Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-28
a Nnfnt1 3Hnn

lumber OF years the leading aud most success
full member of the sporting fraternity OF this
city, dicG at the residence Of MS nephew, MIR.
George W. Hill, No. SOP! north Fifth street.
yesterday 4fttruoou, at d ew minutes past
o clock, 10 the Fifty seventh year Of MS age. He
had buen 10 declining health for a month Ut
more, aud week before bis death he had been
cou6oed to Els bed with softcnlug Of The hrat.
He had the best medical attention during bis
illness, but The doctors skill was Of 90 avail.
His huur had come. and he passed away quietly
and without struggle. The last words that
he spoke were on Friday night, When the clock
in his room struck IL. "Ecveu O cit OK, he
said, and as ii CONSCIOUS OF bis approaching
end, closed his eyes ano slowly Sank TO rest.
JOHN A. Worsham Was torn 10 Nottoway
county, Va, and in his early manhood was
engaged 10 driving stage line. Those wsic
the days wheo stage drivers we're geat!'men.
ranking IS they did pretty muth as cspIaos OF
steamers do DOW. Early contracting the habit
OF gambling, AID beiug Of 40 enterprsiog dis
posi;ioa, young Worshapl bethought himself
Of scheme to branch out" Toto the world,
and accordingly caue to Richmond iU lS45. tbcn
twenty three years old, and opeued gauiDlpg
house on Mar street, Oh The site DOW occupied
! be- FeIuing's candy manu- !actury. The tsIeb
li5h;neu; was knowu as 100 the numbcr OF
| the building, aud Il popuar place 1t Was, too.
| H.. was associated iu business there with bis
uroth.r, Wash Workman. who was Afterwards
killed in q du" on Vaux ais Island by Rcdd
of Now O:!caus.
Although mauy improvements have been
made 10 the great American game OF tiro sl0ce
Mr.. Worsham begaG his career, II has never
| teeu 50 tashiooa bic and prosperous as it was lo
thn grand old auto bellum days, tor than gen.
temen f wealth not uuy thought it Gne oil the
nost elegant aud charming paslimes that
could be 4, vscd, but also most iunoceut aod
lame like, when they turued over their cool
huadrtd thousand in a slngle night.
Mr.. Worsbam Was Intelligent, shrewd and
bold, aul 10 his Iiuc was success trVm the
start 10 fact, siuoc The days Of the famous
Pfiude no sporting mao il the South enjoyed
SO great ,el alton. As his popularity 10
creased Mr.. Wursham fcund it nvocsstry
10 enlarge his facilities for accomuvdat
ing the sporting public and some years be
fore the war removed - old Colipthian Hall,
the imposing four story cdi6ce wh'ch stood OF
Maio street. where M~ss,s. W. ID. Blair y
Co.'S. store s!au1s aow. Here he remained
liiI the close of the war.
Mr.. Worsham Was lavish 10 bis exDendl
lures, and no gambling Etuse IL tie United
States was furni:ha more handsomely or ID
more lavish style than CorDthiau Fall. All
OF the apslLmeDtu were elegant, but these set
apart especially for prominent met (politl,
G ans and the hk-) we're models Of t"e rich
Corirthian order The "reminiscences tn ST
soue Of tho Older clt.z us ctui give If this
establishment would he Highly ioterestIng.-
The ta,ape;s. sumptuous and tempting to
Az pxileu!e degree, became to be Elstcrc.-'
Nothltg has been kDown like them slnce -
During the time that Mr. Worsham KEEP
Ccriu HAN Hall he made Du:h money, and
cou,iuu d IL fl ursh. H.: WIS uiaD o! hne
personal app@araLcc, OF good addrc-s aud
gentle manly bearing, and Was locked upon
10y the people: whether couuteDanclog ms
profession or DOT, as fair dealing and kindly
oitizcn. His word was considered as good
~ bis bend, and as for his bereyCleoce, /:
knew no bounds. H. was ev:c glad to ex
tend heititg hand to those 10 distress, aud
his acts cf kiudoess aud charity were greater
than any man can tell. He had beautiful
residence, known as Mt. Erin, below the cry,
and here he made himself prominent by the
exercise of his aboundIog beuevocuce. 1t was
during the var, the hospitals were filed 10
overt owing with the wounded and dying, ard
nothing would do but hlr. Worsham mus; have
bis home turned into home for al W undcd
soldiers of the Crnie derate army.
In 1865, Mr. Worsham being then quite well
off, thought he would try bis hand ill larger
f.ld, sud opened fashionable gambling stab
lishmcut in New York. He remained there a
wear and rcturoco to Richmond $5U 900 loser,
This msf.riuue nc took with the gambler
phiosophic resi- gnatiOn, and started OVER agaln.
After giving up old Coriuthian Hall he erected
the large aud capacous bulldog on FuurteCoth
street, low occupied by Mr.. W. Holt Richard
sou, aud intcudiog there to conduct house
that would eclipse, ii 1t were possible, the spen
dor of Cornthian Hall. He furnished Que or
two rooms, but his money gave out aealu, and
be had to abandon the enterprise. Tie after
wards fitted up tho upper stories OF the Gle.
giant building on the corner OF Fourteenth and
| Franklin streets and this place he retained TIL
his death. It Was not opon except III the winter
season, and Mr.. Worsham being celebrated =S
| an entertainer, the members of the Legislature
we're in the hsbit of frequenting the magn fceGt
apartments here for The purpose OF social, friend
ly intercourse. At the time that the late Judge
Guigon made an onslaught on tne spor ting
houses. about two years sgo, Mr. Worsht III
bought the old Richmond house. now the co1a-
mericsl Club house and furnished 1t as sort OF
| restaurant and lodging house. The subject OF
this sketch was IS well known rs any man who
ever frequented the White Sulphur. He kept
| 'the Tig err near the baths, snd many Il young
blood ard many festive old gentleman, too,
| knew full we'll all about it, N this Way Mr..
Worsham was 81 eusinted wltA prominent citi-
zens from every section OF the country. Al.
| though MIR. WOrshsm WAS slWsys working with
an eye to business, rs noteworthy fact it may be
mentioned that he invariably cautioned young
mon against indulgiug in the game Of chance.
He repeatedly warned youths who had 8 pro-
pensity for b.s!ing, but who had not yet learned
to buck the tiger" to keep away from the
gaming table Also the poor ne warned against
| throwing away their money on the tiger. 1t was
only the rich he wanted
| We give this as characteristic in his business
| life tor the public who never went into faro
bank and knew nothing about sporting matters
knew the deceased as kind hearted, generous
| citizen.
| When Mr.. Worshsm's death Was made known
the expression Of sorrow on the part of the
sporting fraternity WAS universal. Everyone
| had good word 70 say for him. He was as
good man as ever lived" The most accom-.
pished and Influential mem Der of the fraternity