The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-06-14
DUB NEW ORLEANS CHESS KING.
CURIOUS ANTIPATHY FOR HIS OWN GENIUS.

New Orleans Correspondence Of Wilkes Spirit.l
In 1859 Paul Morphy, the worlds chess
king, returned to America crowned with
such triumphs and hOnors as perhaps have
never been shown to any exponent Of tina
or any other game Of skill. In the full flush
Of his brilliant career it seemed thaG this
distinguished man wonld pursue to still
greater fullness the measure of his success
which had made him lion not only in
America, but in Europe
Strangely enough, he withdrew from that
pursuit directly upon his return to America,
and in the retirement of hi,.Ncw Orleans
home he gradually dropped ont of public
existence, although not out of public recol-
lection.
During the late civil war he resided in
France, whittier great number of New Or
leans creOles migrated to avoid the distress
ing experiences Of that epoch. At its close
he returned to New Orleans and engaged in
the pursuit Of the legal profession, to which
he had been bred by his father, and which
he abandoned for the ,lories of chess play
ing.
Here he has continued to reside since that
time, md, singular to relate during the pc
riod from his return to the present day he
has not played single game Of chess, and,
what is more singular, he has manifested
such an antipathy to the game that, by ex-
press understanding among his friends, the
subject is before him forbidden one, and
even q chance allusOn thereto in his pres
ence is a painful one.
The question that quite naturally arises
IS: "Why is this thus |" No one has ye.
been able to answer it. Certain it is, how
ever, that for nearly ten years he has not
even seen chess-board and, if he has his
way abO:t it, he never will see one more.
These facts l ascertained some days ago,
when, upon learning OF report that he was
expected to play chess at the forthcoming
Centennial Exposition, visited him at his
residence to know whether there was any
foundation for the rumor.
OF course there exists here a deal of spe-
culation touching the action Of Mr. Morphy
in thus avOiding-nay, shunning-a career
which, to most mon, wOnld be the cOnsum-
nation Of fond ambition the goal Of pub
lie adulation and popular honors, SO fasci
mating to the average human heart.
In imparting to me what have written
here, Mr.. Morphy begged that | would not
write anything about him nor mention his
name in connection with chess; that he had
done with it forever, and he desired no pub
lie mention of his name. But / know it
will be of interest to many to revive a re-
collection of this strange genius, and have,
therefore, been constrained to SCI down
what may be read herein.
Those who know him best account for
his present sentiments upon the principle
that when he became a professional chess
player, he did so against the advice and
earnest appeals of his family, and that in
following the bent Of his inclination he
sacrificed most brilliant business prospects
which were then opening before him.
In time he came to realize what golden
opportunities he had wasted, and in the
same way he came to look upon his chess
playing proclivities as responsible for such
misfortune, and, gradually turning against
it in resentment, be has grown into an
adherence of it. Truly, that's what it
seems, and nothing else.
1t may, therefore, be understood that the
report concerning his reappearance as
chess-pla;er is baseless, and it may lie fur
thermore understood that the light Of the
chess-playing genius Of this greatest player
the world ever saw is lost to that world for
ever.