Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-25
JOB ROOMS OF THE UNION & a
CHAMBERLIN'S CLUB HOUSE.
How the Gentle Tiger DisPOrts HinI-
self at Long Branch.
Long Branch Correspondence Of the New York

How the Gentle Tiger DisPOrts n im-
self at Long Branch.
Long Branch Correspondence Of the New YORK
Sun.
The West End Hotel is not only the
great centre CT the Long Branch bellies, but
of the gamblers and politicians, too. All
the biz guns of this sort are there, and
visit the O.her hotels only occasionally with
n uatrouizing air toward their friend Of sub
ordinate standing. The baT-rOOm OF
that hotel is i regular betting mar
ket. On the eve Of racing days ''DOctor
Underwood is seen iabOnng and perspirinS
like a costermOnSer in selling the pOOl'.
Mr.. Chamberlin bOasted Of a every
lively season this year, and said that
during the first meeting alone over $780,
900 had changed hands in pools and ticket
netting. and that the second meeting
would have been still more important had
it not been for the Saratoga regatta. His
sClub House" is apparently doing good
business, too. By midnight the rooms a!e
almost always crowded, and few persons al
low themselves to eat his supper and drink
his champagne without venturing at least
few dollars at the roulette, the faro, the
rouge ct nOir, or any other table. He is
most anxious to suit every taste and has
provided all imaginable games, from
the home invented draw polk
er to the imported baccarat.
Sometimes large sums are lost,
more frequently small ones, but L have
never had the good luck of seeing any one
win. The majority Of the games are played
with double chances in favor of the bank,
as compared with the manner in which they
are conducted in Europe. The roulette,
for instance, has a double zero, which was
abolished IN Europe years and years before
the game was altogether prohibited This
second zero makes the ultimate gain Ct the
bank perfectly certain.
This "Club House" renders the already
close association of racing and gambling
still more close. Both Mr.. CEamberlin and
his partner, Mr.. McGratb, the lucky pro
prietor Of Tom Bowling, are great horse
men, own to a considerable extent the race
course of Monmouth Park, and are also the
proprietors Of the Paris Mutual organiza-
ton. In this wise the whole business is in
their hands, and is managed pretty much
as thew please: and it must be said that
it is as fairly and respectfully con-
Quoted as such thing can possibly
be. The races are much better regu-
lated than in Jerome Park. The atten-
dance is, of course, not One-fOurth that of
the Jockey Club either in numbers or in
fashiOnabllity; but that is not the mana
GERS fault. Monmouth Park is too much
out Of the way Of the upper tens at this
season of the year, and has not the pres
tise which the Jockey Club gives to Jerome
Park. One is positively surprised to see
that anything so thoroughly based on gam
bling can be carried on so decently. l
never saw even quarrel, let alone fight.
In England, under similar circumstances,
the whole Of the regular army would have
to be sent out if anything in the shape Of
the Long Branch racing organization had
been allowed. This speaks volumes in IA
vOr Of that sort Of external polish which is
spread among even the worst rOgues and
rascals in this country.
Altogether, if You have money 10 throw
away, you might make worse use Of il
than t. 90 to Long Branch for day or two.
Al the tate ut about $50 a day you can see
everything, and even see Old Sir. 3lcGrath
presiding at the supper table and talking
about Tom BOwling'S hurt leg and the
greatness Of Kentucky.