The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-01-24
GAMBLING IN WASHINGTON,
"Reminiscences OF the Golden Age When
Solid Old Statesmen Fought the Tiger.

in the Washington Pest: In old times
don't believe there were more than half
4 dozen members we didn't know well in
4 business way, but swear now as 4 gen
ilcman that not more than four members
of the last Congress ever came to our
rooms. They get together on short cards
in their room IT the hotel and played on
4 twenty-five cent ante and S. limit, and
il i man loses $40 in the course of a
night he goes out next day and puts
Grape on his hat. Why, the man that
wins S,5 on a turn now thinks his rcpu-
,ation for I gambler is established, and
he begins to talk about us fellows that
play. Ii we can't do better than tha,
we'll have To- turn in and eat each other
up.
Now, in old times we thought nothing
ofhaving thousand or twoup on turn.
There was old Humphrey Marshall. He
was prince. never saw an amatur in
my experience of forty years who would
put down rs much cold money out Of
his hands Is Marshall. Some fellows,
yon Know, are queer about cards. There
was the other Marshall. He was differ
ent from Humphrey that way. He laid
himself out on piling his stack OF chips
up TO the ceiling. But Humphrey would
come in and pull the cold cash out of
his clothes. and put it all down on
turn. He made lots of money. lived
like lord, and never seemed TO be short.
Hold up. lcs,he was shot once. that 5
fact. II was abou; the time that he
came from Chill, where he was Ameri-
can Minister. He came into the rooms
one day and said his wife wanted an
addition to the house, and he was going
to give her money TO build it with right
off that table. and, by the Lord. he did
He walked off with $1,000 on three
turns, and next day, began work on his
house. He played jus, like one OF us
cool as ice all the time.
One of the grandcs, old men at the
business was rhad. Stevens. lhad.
played pretty game, not very big. but
scientific and then, too. he was regular
about it. Never came acioss any one
who had bigger soul of honor abou,
him than Thad. used to love him like
brother. He always PLAYED blue chips.
never got excited at all, but took more
solid comfort out OF il than most any
one ever saw. Poor old Thad.. re-
member when he was on his deaih-bcd.
The doctors had been giving out that he
was sick Of this thing and that. and
wouldn't let any one come into his room.
He sent for me. When got there the
housekeepcr said that she had been pos.
itiyely ordered not TO let any person talk
to MIR. Stevens, but Thad. happened
TO hear my voice, and he called out -
"Bob," said he, these old fools are try
ing to find some excuse for killing me
of, its all nonsense. Seventy-eight
years is my complaint. wanted 10 see
you, old fellow, before PASSED in my
chips for the last time" and he died
that day, the grandest and best old fel-
low we've had in public life for many a
day, tell you.
Some of those foreign fellows used to
be game, especially the Russians. |
guess its in the blood with them any
how, they all had it in the old days, from
Bodisco down. He was queer coon,
but the most systematic man at the game
YOU ever saw He used 10 set aside Just
so much money for this little fun. II
he was in luck he'd play ahead, and
sometimes cleared stake, but generally
he didn't turn up well, and when so
much was gone he'd push his chair back
from the table and say quietly, in always
the same words :-"Zc appropriation
for zat is all exhaust" Then, if he
didn't feel tired, he looked on for
while before going home. He never
went over his limit on the appropriation.
The fellows connected with the Russian
legation then used to come around
nearly every day, some of them playing
big. IL they didn't have the cash il
made no difference, for they were just
as good as 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 fel-
lows are in the country any more. Just
appears like pestilence or hurricane
had 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 patrons. When a game used to
clear upwards of Sioo, 900 in a season,
we could afford to he generous and give