Middletown transcript., 1873-01-11
Gambling in Washington.

hot-bcd for gamblers Of high and low de-
gree. There were dozen faro-banks on
the Avenue within a stone s-throw Of
Gadbys, on the corner Of Sixth Street.
Many Of these establishments had club
rooms attached. where members Of Con-
gress and others amused themselves with
brag .yingt-et-un, and whist. Draw -pok-
er came into vogue at a later day. Gam
bling. aud for large sums, was common,
particularly among Southern and Western
membor'. Scores Of them from Ohio, In
diana, Kentucky. Tenncssec, and the
Gulf States, sguandorsd their modest per
diem, then eight dollars only. a, the gam.
g-tablc, and some impaired their private
fortunes By the same indulgence. s. s
Prentiss was reported to have lost thirty
thousand dollars tho first winter he was ia
Congress.
The most notorious and dashing gam
bier Of the day was Edward Pendlcton.-
He came from Virginia, where hs was
well connected, his family being Of the
best blood in the State. aud he married a
most respectable and accomplished lady,
whose father held responsible Office un-
I p
sumptuous entertainments at his club
house, which were we'll attended by some
of the most eminent public mon in the dis
trie, Mr.. Mangum. then President Of
the Senate, John j. Cri,tcndon. John NJ
Bolts, John b. Thompson, Of Kentucky.
and Linn Boyd, afterwards Speaker Of the
/ House, and others Of lesser note, were
/ frequently his guests. Congress had en-
acted stringent penal laws to prevent gam
bling. but they were dead letter, unless
some POOR devil made a complaint Of foul
play, or some aeeced blacklcg sought ven
/ geance through the aid Of tho Grand Jury;
and then the matter was usually compound
cd BY the payment Of money.
! Whist was n fnvorite game with the
foreign ministers and the elder statesmen
Mr. Clay, General Scott, Mr. Bodisco,
and Mr. fox-uephew Of Charles James
Fox who represented William the Fourth
and Queen Victoria. often played togeth-
err, n hundred dollars being the usual
stake They generally played we'll as
iloyle taught the game; but many of the
members Of the fashionable clubs Of New
York play with more skill than was dream
cd of forty years ago. Governor Marcy
was great lover OF whist, but he would
never bet money on the game. There
were always inyetcrate Yhistqrs in the
Stnate. \ story was current at one time
Of rretrnetel sitting at the cara-tahle. at
whish Governor Stokes. Of North caroli
IN, and sioan,joy Bailey, scrreant-at-
arms Of the Senate. were two Of the play
crs II ran in this wise: the Senate ad-
lonruei from Thursday over 10 Monday
The party sat down to cards after dinner
Thursday evening. They flaye1 Nil night
an1 MI the next day, only st5rpiag oc-
easi5nally for refreshments. The game
VI, continued Friduy night and Saturday
through Saturday night and all day sun
lay ana Sunday night. tic players
resting for snatch Of sleep as nature be-
came exhausted Monday morning the
game was in full blast; but at ten clock
Bailey moved an adjournment. alleging
his official du,ios required his presnce in
the Senate chamber Stokes remoustrat.
ed, but the sorgeant-at-arms persisted and
rose from tho tabio The Governor grum-
blei anil seoldel, but finally gave il up.
swearing that II he had suspected Bailey
would break up the game thus prematur-
II. he would have seen him-anyw where
before he would have invited him to join
the party.
Mr. Webster played whist. but ndif.
lereu,ly only The Nirginians were al-
dieted to that stupid game known as shoe.
maker loo Presiaen, I Ter was fond Of
Len, and on rainy day, when there was
no great pressure Of public business, be
has been known to mike up a game at the
White House, and play all day having
dinner in his chamber Iii, companions
usually vere William Seldom, Treasurer
Of tna GGi,el States. Gary Se!den, his
brother. storc-koeper at the navy. yard.
and sometimes Governor Gilmer, of Nir-
einia. with now and then another fsYorite.
The amount played for was always small,
bu, Mr.. Tyler was as much delighted at
taking pool as ii lie had won hundreds
Public opinion was not 50 ayersc 10
gaming in Washington as in most of the
Northern cities Probably tia tone oi
public morals Is no more elevated now
thsn it was then, but there was then less
pre,onse and osten,a,ion Of purity, At \
large party given By tho wifa Of cabinet
minister. Mrs. Clay. chaperoning a young
lady from the North. passed through 0
room where gentlemen were playing cards
Mr. Clay among tho number
rs this common practice? = inquired
the young lady.
Yes said Mrs. Clay; they Away.
play when they get together"
Don't i, distress you to haye Mr.
Clay ganblef'
"No, my dear" said the good old lady
composedly; "he most always wins"
In the winter Of 1871 General Scot.
Mr.. Clay, Mr. Fox. and Mr. Bodiseo
played whist once week for some time
the stake. as usual, being hundred dol.
lars. They played match game, Scott
and Bodisco against Clay and Fox. They