Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-12-30
A GORGEOUS GAMING PALACE.
John 4. Chamberlin's New CapttoIine
Siub House mt WashtngtOa The
Brtttsh Minister'S Castle a. the
Home of :" The Ttger''-kegaI FUR
pfshfnS and Nfands for n Prince
Phase Of Life at the Capital Dis
cussRd.


pfshinS and yfands for n Prince
cussed.
l'' Ldertes" in Ns,r York GrapAicl
Jehn T. Chsmberlin's Washington Club-
House Is now open in the late residence OF the
British Minister and his legation, on Farragut
Square and CorcOranis YARD, 18th and streets
lt Is the most elaborate and spacious gaming
mouse ana restaurant in the United States and
cose $4,000 Mr.. MOrrisSey's Saratoga club A.
prim, plsin, business like affair coupared
with it, although MoTrissey's four large rooms
are larger than any of Chamberlin's. but the
interior architecture Of the Washington club l.
more novel and elegant than would appear in
any house built especially for gaming purposes
lt was esteemed III for q Prince of the House o.
Hanover BIunswick 60 make IL his home, ana
Was erected by one Of the most substsntial
bankers in the United States FIR his durable
family mansion. lt was rented by the British
government for sc COO a yesr in gold. eausl In
$1,000 or more in Ne@ York city, and ha- been
the scene OF the greatest parties and receptions
ever gwen in WsshlngtOn,yiz.: W Charles Knspp's
grand social party in 1867 aud the state recep-
ton OF Prince Arthur ia 1870.
ITS HISTORY.
1his house was built thirty years or more ago
by Elisha Riggs, brother Of George Riggs tie
son OF the founder of the house of PeabOdy
Riggs & Co, afterwards George Peabody & 90
The Riggs brothers built adjoining each other,
george Riggs eNpending upon his establish
ment S99 eco and Elisha a less sum. Mr. Carco-
ran, their associate, afterwards bought nearly
square Of ground between their residences
II
TemOdeled upon IL the old house occupied by
Daniel Webster and Joseph Gales successively
There he stll resides, and the corner of his
garden wall is right across the street from the
Club House where Chamberlain presides With
this wall on one side, FarrRgut square open on
another side, the stables CT the legation-also
owned by ChambeTlain.in the rear, and shrub
beTy dividing the Club House from Riggs' thi,
casino is both sequestered ana central. The
nearest dwellings are those of George Riggs
James q. BeTIet, Hamilton G. FAINT, Walter
nay -
Zellin, Senator Stockton, General Ed. Besle
and Governor Shepherd. You will perceive thai
Chamberlain Is in the best OF company.
When Mr.. Knapp received this offer for the
legation he waited on George Riggs and asked
If be was willing 10 pay $50, 900 tor the premises.
Mr. Riggs said " No" Hearing that President
Grant also desired 10 buy the house, il was prof
feTed 10 him with the same refusal. Having eH-
hausted the courtesies Of business, he accepted
ChambeTlln's offer. 1t il understood that Mr.
Riggs rays that he does not desire a better
neighbOr
This house was built by Elisha Riggs with
the design OF having house wholly unique and
somewhat in the EhZabethan manor house
style. MIR. knapp made additions TO this in
the same style, and raised a mansard roof over
the whole. lt is q brick house, plastered pale
yellow stone color with buttresses, bays, pointed
Gothic windows and dOOrs, and a luxurious
growth Of green crcepers covers part OF the
end and wall and angle. bay window at the
end is as large as an ordinary room. There are
two doors from the street, both in the side OF
the other TO an octsgon room at the centre of
the house, which rises through three stories.
and is Gothic to the groined arch at the roOr,
the balustrades snd rails being all 10 Gothic
carpentry, TO be consistent with the rest Of the
decoration,
TIE INTERIOR.
Entering the main door a negro receives the
visitor. Advancing through a carpeted hall,
On the right is a reception room, on the left a
saloon; beyond the saloon an extension room
and the bay aforesaid, and beyond the eKten-
sion room, and continuation oft, is the salon
a jOVer. The games are roulette, faro, aud the
other game, whose name L forget, bGcAaTdch, or
something of that sound. The trente e qua
TGnte table is not yet up.
ITS GORGEOUS FITTINGS.
An arch out OF the gaming room dis closes
through the octagon the refectoTy, a beautiful
apartment with the famous 81 OlO Long Branch
sicebOard in il. Tie table Is elegantly spread
for supper at midnight. Behind the refectory
q hall Intervening, are pautries, and az tue enc
OF the hall is knapps bachelor Office, with tilel
floors, chambers OF ease and bath. This is z
become a reading room, letter desk and lounge
over this Office on the second door is the cels
brated chamber occupied by Prince Arthur
hereafter to be Mr.. ChsmbeTlins own apart
ment. 1t is oCt2goEal, with q couple of square
dressing roOms, baths, cedar closets five feet
deep, and Qrincely accomplishments of ali sort
The ROSEWOOD mirror suspended 70 the floor L.
something before which Marie AntOinette mig
have been rObed. Here, also, the stage. dress
ing case, and bedstead are OF solid rosewood,
little IKE the fiigTee furniture or modern mau-
utacture. Five other bed chambers and a sit
tng-room are upon the second floor, and step
ping out OF any of them the round balcony
elbows over it's rsiiDgs the floor below, while n
large chandelier is suspended by a ed about
forty feet long from the eve of the Gothic dome.
Three OF the eide rooms in this story are for
whist and Boston" In the third story are
twelve bed-chanbers.
THE CUISINE.
The basement floor contains q kitchen OF
ample proportions, in which q new range has
been placed large enough for hotel. This is
the only article required TO be added TO the es-
tablishment, Sir Edward Thornton leaving most
or kDapps furniture as he found IL. The cook,
Emeline Jones, Is the well-known colossal
i qusdrOon woman who has roasted and stewed
20 dsintily al Long Branch. The steward,
Washington Trusty, is also known to men about
/ town in New York. There is a dry wine cellar
/ OF large size under the corner OF the house.
The intention OF Camberlin and his partner,
Charles Mann, OF Philadelphia, is to conhne ali
gaming after this winter to the second floor,
l and make bachelors hotel and restaurant OF
the frst floor, after the style OF the Saratogs
l Club House. Gaming viii thus be no more -
/ If be were at WelckeT's, or the owen House, OF
l the Washington Club, or any place where poke
| and Boston amuse the nights.
do not see, indeed, whence the materials are
TO be found for faro playing in this capital, un-
| less the next Congress should bring them in ite
| wake. Money Is scarce here snd scheming
1 over. Investigations and buckwheat cakes are
than twenty gaming houses, generally Of small
pattern and IN quarters OF ambiguous respscta-
4 WutTe tno lTslnlstne, o1drylan0ers, dul
old District TOueS make their resort, and though
| they are perfectly secure from the law, a very
| determined effort to break them having shown
| that the officials were more smirched than the
| 2amesters, yet could never perceive that any
| OF these people made more than a livelihood.
| But there are men here who play Boston anu
| poker among gentlemen and have the reputa-
| ton of being rich. A fair proportion OF public
| men gamble amongst each other all tue Will
when at leisure. Ii Is the habit at the west and
| south, and army life taught thousands of young
! officers the fascination OF the "draw." heard
| group ofnaval officers, discussing Commander
Cushing, who died last week, say that his rash
| and large wages on shipbosrd, with q small
poker hand, were as characteristic as his physi-
| cal bravery. But there is no hotel nor club in
Washington where company OF men may not
call for cards and q servant and keep up the
combat all night. The hotels generally have
csrd-Tooms detached from the family parts of
the house. 1t remains TO be seen whether a
splendid supper and an elegant house will WOO
the sporting element from its many sanctums,
and realize the ideas OF Chamberlin. A club
house is seldom individual property or even q
partnership, and its visible sponsors frequently
are backed in the bedrock OF Wall street.
GROWTH OF GAMING.
The power OF these machine games or baize
table games TO intensity the spirit Of chance is
in their rspidity. The roulette ball spins 10
such q way as TO arouse the nervous system, rat
ling on as IL IL would stop directly and vet
4 arw~wwA L..