Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-27
CLUB CARD PLAYING.
Its General Popularity as a Social
Recreation.

AeCCECAltOils
NEW YORK, June 26.-Card playing
which, by the way, is more generally
popular now as a social recreation. 1t is
said, than ever before-is the principal
pastime in all the clubs, excepting only
the Union League. There are probably
more heavy card players among the elders
In the Union League than any other in
the city, but card is never dealt within
It's walls, and all attempts to change the
rule s1gnally fails. Perhaps l should say
that all former attempts to induce
change OF the rule in the Union League
and allow card playing have failed, for
there is a move now in progress that may
eventually succeed. The rules of many
OF the clubs-most Of them, In fact-pro-
hlblt poker playing, and poker is prin-
clpally PLACED at little clubs organized
for the purpose. Hearts is the favorite
game, with the stakes ranging from DC.
to So.
There are so many good whist players
that they have organized a club of their
own, called the New YORK Whist CLUB,
which occupies the ton floor in Chamber
laln's proprietary, the Carlton Club.
which Is a sort of annex Of his W ashing-
ton club house. private annex, so TO
speak. There is always one and perhaps
several rubbers played. Ex-Collector
Isaac II. Bailey and Western Union Som
ervL1le, not to mention Judge Wilder
Allen being on hand as regularly as the
hours arrive. The stakes are generally
! small, and the patronage is probably
great disappointment to the genial host,
whose muniicence formerly won for him
the title of "Prinee John.o Because the
Carlton is an enterprise of Chamberlain's,
the great outside world confidently be-
h4VnG u no nh oil y ia M
tnls at all, as, excepting in the room of
the Whist Club, there is less card playing
mere than In any other club in the city, as
all the rooms are devoted.t to dining pur-
poses, and Chamberlain's ambition is to
acnleVe reputation in this direc ton. 1t
is not to be supposed that there is not Of
ten a quiet game of poker played in one
OF the private dining rooms after the
cloth has been removed and the nuts and
coffee disposed of, and Hon. John Bowen,
Bonanza Mackay, Tom Ochitree, and,
perhaps, Actor Ed. Thorne. form little
party. 1t is an indisputable fact that the
modern Congressman inclines to poker,
and as all the visiting Congressman
naturally gravitate to the Carlton there
is, whenever they're about, little game
played In one OF the private rooms, but
the club Is more a dining club than
anything else. 1t is notorious that almost
every night the private dining rooms in
Delmonico's, the Hoffman and the Bruins
WICK, are owned by poker cUteries, and,
therefore, comparatively, there is less
poker playing in Chamberlain's club
house than is popularity supposed.
Perhaps the most card playing is done
IN the Union and Manhattan. The rich
group set, of which, by the way, Mr.. Lon
bat with his income OF $10Q,0 is a repre-
sentative, indulge daily and nightly in
high play, and nearly all of the scandals
OF the club have originated over the card
table. The causus belli of the past sea-
son-rthe Parker-Lee quarrel-arose from
a dispute ABOUT a poker hand. Several
swell members have been detected prac-
ticing tricks which are supposed to be
adopted only by the professional black
leg, and for few days the excitement in
the club has run hlgb, the matter finally
receiving quietus by the departure of
the offender to Europe or Florida.
In the Manhattan little casino is the
private game, and 1t is said there are
several members who rely on their win
nings from their less skillful brothers to
pay all their club bills. 1t is here that
those desperate players-the Hon. Ben
jamin Wood and the Hon. James O'Brien
frequently 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 frequentl y
meet here.
The principal card club, however, is
the Phoenix, which occupies two floors of
brown-stone mansion within the shadow
of the Union Club. Here poker is played,
and IL IS the favorite haunt of all the bi g
players, including the magnates in th g
Standard Oil Company and the Produc e
Exchange. The club has been organized
some years, and has a surplus in the bank
of some $4,000. Only gentlemen of recog-
nized responsibility are eligible, and
hence the quarrels that often arise over
card playing from unmet obligations
never have occurred to involve the club,
as all the checks given are good, and con-
sequently the institution has prospered,
while the FurfClub. organized a few years
since, professediy for gaming purposes,
soon went TO pieces by reason of the inter-
necine troubles arising from the financial
debility OF its numerous membership.
JOHN D'ARME.