Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-05-07
The Good Old Times.

Ano VlrtuOuS &rey.Oo0fOO VINO are u
ways lamenting the degeneracy of mod.
ern times, and especially the lowering
of the tone of tho Washington society
since the abolition of slavery and tho
advent of "Shoddy," will not be much
pleased with the following from "Gad-
about's Saturday column in the Wash
ington Star:
Bailey was the greatest gambler of
his period, and was in the height of his
fame during the administrations of
Washington, Jefferson, and Madison.
He was the son of m freshman and his
mother Quaker. Born in Chester VAL
ley, Pennsylvania, his father wasted
a considerable fortune of Mrs. Bailey's,
by going security for mon at large.
Then entering tho patriotic army, the
elder Bailey became major, and was
killed ut the battle of Cowpens. The
impoverished widow loaded her goods
upon cart, and with her brood Of
children followed on foot to Culpepper
County, Virginia, where she kept a tav-
ern, afterwartl school, and finally mar
ried again. The second husband
undertook to chastise young Bailey,
but received a dreadful flogging
This happened Mt the Seneca stone
quarries, in Maryland. Afterward
young Bailey married a tavern-keeper's
widow, aud showed comfortable genius
for trading in horses, liquors, negroes,
and merchandise.
Without education he had still a
powerful will and violent temper, and
his prowess made him audacious and
feared. In those days the Virginia
springs were full of faro dealers, and
Bailey was the principal gambler at the
sweet springs, afterwards keeping the
hotel there. In the height of his fame
he had q large boarding house at Berk-
ley Springs, and q city hotel at WASH
ton called the Bell Inn, kept in six of
Daniel CAROLS houses. At this time,
as for fourteen years, he was the dupe
of Winchester widow Ann Turnbull,
and although his relations were open
and notorious with this creature,
the Chief Justice and the Supreme
Bench boarded with him and even
advanced him hundreds of dollars at
times on account of board. Again, he
had a magnificent establishment at
Georgetown, and haunted the Union
Hotel. He had twice been put in
prison as q debtor, and each time
escaped, once advertising reward for
the Marshal of the district { Ringgold)
who had placarded him.
On an other occasion he visited Pres
ident Jefferson in the White House, at
the request of Commodore Barney and
Congressman Dawson, and when the
secretary, Colonel Cole, sent an usher
to tell him that he must retire, he way
laid the Marshal in the street and gave
him a dreadful Aogging, for which,
after q tedious prosecution, he was
fined only $40 and costs. He kept
some, of the fastest horses in the coun-
try, and ran at Annapolis, Richmond,
Petersburgh, Winchester, Lexington?
Lynchburgh, Port Tobacco and othe
places. He drove either four or six
horses to q grand chaise, and men in
livery, and his own hair was superbly
powdered, while he carried gold-head-
ed cane. On such tours he stopped at
the prominent places and opened q
game. He says that his earnings
amounted to half q million dollars in
gross. T.
On one occasion, when the ladies at
Sweet Springs refused to- dance with
him, he bought the negro violinist and
stopped the music in the height of the
season. He went abroad to dispose of
some mountain land, and, becoming
short of funds, rang in with some
English noblemen, who diced freely,
and he bet 100000. Losing he threw
himself on their generosity, and they
soon raised him purse. Again, in
France, magnificent luck followed him,
and he returned to the United States
rich. He then loaded ship with mer-
chandise and went into business at New
Orleans, where disagreement with
his doxy made him low-spirited, and he
lost his luck.
In the latter part of Bailey's life,
when he was struggling most ea-nostly
to amend his evil courses and strive by
legitimate business, he fell into the
hands of bailiffs, and was hunted from
jail to Jail for trivial debts until he lost
the use of his limbs by wearing mana
cles and by rheumatism, when, wretch
ed, persued, and despairing, he. went
into meeting house at the town of
Bath. where he had been q great favor
tie and endeavored to address his ignor-
ant soul to the contemplation of heav-
en-. The constables suddenly rushed in
upon his meditations, and he was
dragged again to Jail. Finally released
from Haggertown prison by the inter-
cession of the celebrated Ohio Williamr,
he had no resort but to indite his mem
oirs and peddle the same from horse
race to h0rserace.
His book closes at this period, and
although sometimes vulgar, it is 80 free
and unreserved in it's developments that
we may doubt whether any gambler ever
lived who described himself 80 fully.
To the student of early social times this
is an invaluable book, giving the depths
and heights of gamester's fate. Or
one occasion Bailey was convicted al
Staunton of keeping faro bank, and
under the laws, as then enacted, wa.
adjudged to be sold as slave. H,
ibelled the Judge, st. George Tucker
and was cited before committee of the
Virginia Legislature.