River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-05-12

~ AANAaANiiNAiiS VIC Vi AiVu~
ern times, and especially the lowering
of the tone of the Washington society
since the abolition of slavery and the
advent of "Shoddy," will not be much
pleased with the following from "Gad-
about's Saturday column in the Wash
iugton 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 an Irishman and his
mother Quaker. Born in Chester Val
ley, Pennsylvania, his father wasted
considerable fortune of Mrs. Bailey's,
by going security for men at large.
Then entering the patriotic army, the
elder Bailey became a major, and was
killed at the battle of Cowpens. The
impoverished widow loaded her goods
upon n cart, and with her brood of
children followed on foot to Culpepper
County, Virginia, where she kept tav-
ern, afterward school, and finally mar
ried again. The second husband
I undertook TO chastise young Bailey,
but received dreadful logging.
This happened at the Seneca stone
4 quarries, in Maryland. Afterward
young Bailey married tavern keepers
widow, and 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 a large boarding house at Berk-
ley Springs, and 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 "a Winchester widow Ann Turnbull,
and although his relations were open
ana 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 magnificent establishment at
Georgetown, and haunted the Union
Hotel. He had twice been put in
prison as debtor, and each time
escaped, once advertising a 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 i'll the street and gave
him a dreadful fogging, for which,
after n 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 II 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 a
game He says that his earnings
amounted to half q million dollars in
gross.
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 a purse. Again, in
France, magnificent luck followed him,
and he returned TO the United States
rich. He then loaded a ship with mer-
chandisC and went into business at New
Orleans, where a 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 earnestly
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
Giles and by rheumatism, when, wretch
ed, persued, and despairing, he went
into n meeting house at the town of
Bath, where he had been a great favor
tie and endoavored to address his ignor-
ant soul TO the contemplation of heav-
On. The constables suddenly rushed in
upon his meditations, and he was
dragged again TO Jail. Finally released
from HAggertown prison by the inter
ccssion of the celebrated Ohio Williamo,
he had no resort but TO indite his mem
oirs and peddle the same from horse
race 90 hor3erace.
His book closes ut this period, and
although sometimes vulgar, il is 80 free
and unreserved in It's developments that
we may doubt whether any gambler ever
lived who described himself so fully.
10 the student of early social times this
Is an invaluable book, giving the depths
and heights Of a gamester's fate. On
one occasion Bailey was convicted at
Stanton of keeping u faro bank, and
under the laws, as then enacted, was
adiudged 10 be sold az n slave. He
libellcd the Judge, ST. George Tucker,
aud was cited before committee Of the
Virginia Legislature.
Ar Bologne, during the reception of
Queen Victoria, some years ago, q num-
Der Of English ladies', in their anxiety