The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-08-01
GENERAL sCHENCK.
His Foudness for Draw Poker-rhe
Facilities with which Englishmen
Have Caught the Game.

Editorial Correspondence Of the Louisville
Courisr-Journal.
You DO General Schenck Injustice
when you charge that he swiudled the
public deliberately in the matter OF the
Emma mine bubble, coming of himself
with full and dirty hands. Unclean
they certainly were, but not full. /
have taken the trouble while loiterlng
here, to look little into the business,
aud l fancy can give YOU tolerably
fair notion OF Schencks connection
with it.
To begin with, Schenck is what most
people would call COOL fellow who has
had all his life a turn for living beyond
his means, and a taste for draw poker.
II Schenck had been a lord, with for
tune, he would be dwelling in exile
now, on the continent, n fugitive from
English duns and warrants. Ills off,
cial salary would not support frugal
minister. 1t merely enables him to
sustain vcsrious priucely squalor.
II Schenck's sportive enterprises with
the literature OF the pictorial pas.c.
boards were successful. they might en-
able him to exc out his income some-
what But they are not. Schenck
seems to belong to that fatal class OF
whom the Spanish proverb says that
they were designed by God 10 pick
lice from poor mems heads. In other
words, Schenck was not meant for
Midas. That which he touches does
not turn 10 gold-not even to silver
To make a long story short, be is poor,
ambitious, genial and thriltless; the
very last man in America, despite his
concealed abilities, who ehould have
been sent to q country like this. To
make matters worse he fell very soon
after his arrival into dissipated and
expensive set, introduced the game OF
cards for which he has q mania, and
has ever since thrown the serious work
OF the embassy on Mr.. Moran. his Sec
retary of legation, whilst he, with def
cient skill and resources, wrestes with
the world, the flesh and the devil
A party of English spectators, led by
Albert Grant (who, though OF no kin to
the President, is an uncommonly adroit,
avaricious adventurer), seeing the en-
barassment in which Schenck affairs
had fallen, laid hands upon him. find
ing him, as a matter OF course, an easy
victim. A man who owes money which
he cannot pay is not, as a rule, hard to
seduce, provided his creditors are peo-
pie OF quality. A man who is obliged
TO keep up appearances in spite Of him
self soon loses the fine edge OF bis pro-
priety. So, Schenck fell into the Emma
mine, taking Albert Grants word that
it was lined with silver, and, with char
acteristic heedlessness. not looking to
see that it was, for him at least, mere
mud ditch. He was not bri1ed at all.
He did not receive a dollar 10
hand. He took a certain number
Of shares, gave his paper for them, and
holds them at this moment, having
been swipdled with the rest. Had he
had the sense 10 cell in time he would
have realized handsomely, and had he
been a swindler he would have sold 10
time. He is nothing OF the sort. He
is by nature, aud be means TO be by
habit, perfectly honest and honors-
bic man. He is simply out OF bis sle-
meut-a very round peg in an exceed
ingIy large and square hole. Instead
Of abusing him you should be sorry for
him |; for be is really sprighty man,
who, but for his habits, might have
made figure in the world. People in
general here regard him az you do, and
are surprised that be should be retain
ed by the Government in such scan
daI. But in society, where he is known
as an easy, card-loving. boon comPan'
ion, be is liked, pitied and tolerated.