The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-08-06

TUESDAY. a o"9sa =
--.-------,-s -:-.
a.,,,tnr tE,c TiEcr-~Servc sa1 49,
~.s....,,ss groass thc strongest SbsssssS
a. s,,scaao...Tssc story Of . Ns&ns as
Faro. ...,, .,,;,,o
pr,nahly there Is no man better krHspn
omonr the sporting ffsserpity In the so as's.
ern and western countr! shan Johnn! Do~,
linz; ii SOCIALLY, he is geniss and generous,
IN onnaarance he is gentlcnGsn: ne atcsse,
In GOOD taste, is temperate in LIS Siaoi.s, s,ia
sratnbles because he loves IL. we eAe',.,
mant of the gambling-room Is heoessar ~. w
thinks, to his existence. Inc aecfs, s r....,
fines almost unbearah'e, quie. wftci' s Mi
over and around the faro table Is 10 i'Hh, u
hsaxen Of hiss. On dick Of the ivory chesks
n,,,s;e 10 his soul; tic fseliug which follow,
= heavy losing or winnfhs: a pleasant chang
from fine hustle or conflsagn OF the nor!
world outside. These eiarasteristics also
1,reyail to a greater or less eXteEf wf.n o'"'i
members Of the gambling fratern.p: ~, :.
* few evenings ago Bowling was 'Nat 80: ..
sumner in the Merchants restaurant. J29
first-class gambler IL epicurean IN ms na' "a
and nlentiftil supply Of good things n"T
anen n,,ced before him by jolly Sam, the tall
waiter of the establishment. But johnny
was without an appetite, and the dishes were
,,ntorchcd. Instead of eating, the man Sat
with ewes fixed on vacancy, his head rested
on one hand, while with the other he
6rummed with knife upon the table
bowling was in deep thought. Things
were not prosperius with him. Times were
dull. and the new gambling law had maze
neople suspicious. Besides, in the kindness
Of his heart. he had loaned large amount 10
another professional man," WHO hia lost
every cent fighting the tiger. AMER Jew
moments spent in study Downing arose; anu
stepping up to the cashiers desK' pllu ms Us
bill. When he laid down the money nc
said: :, 49,, oro,
have In the world" ar
He then remarked somcth'ftH about as wen
having none at all as such alitt'e bH, ana tiiat
he reckonel he would so over anu pay II
in" .I,s,
The second floor of No. - west MadlsoI
street was crowded with professional ana
non-prolessiopal men, who had stepped ~
1aercly to gamble for awhile, anu tIlcn, "ili
or lose, to 60 away richer or poorer, as lns
csse might be, Around the table winch sloog
at the end of tho. long room was grouped
nearly two dozen gentlemen who were play
inc against the faro bank, The roulette Ia
HE was deserted the Swcat-cl0th was with
ont customer ;the poker-tables were ilnoc-
talpied The many gasjcts threw bright
LIGHT on har,t'sawe ioA paintings, tile size
board was crowded Witlia tempting array
oC bottles: boxes OF fragrant ,liayailas were
mt hand, while through . bHlf-opened door
was seen n dinner-tahle We" supplied WITH
all the delcacics of the season. : "a,
Bowling entered the room anu H0lttelf
requested the "looker-out " to hand hin! ~
worth of "white chips" A white check l.
tho cheaIest kind used by gamblers. d.
vidins his pile into two equal parts ne
Dlaced them on two of the cards Whlch
o,yers,read the table. He won, and again
and arain he won. Then he changed MS
white checks for red ones, and he increased
his bets. Each check now represented -,
and seldom was it he laid down less than Il
dozen on asingle card. Occasionally he lost,
but oftener he won, and one corner OF MS
table was soon covered with his winnings.
SGyerd piles Were showed toward the
dealer, and in their stead was handed him Il
" stack of blues" EACH blue check was
worth $50 Then the playing was continued.
The hours passed away and more tiiis slIl
the persons who were in the room "heF
Downing entered had gone home. The gum
blers remained, for they saw that big Salnc
was being played. and to them, next to the
excitement of being participant, Is tlit
change to be q looker-on in such gigahtlS
contests. At y O'Clock the dealer stopped
for supper, and another took his seat. Iht
silence; which had become almost painful
was broken by the words:
,kl,., 10
"Just as YOU like, sir. Go 6h' with vouI
bdtting.s' was the courteous reply % sl:e new
dealer; who was the proprietor himself:
One BY one the others stopped playing
Theirs was but Il mole-hil beside the noun
thin. The dealer could ill afford to b'
bothered with one and two-dollar bets whci
thousands were ut stake. The blue check
had been exchanged tor yellow ones, eacl
worth $500. The darkey attendant had ialiel
aslpcp on the sofa. The walters had lon!
since cleared the dnGer-table, and out>ld
The street was no longer busy, bustlin!
thoroughiare. Across tie way sleepy clE'l
women stood for Il few moments OH the Sher
man House steps. and then commenced tllei
scrubbing. Daylight was breaking in tn
east, and across the calnj smooth waters o
the like already appeared the harbinger o
the coming morn.
Bowling determined to make one filla
effort, and II he failed then the tigers re
morseless claws might stretch ont and taxi
his lust cent. He looked at the clsc-hcepcr
and slw at glance what the box contained
There was less than Il dozen left, and among
them were u deuce, Il Tray, and the ace OF
clubs. Each one was case card, and he IL
solved to stake his all on one of these.
81 would like to double these or lose al
El 81. la tt,E
very low, but the dealer heard them. and HI
nodded his head. There were just thirty
three yellow chips in the three piles. Dow
ling placed them gently on the deuce, an(
then taking up three wooden checkers, III
placed them on top of the three piles, thu:
"coppering them," as the phrase is.
Sixteen thousand dollars and upward WA:
large sum. 1t was playing for high stakes
and possibly the Dealers hand may have
trelnbed little bit as he started to draw
forth the few remaining pieces Of pasteboard
The foretinger and thumb Of the left hant
were placed on the upperrnost card, and ont
by one they fell either to the right or the left
He was very slow, very cautious, very care
full. and the man on the outside was very
Watchful. Once there was queen on top in
the silver box, and when the dealer began tC
push it out from its restin s-place there was q
white show OH the card beneath. 1t might
be either the ace. the tray, OF the deuce. Il
the latter, then Bowling would win; for the
queen must fall on the farther pile. Gently
the card was passed through the thin open
ing, and there lay the tray of diamonds
Tue dealer heavcd sigh of relief, and for al
instant Dowlins's face was pale with veXa
ton. The dealer again commenced to dca
the cards, and he bad hardly started the tray