-
nent of all, there are tables scattered through
out the length and breadth OF the apartment
which tell their own story-taoles OF
RoUGE-ErNoTR, ROULETTE AND FARO.
Just now the rouge -et-noir table seems TO be
the chief attraction. The dealer is an old
gambler, with white hair, long white beard
and gold spectacles, and could readily De mis-
taken for clergyman. He is ''asslsted" by On
adipose anti f1ashy sport, In light suit ana
highly colc'red necktle. Perlect she1Se ,d Is
preserved, and heavy game is being played.
Aud now the crowd transfers Itself to the rou-
lette table, and next we find 1t busy at faro.
The tiger Is chameleon, and assumes all lorms.
But although thousands of dollars nave
changed hands since we entered The room,
the utmost order and outward decorum ~
preserved, and as We leave the apartment and
pass on through the hall into the commo-
dIous and cool readlng-room, where files or
the leading Journals are preserved In much
more systematic manner than is customary at
the large hotels, we can scarcely realize That
we are in "he" at all. The Saratoga tiger
iB q well.bred beast.
And while we are traverslug and admlring
the clubhouse, another gambling saloon 10 In
full blast within stones throw, on the same
grounds, and under the same management.
| This Is o frame cottage, airy, and painted Of u
pleasant yellow. with ever open doors In front
and rear, curtained windows which permit
| the glare from within to be visible, but which
effectuauy conceal everything but the glare
| from the passers.by, and Two large green
screens, one In front OF each door. Catering
this place, We ind ourselves In the company
| of some hundred or so representatives OF OF
polloi, men and boys in their shirt sleeves.
smoking and drinking, some playing faro at
one table, others enjoying game Of poker.
the majority eargerly looking on and "bel-
ting" This is the resort OF The Democratic or
Republican or free-and-easy followers Of the
| tiger, just as the clubhouse g the headQuar-
ters OF the more arlstoeratic and exclusive