Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-27

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| Chsnbsrlain's proprietary, the Carl
ton Club, which u sort 81 annex Of
Bis Washington clubhouse, . pri-
vate annex, 10 TO speak. There
il always one, and perhaps ssve'
ral, rubbsrs played. Ex-Ooliector
Isaac II. Bailey and Western.
Union Somsfville, not 70 mention
Judge Wilder Allen, being on hand -
regularly Is the hours arrive. The
stakes are generally small, but The pa.
tronsgs is probably . great disap-
pointnent 70 the genial host whose
munificencs formerly won for him
the title of .Princs john" Because
the Carlton 10 an enterprise OF Cham
berlsin's the great outside world con-
fidently believes 81 . gambling club.
| II ia not this 1t all, IS, excepting in the
room Of the Whist Club, there is less
card playing here than in any other
club in the city, as oil the rooms are de-
voted to dining purposes, ADD Cham
beflsin's ambition is to achieve reputa-
| ton in this direction. 1t is not to be
supposed that there is not often quiet
game Of poker played in one Of the pri-
vate dining rooms after the cloth has
| been removed end the nuts and coffee
disposed of, and Hon.. John Bowan, Bo-
| napxa Mackay, John Ochiltree, and,
perhaps Actor Ed. Thorne, form little
party. II is an indisputable fact that
tho modern congressman inclines to
poker, and as all the visiting congress.
men naturally grsvitate to the Carlton
there is, whenever they're about,
little game played in one of the private
rooms; but the Club is more q dining
club than anything else. 1t is notp.
rious that almost every night the phi
vate diniug-rooms in Delmonico's, the
Hoffman, and the Brunswick are owned
by poker cotertes, and, therefore, COM
paratively, there is less poker-playing
in Chamberlsin's Clubhouse than is
popularity supposed.
UNION AND MANHATTAN.
Perhaps the most card-playing is
done in the Union and Manhattan.
The rich group set, Of which, by the
way, Mr.. Loubat with his income Of
800, 900 is o representative, indulge
daily and nightly in high play, aud
nearly all of the scandals of the club
have originated over the card table.
The causus beHi of the past Season
the Parker-Lee quarrel-arose from q
dispute about poker hand. Several
swell members have been detected prac-
ticiDg tricks which are supposed to be
adopted only by the professional black
leg, and for few days the excitement
in the Club has run high, the matter
finally receiving quietus by the de-
parture Of the offender 10 Europe or
Florida.
In the Manhattan little casino is the
private game, and it is said there are
several members who rely on their win
nipes frem their less skilful brothers
to pay all their club bills. 1t is here
that those desperate players--the Hon.
BENJAMIN Wood and the Hon. James
Enthusiastically meet at poker.
There is also much card-playing among
the politicians in the Blossom Club, and
often the only room lighted up is the
card-room. Edward Kennedy, Police
Commissioner French, Jimmy Boyle
and Jake Sharp frequently meet here.
The principal card club. however, Is
The Phoenix, which occupies two floors
Of brownstone mansion within the
shadow of the Union Club. Here
poker is PLAYED, and it is the favorite
haunt of all the big players, including
the msgnates in the Standard Oil Com-
pany and the Produce Exchange. The
Club has been organized some years,
and has a surplus in the bank of some
$4,000. Only gentlemen of recognized
responsibility are eligible, and hence
the ouarrels that often arise over card
playing from unmet obligations never
have occurred 20 involve the Club, as
all the checks given are good. and con-
sequently the institution has prospered;
while the Turf Club, organized few
years since, professedly for gaming pur-
poses, soon went to pieces by reason Of
the internecine troubles arising from the
financial debility of its numerous MEN,
berships.
THE TALK OF SOCIETY.
The arrival in the United States Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Richie naturally calls to
mind the younger days of her mother,
for Mrs. Richie is daughter Of the
well.known leader in London society,
Mrs. Peter Lorillard Ronalds. Mrs.
Ronalds's great musical talent has an
international reputation, and Mrs.
Richie inherits much of her mothers
genius in this direction. Old Peter
Lorillard, the first of that name, was
the grandfather Of Mrs. Richie. She
is also cousin OF Laura Conkling, a
niece of Roscoe Conkling. Years ago
Mrs. Ronalds was the famous Boston
beauty, Miss Fannie Carter. she had q
clear white complexion and chestnut
brown hair, while her sister Josephine
was decided blonde. Their picture,
when just budding into womanhood,
with their arms wound around each
other still hangs in the Boston Athe.
n@um of Art. Josephine Carter after
ward died in Paris, in the height of her
success and beauty. Fannie became
Mrs. Ronalds. She was greatly admired
abroad, and held as beauty the place
now filled by Miss Jennie Chamberlain.
Mrs. Ronalds attracted great attention
from Napoleon Ill. At reception
given at the Tuileries she wore . tiny
birds nest in her hair, and by mechani
cal means 'humming-bird few in and
out of the nest while his mate quietly
waited for him.
ODD DEVICES.
She was always surprising people
with these odd devices. Once, years
ago, at a fancy fair held in Boston, Mrs
Ronalds, then Fannie Carter, had tn.
charge OF q table filled with bon.bon!
and candies. A strange gentleman
took UP q large sugar "kiss," Of ,
variety made in Salem, Mass, ant
called, for what reason l am at . loss I,
know, "Salem Gibraltsrs," WWha
| are these ?" said the gentleman. hold