The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-01-08
Gamblers Fortunes,

The two gambling houses, which were
most frequently visited by Cornelius j.
Vanderbilt, were George Beers, corner Of
University Place and Thirteenth street,
and Dancers, at No. 8 Barclay street, N.
X. Beers and Dancers are both dead,
and their gambling houses belong to the
past. George Beers died about four years
ago, leaving handsome widow and three
young children, and fortune of about
$4,000 The property CONSISTS Of tho
building ON the corner opposite Titfany's,
Il brown stone house on Eleventh street, a
very valuable property on Sixth avenue,
near Twcnty-cighth street, and splendid
country residence, with large and bcauti-
fully cultivated grounds at Isl.p, Long
Island. Beers made the most of his money
during the war, and at the corner of Uni
versity Place and Thirteenth street, whcro
Cornelius }. visited. And right lively
company was found there during the flush
times OF the war and some years after
ward.
George Beers, however, was Of very
quiet and gentle disposition. There was
such al air Of well.bred repose in his man
ncr, and III apparent contentment with his
lot III life, that one would think to look at
his handsome face, and note the express
sion which usually rested there, that tho
world had properly appreciated him, in
having contributed goodIy portion of its
labor and time for his comfort and happi-
ness. A Z eat many of his patrons were
Wall and Broad street men, beside Ger
tain class of young bloods. There were
but few strangers or out-0f-tOwn people
| who visited there There was, therefore,
to Il certain extent, an exclusive caste Of
the people who frcqucnted Beers.
Beers was an eplcure, and his elegantly
set table, with its beautiful and exquis,tely
| cooked viands, was one of the chief at
fractions Of his house. The style Of cook
| ing combined the dantiucss Of the French,
with the plenitude aud lbcralily of the
English or American. He studied the
tnstcs OF his patrons, both us to their favor
| ile dishes and their choice of wines and
| cigars. From the stress which Cornelius
| j., III his evidence, lays upon the cxpcn
sive hospitality with which he entertained
guests At his residence III this city, it is
| evident that lie was fond Of displaying his
taste in the culinary art, while ostensibly
lie merely did 1t in order to maintain the
honor of the Vanderbilt family.
| Possessing such Il cultivated CASTRO
nomlc taste, and passion for cards, 1t
was 10 wonder Cornelius J. Vanderbilt
should have frcqucntcd George Bears
house. The story of lis having fit there,
after an unusually heavy loss az faro, may
or may not be true. Many men as good
as he have done worse than fall over in d
swoon or tit, after fully realizing the ruin
they have brought on themselves through
their own folly, and have placed pistols at
their heads and blown their brains out.
Now, about Dancers, ut No. Barclay
street, Cornelius j. says he played there
In the day time. Ay, 1t was a downtown
game, and many man has walked IN
there feeling pretty solid, with his pocket
book stuffed with grccnbacks, till old
Dancers got hold Of him, aud pretty soon
he danced without the music of couple
of nicklcs to keep time for HIM.
A stylish old fellow was Dancers, and he
would rather play backgammon than faro
aly day i'll the week.
There was big capital in that faro
bank, and |. had the reputation of being
square. The highest players in the city
"played open" and 'coppcrud' their
pyramids On It's "luy-out." Cornelius
}. usually called for stack Of reds as he
took his scat next to the Cue keeper. lie
was very fond Of playing in the ''pot, "
| I'"o io3 ehnihS1 Ill shC OLA, SCFCH uuu CIHuC.
lie usually did this till it came to q cease, y
and then he put down his pile either open
or c0ppercd. If he lost hc would soale-
times drop back to a pile of whites, and
as these did not cost bnt $40 he could bet
ter afford to wait till his turn of luck came ;
and then he would hustle the game pretty
lively till 1t got down to the last turn,
when he systematically called it both ways
| from the lowest card
| Well, old Dancer ''passed in his checks, "
as the gamblers say, q few years ago, and
left big pile of bonds and money to his
wife. and daughter, both OF whom have
Since died, also; the daughter being of a
religious turn Of mind LETT all her fathers
lllegitlmate gains to the churches and
benevolent institutions, trusting. doubt
less, in the efficacy Of the good it would
thereby accomplish, as in some measure to
palIiatc the wrongs which hcr father had
inflicted upon society. But her uncle and
some distant relatives pu: in claim to the
Surrogate for "A share OF the property, and
it was amicably compromised between
them few weeks ago, and thus the mat
| ter was settled.