Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1883-06-15
Sasarscroy LETTER.
.from our Regular Correspondent

been IN financial embarassments at
tributed TO that cause. Undoubtedly
some foundation exists for this talk, as
certain form of gambling is carried
on to considerable extent among the
idle officers and their intlmates here,
though but few Of the former can very
vel. afford the luxury. Poker is the
game INDUCED in, and it is generally
regarded mild form of speculative
amusement; but there are people who
know it to be pretty lively and expen.
sive under certain circumstances. So
far as gambling houses proper are
concerned we have none of them here
now, except, perhaps. = few small poll
cy shops among the colored people.
Our gambling dens were all closed
more than a year ago and can be kept
so as long as the police authorities do
their duty in enforcing the strict laws
OF the District pertaing thereto. But
the seductive game of poker is played
in quiet way in private apartments to
a considerable extent. There are
many men among all classes, officials
and Others, who are fond of a little
game of draw" and though quite
considerable sums change hands in
these games sometimes, it is still not
c!assed as low gambling. 1t is re-
garded merely a little gcntlemanly
amusement.
But the time vas. however, ''in the
golden days Of the empire" when the
old Washington ring was in its glory.
that gambling here flourished most
prosperously. Gambling houses by
the dozen were open and above board
Every hotel and restaurant had Its
poker-rooms. The clubs were little
else than polite gambling houses. and
there were poker parties in many of
the handsome private houses. Look.
ing back on those days it appears that
every one played poker-cabinet Of
ficers, bureau officers. army and navy
officers, senators and members of Con-
gress nearly all played. 1t is said
that the then President, himself, used
to take hand now and then.
At that tilile the famous gambler,
John Chamberlain, now retired from the
cloth, occupied the residence of Sir Ed.
ward Thornton, the British minister.
Sir Edward moved out of his beautiful
house one day, and Chamberlain NOV
ed in the next, with all his gambling |
outfit. He gave glorious suppers, and
some of the best people OF Washington |
visited his place and enjoyed his hos
pitality. But they never were permit
ted to join in the play, and never saw
what was going on in the other parts
of the house. Senators, foreign minis.
tiers and society gentlemen in the high
est ranks were often seen in these same
parlors, where the British minister en-
tertalned his company.
Ex-Sergeant at Arms French recent
ly gave private reading of his lecture
entitled 'Ten Years Among the Sena.
tols, to party of invited guests and
1t IS said the paper proved an interest
ing entertainment. There is no reason
why it should not; and if Mr.. French
is anything ofan orator the subject is
one out Of which he ought to make
a success as lecturer. The desire to
hear and learn about our public men
is universal. Whatever pertaining to
their history, their struggles and tri-
umphs, their habits. their person, their
intellectual peculiarities, is eagerly de-
voured. "Gath" has caught hold of
The idea, and the past season, with sue
cess of course, gave the country lee.
ture upon "The Presidents" The {
field Mr.. French has taken is larger
and richer still. The decade treated
was an interesting period of senatorial
history and character, affording such
capital subjects for the lecturers etch.
ng as Messrs. Fessenden, Sumner,
Morton, Bayard, Chandler, Anthony, /
sherman, Wilson, Burnside, Thurman,
Buckingham, Howe, Schurz, Carpenter, t
'relinghuysen, Eaton, Blaine, Edmunds, '
,onkling, the two Morrills, Window, t
DAVIS. Ransom. Gordon, Allison, Gar
and, etc. Mr.. French's long term of t
flee certainly gave him rare opportu. Y
ity for learning the character and ways g
4 these senatorial magnates.
1t is expected that the Star-route :.
ase will 60 to the jury by the end of q
lis week. As it draws to close the n
owned or subsidized by n
'rady and his companions can hardly a
nd space enough to contain the abuse n
18th which they decorate, from day to e
ay, the administration and the officers II
I the government and attorneys who 6
re engaged in the prosecution. The "
ofthe defendants themselves, l
owever, has shown to the jury the r
olives that prompt those who make =
lese attacks. The defendants are ap. III
arently of the opinion that abuse and
ander are the most noverful areu. to