The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-01-26
An Incident fin Chamberiain's wash
ingtOn Club House.


washington Letter to the Pittsburgh LEADER
To switch off from politics may perhaps
be an agreeable change. The subject no"
on deck is an incident that occurred at John
Chamberlain's clubhouse gambling helD the
other evening. And. by the way, this house
is doing O smashing business. Money by the
thousands changes hands there every night.
A prominent politician, General -, drop
ned Sll 800 upon the roulette.table the other
evening without receiving any return. l
know one promising yousg congressman
who is perfectly infatuated with roulette. He
loses all his salary there, and besides as much
as he can borrow. If the fool'kiIler could
only visit Chambcrlain'5 some night he
would find rich harvest.
Rut to the incident. There is a young
Polish Jew about town, q cheCdtier d'induS.
f,te by profession. He is one Of the most
friehtful bores that ever walked his blight
ing presence upon this green earth. He
comes upon you with all the hdeousncss Of
a nightmare, and weighs down upon you
with remorseless egotism and an utter alb.
sence of tact that would warrant his murder,
if an intelligent enough jury could afterward
be found to appreciate and try the case. This
individual affects the deeply mysterious about
himself, and once when very drunk burst into
hitter tears as he confessed himself the long
lost and last heir Of the royal family Of Po-
land. Well, l shall call him Poland for the
purposes of this incident.
Poland is q Well-known nuisance in Wash.
ipeton. He fastens himself upon the ac-
ouaintance of well known men, and affects
an intimacy that must tempt them at times
{" to kind o. lift him piece with their
boots" But the average lawful dignity Of
great men has hitherto prevented any dire
catastrophe to this tuft-hunting bore.
The other night Poland was up at Cham
berlain's; it is faporte resort OF his. Here
he finds plenty of fine liquors, cigars, lunches,
and good supper. He does justice to them
all. assure you. Upon this night Poland
had added his head with champagne, until
he was capable of accomplishing unheard OF
feats of intimacy with great men. He wan
dered about Boosting to every one he knew
of the many great men of Washington who
reDosed on the bosom of his friendship
whenever they were weary.
Suddenly there was heard q cry Of fighting
in one of the rear parlors. General Blank, a
wealthy man, well known 10 social circles
here, was engaged in fierce alteration with
one Of the proprietors. He had just lost
So 900 at roulette, and as he was very drunk,
be had become tighting-mad about his loss.
He is a very large, powerful man, and be
lunged about in fearful manner. Just pre-
vious to this braw Poland had been Boosting
of his intimacy with General Blank.
"Come,' said one Of his listeners, "there
is your friend in trouble. You had better
get him home some way"
Poland saw chance to make capital for
himself, and as General Blank was very
drunk he thought he might have an easy task
Of it.
He went boldly up to the General, and put
ting his arm around him protectingly, said:
"Come home with me, General you have
been here long enough"
The General, for reply, raised up q hand
the size and weight of ham, and brought it
down with resounding slap upon Polands
jaws, nearly loosening every tooth in his
head. The slap was as loud as the report OF
pistol.
Poland is terrible man to contemp plate
when in wrath. His faculties are all para
lyzed but one. A naughty glare in his eyes
alone remains. No one can slap Poland in
the face and feel afterward an immunity
from this glare. He rested this look several
moments upon the General, but he was too
much occupied with his brawl to pay any at
tention to the soul-devastating look Of Po-
land.
Poland gazed at him FIVE minutes, and
then turning to a gentleman standing by
said, "Did you see my friend strike me |!
He is very drunk"
The gentleman said: "No: I was out on
the street at the time, several blocks away,
but heard him strike you"
"What would you do about it?" said Po'
land.
"Why, wsuld write note to the Gene
raj, saying briefly and coldly, that if he
should slap me like that again, and l should
find it out, that would make him prove it."
Poland became lost in the contemplation of
this, but he came out of his study and lost
his chagrin ut the cheerful notes Of "supper
is ready, gentlemen" -.
Do LEw1s's RECEIPT FOR BED.-Of the
eight pounds which man eats and drinks in