The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-18
vosarses Of Chess.
rur SILENT AND ECCENTRIC PLAfhhs ""O
FREQUENT THE MERCANTILE LIDkAHi'


THE SILENT AND ECCENTRIC PLAnn a.vv
FREQUENT THE MERCANTILE LiD""
philadelphia Times.l ,.,,ro
"what a singularly thougntu'-'OON'"s
!" Inn. hum,v replied the ianitor Oh ,nc
Mercantile Library, glancing AZ tne pi'
cession rs IL passed into the builolns No
"Remarkable cronial Development Nv
they come often !"
Every day."
"Stay long?"
Eight or ten hours
nGreat readers, ell?
"Not much. Chess-players."
The classroom is in the upper par. .,
the building. and at all times an awlul
silence prevails. The deyotees sc'Icep
ever whisper, and pair OF creaklng sh1es
excites universal indignation. Dr. JONI
Murchison was ostracised by the otneI
nl,vers for n habit he had OF bringing n's
nieces down with bang OH the Doaiu
whenever he made a move, ana a,'
exceedingly skilful player named Domi-
nick O'Brien was sent dead " by MS
fellows for whistling in the sanctum;
II is commonly supposed that q shliu'
chess-nIayer possesses many OF the quar-
tics essential 10 successful military COM
monder. but the collection in the Mercan-
tile Library building yesterday did not, IN
annearonce nj least, bear this theory OUT.
or the one hundred persons around the
twenty-fiye tables il would have been dim
cult TO find one who took as much interest
in the movement Of an army as III the
movement Of pawn.
SILENT AND ECCENTRIC PARTY.
They 90 there TO think and play chess.
Nothing else. well-known player named
Farouehar visited the room almost daily
for three wears without speaking to any
one except when accepting or declining to
NAV lie il voted one Of the most proper
nIovers that ever appeared in this silent
set Not more than a dozen Of those in
the room Yesterday were under middle age,
and only one was a young man. His face,
however. was Us grave rs any in the room,
and his bulging forehead indicates that in
time he will be great chess-player.
Three fourths OF those present were &c.
centric in appearance, and the collection OF
strangely-lashioned coats. fancy velvet
waistcoats, odd bell-crOwned hats. queer
wigs, knobby walking-sticks. and faded
umbrellas could not be duplicated in Phil
adelphia. Many OF the regulars are wealthy
and well known. All are eminently re-
spectacle. Among the best-Enown men
who play regularly in the Mercantile
Library room are DR.. II. X. Whit
ner. w. r. MacAdam, L. IIender-
son, j. l.. Newbold, Charles Newman. W..
p. Shipley, j. A. Kaiser, Henry c. Brown,
L. II. Miller, George II. Robertson, Joseph
NJ. Bennett, Joseph Jeanes. Thomas w. Da-
Wis. Mr.. Robinson. and Mr.. Blakemore.
Several of these players are members OF
the Philadelphia Chess Club, which has
rooms on Walnut street. As any share
holder is admitted TO the Mercantile Libra
nv classroom there are more players and
spectators there than in any other place in
the city.
AN AGED vOTARY or THE GAME.
Play usually begins at 10 O'Clock in the
morning. and on three days out OF five
Dr.. A. X. Pitkin is the first to appear.
The Doctor is seventy-Gye years OF age.
He Is tall, gaunt, silent, and an enthu-
sastic lover OF the game. y siX-hour
sitting is nothing to him. DR.. Pit
kin PLAYED four hours yesterday and
won. He then folded a shawl around
his neck, drew on pair OF black
cotton gloves, and, after shaking hands
with his opponent, fat little man with
green goggles, went home in an excellent
humor.- Last summer German named
Heinrich appeared in the room. He
watched the games for three months with
ont playing. Then he picked out three Of
the best PLAYERS and beat them. The game
with his last opponent, Mr.. Harver, was
long and so interesting that the other play
ers in the room stopped and looked on.
Heinrich won, and on the following
day went mad, and is now confined
in the NOrristOwn Insane Asylum.
Paul Dumont was for months one OF
the best-known frequenterS OF the room.
lie boosted that he had never been beaten,
but it was noticed that he invariably pitted
himself against the weakest players in the
room. lie persistently declined to play
with the more skilful, remarking that he
did not wish TO humiliate them. At last
he fell afoul OF a novice, lost series OF
games, and has not been seen in the library
since June last.
Scores OF the spectators are fully as great
characters as some OF the players, and
spend hours every day watching the
games and enjoying the skill OF the con-
testants, but never offering TO play. n
man named Reed has been regular spec
tator since the room was opened, and vet no
one ever saw him face an opponent. He is
said to be Il fine player in private. The
spectators are fully as eXacting about ST.
lence as the players are, and it is highly
probable that ii some one rushed into the
room and yelled large percentage OF those
present would 90 into spasms.