The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-11-19
~ CAPITAL TIGER"

THE CAPITAL ".TiOER."
II Di.ysssrts Itself tN - G;tid~sl Gage and 10
- Cntver~al FnScrtte.
Prom the cleveland i1ain Dealer.
According Ia the laws of the District OF
gambling il forbidden and
gambling houses ar,. subject to raids by the
police authorities. Ii il the toast of the
chief Of pplict. that there il not u Ramh-
ling house proper within the limits at the
district. Yet | doubt very much IL there IL
N city Of pro~IbOrtionat. population within
the limits az which there il so widespread
a. fever for speculation with cards and for.
at times, very high stakes. Washington
il overrin with ''poker ficnds" and
'masllers," that combination which has
given so much trouble tn the famous "tcn-
derloin district" of New York.
A friend of mine, who had once u very
extravaRant reputation as "a card player.
kindly Offsrssi tn show mo some Of the
places wlicrs. the games were played.
When lc made the remark we were stand
ing just in front of the National bOtcl on
the '~'avcnuc." as all Neutrality-suspicious. call
PENNSYLVANIA avenue. and To my surprise
my guide turned his steps toward the
Whit. house instead of turning off into
any on s, .c, .,as streets, vet whrm we had pro.
door evidently leading To rooms i'm the up
per part of a building that WAS situated in
one OF the most popular blocks On the ave-
nue.. Herr. Was no ~iaticetl door from which
ps-cps.d tho keen eyes of u lockout, nor
was there to he. seen i'm the upper windows
stbbN oI - rtkttS tIe to tNt IIlltItttNl
besls,ak .,cyond doubt the presence of the
insatiatc ''tigs.r." Had I not been prcparctl
for what WAS tn follow l should have ex-
pected Ia he tsliercd into "a home circle
above rcproach and been more than sur
prised at the sight. that met my eye.
In the lrst place. there il no ringing of
the door hell ia order tai secure admission.
There il no he'll at the door. The man
who has tao key cannot get i'm. and were
he 10 stand and pull the knob or knock on
the door until hc grew gray il would avail
him nothing save tn attract attention to
seemingly idio,ic actions. The door is
plate glass aud ta~tcfully slraied with "a
soft white material after the fashion af-
fccted 10y the SWEETEST inhabitants of the.
city. A. night n soft white light shows
trance AN air of quiet elegance. Hardly
had the latchkcy of my guide been insert
ed in the door when il swung
the rapid movement proved tn he not
his key hut tine muscular grip of an excess
siveiy polite young negro dressed ia a
and furnished without the least possible
ostentatiou. Once within the portals of
this gildrsi rage. and the ''tigcr's" ivory
teeth CLEANED in all directions. Chips
and stacks of money were on all SIDES. Ii
was not ~ very heavy game that was then
in progress. but within the II minutes that
well known i'm real estate circlcs. had lost
over $50. Still. "a. my guide said. that
was "a very ightg game compared to some
of the WINNINGS and losses that have taken
place over the same table.
Around the several tables were some OF
the best known business men of Washing
ton. Had coIigrcss been in session thcr,.
would have been twice the number Of
statesmen gathered there, for this partic-
the congrcssuhcn or senator with sporting
proclivitics. Senators Vest. Cameron,
Earwcll. Plumb. Enstis, HawIcy, Gibson.
Wade Hampton, Palmer, Leland Stan
forsl, AMI dozens of congressman from all
parts of the United States have played
there. from the adjournment of onc
aplsyrs...tsaIn.a DAYS AssA-lal fn tho s.Otpt
ming AT noon of the next. 1t is in this way
Washington plays poker and allows
her chief of police to boast that there il
not a single gambling house within
the limits of the baliiwick. They are all
cluf =.
In order Ia join one OF these clubs You
must he introduced by "a man who is will
ing to sign your application. This IL to
assure the fact that you will play square;
bier or no does not make the slightest
difference, AS most of the players are per-
fectly able to hold their own. When your
application IL signed, You are given u Key
and invited to make yourself mt home.
Making yourself at home means to come.
around and play poker or any game from
wards generally minus much OF the
money that You brought in. These clubs
s.slra0'' or rake" This is the perquisitc
of the man who runs the club and i'm an
ordinary game often amounts TO - great
deal Of money. Ii amy cards higher than
two pairs with queens mp are held. the
''rake-off'' amounts tai one OF lowest
chips that are m use. Should any man
hold thrts. cards of equal value the 'rake-
of" il larger, and with such "a drag on al
most every hand il is not difficult for the
proprietor of the club to make a very nice
thing without playing AT all himself, al
though hs will always play IL his hand II
necessary tn make mp the Required mum
her.
Even IL Washington was not full al
poker players,it has one distinction known
and appreciated by every gambler al
prominence in the country. In "a private
residence up town there il the finest set al
poker chips that were ever manufacture
in this country. Their history il interest
ing. They were made for the famou'
John Morrissey. congressman. state sena
tor, a~nti-Tammany shoulder hitter. pugi
list and gambler. Before Morrisscy start
ed his famous Saratoga gambling hotIs'
he had a place on Barclay street i'm New
York. While there "a party Of western
sports, among whom was the famous