The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-17
GAMBLING IN WASHINGTON.
"Reminiscences of the 6oiden Age WIN

"Reminiscences of the 6+oiden Ags when
| solid Old statesmen Fought the Tiger.
| IAN Old Gamblers TUX In the Washington Post.l
| In old times / don't believe there were
| more than half dozen members we didn't
| know we'll in h business way but swear now
as % gentleman that.n moro than four NOM
| bers Of the last Congress ever came TO our
rooms. They get together on short cards in
| their room at the hotel and play on q Is cent
ants and $5 limit and IL nan losses $50 In
the course Of q night he goes out next day
and puts Grape on his hat. Why, the man
| that wins $2J on turn now thinks
| his reputation for O. gambler Is established.
and he begins to talk about us fellows
| we'll have to turn in and cat each other IN
Now, in old times we thought nothing Of
| having Thousand Or two up on O. turn
| There was old Humphrey Marshall He was,
| q prince. ] never saw MI amateur In my ex-
| perlence OF forty years who would put down
| as much cold money out Of his hands as Mar
| SHALL Some fellows, yon, know, are queer
about cards. There was the other Marshall
He was different from Humphrey that way.
| He laid himself out on pling his stack OF chips
| up 10 the ceiling. But Humphrey would come
| in and pull the cold cash out Of his clothes and
put it all down on e. turn. He made lots of
money, lived like lord, and never seemed to
be short. Hold up, Yes, he was short ones,
| that's fact. It was about the time that be
| came from Chill, where he was American
| Minister He came into the rooms one day
and said bis wife wanted an addition TO tbs
! house, and he was going to give her money TO
build 1t with right off that table, and, by the
| Lord he did He walked off with $4,000 on
| three turns, and, next day, began work On his
house. He played just like one of us-cool as
| Ice all the time.
One of the grandeet old men at the busi-
| ness was Thad. Stevens. Thad. played q
pretty game, not very big. but scientlfic;. and
came across any, one who had bigger soul
Of honor about him than Thad. I used to
love him like brother. He always played
blue chips, never got excited at nil, but took
| moro solid comfort out Of It than most any
one ever saw. Poor Old Thad remember
when he WIS on his death bed The doctors
had been giving out that he was sick Of this
thing and that, and wouldn't let any one
got there the huusekeeper said that she had
been positively ordered not to let any person
talk to Mr.. Stevens, but Thad. happened to
hehr my voice, and he called OUT Bob"
some excuse for killing me off, but It's all
pousense. SeveDty-eight years is my COM
plant, | wanted to SOS you, old fellow, before
pass In my chips for the last time" and he
died that day, the grandest and best old fell
low we've had In public life for many day,
tell you.
Some Of those foreign fellows used to be
game, especially the Russians | guess It's In
In the old days. from Bodisco down. He was
d queer coon, but the most systematic man
at the game you ever saw. lie used to set
aside just so much money for this little
and sometimes cleared II stake but generally
he didn't turned up well, and when SO much
was gone he'd push his chair back from the
table and say quietly, in always the same
haust.' Then, II he didn't feel tired, he looked
on for awhile before going home. He
never went over his limit on the appropria-
ton. The fellows connected with the Russian
Infsnt tfHYof rrI
every day. some of them playing big. IF they
didn't have the cash 1t made no difference. for
they were just as good Els old wheat. The
bank kept regular account with them by
the month, and when their sineWs Of war
came around they'd clear the slate. But,
Lord! don't believe any OF those good old
fellows are In the country any more. just
appears like pestilence or hurricane haa
come along and swept the whole crowd into
the grave.
In the old days there was money In the
game, and it paid to dine and wine your pa
irons. When q game used to clear upward Of
500. 900 In Il season, We could afford to be geIl~
erOus and give away the lunch. | can reLnem-
Der one year when we got away during the
season with 1900 baskets OF champagne Yes,
Of course, it cost good deal less than now,
thought Of asking Il gentleman what he'd
have to drink when he looked thirsty; We Just
wrung the neck off bottle, and that was the
end Of it. Champagne then was the only
who comes to the rooms who don't cot I'D his
head and drink up his jaws three times over
In twenty-four hours.
Why, would you believe 1t, even the old
summer resorts don't core any more for the
game / went down this summer TO White
Sulphur, just to see II / couldn't find some Of
the old Southern blood. We opened out. One
day the bank took $34, then didn't do q cents
worth Of business tor several days, until soms
youngsters dropped in, and VS. cleared about
$780, That sickened noe, and | packed up. 1
thought you know, If there was any ghme
left in the old stock It would grow up at the
White Sulphur, but it is oil changed; the
crowds there are different, getting too gen
men sit around on the veranda take the girls
driving and buy ball tickets for thom-all
such soft sport rs that; but they've quit risk
Ing stakes on 81 turn like the old boys It
made me feel sick looking round that place to
think how changed everything Is. But
must go. So long.
Convenient alike to the businesg centre and
the best resident portion Of Philadelphia and
conducted as IL model first class hotel the Col