Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-15
MURRAYS MUSINGS,
A Pittsburger Picked Up for Flat and
Quickly Dropped for n shnrp-Hard
Luck of the Negro In Gay Goiham-Rage
for privafe Varhfs.

- Astor House the other day chewing a
| tooth-pick. 1t was not because he had nothing
| else TO chew. but, having got on the outside Of
a couple of drinks and lunch, the toothpick
was the proper eaper. He was a short, thick
| set man of about 35, with a brown mustache
singed down pretty closely by abbreviated
Pittsburg stogies, anti his hands were evidently
manicured by life work as a puddler. He
wore brown derby and a business suit of
clothes of peculiar cast, and his curiosity
about the immense crowd about him betrayed
the fact thar it was his first visit
He had just changed the toothpck for a
cigar when young man stepped up to him and
called him by name. The Pittsburger thought
there was something familiar in the voice of the
one accosting him, but was too polite to confess
his inability to place him. The young man was a
New Yorker, dressed in the heighth of the fash
ion. and the pointed patent feathers on his feet
were not more widely different from the Pitts
burg pattern than were the. respective char
acters of their wearers. Now. a stranger in
New York is very glad to meet anybody wit h
whom he is acquainted. And usually the New
forker is very glad to meet his acquaintances
from out OF town. 1t is not surprising, there
1ore. that an invitation to return to the bar
quickly followed the handshake. The record
ing angel will probably use whitewash brush
IN IN wiplng out the record of drinks made before
they left.
OUT into the crowded street the question
arose what they should do. The young
New Yorker having signified his desire to show
his Pittsourg friend the sights, it was proposed
that they begin Immediately.
do you ever play anything?" said the New
Yorker.
"oh yes. do little Of everything" replied
the Pittsburg man. indifferently. II am in for
anything that will pass away the time this
afternoon"
"Very well. let us go around here on Barclay
street where know bank whereon the wild
time very often grows. will make pool with
will divide"
So they went up a narrow and dingy stair
way on Barclay street to the third floor above
warehouse and after the usual signs knocks
and passwords necessary now in New York
o0fore viewing the ''tiger," the Pittsburger
was safely landed in his lair. There were
a couple of faro tables, roulette and the
usual poker outfit. The services at one of the
1aro tables had already began with very thin
attendance. Room was made for tie new
Tor couple of stacks" 1t was not more
Lhan two deals before these stacks were gone.
Ihe PittsDurger bought another on his own
account, and the New Yorker borrowed $40
account and a couple of more deals saw most
OF that at the bankers elbow In the mean
time drinks had been served two or three times
ana tne Pittsburger realized that he was not
drinking the pure juice that grows at the
roots Of the Monongahela. This fact, however,
served to sharpen his wits
He arose from the table with a few chips
clicking in his hand and went over to the
roulette layout. He was the sole player there
for the next 20 minutes. In that time on his
capital of three chips he had accumulated all
of that peculiar variety in bank. There were
at least a couple of hundred dollars in the
confused mass OF pink and whites piled up
before him. With extraordinary luck he called
the double "O' four times in succession and
had he been moderately high player he would
have broken the bank in that 20 minutes. They
changed dealers on him three times with
but the change didn't do the bank
any good. The banker himself-a hard looking
customer in silk hat-attempted to assist
his dealer in settling the bets and, thinking
his customer was green one, raked off every
now and then winning chip to help his luck
along,
He didn't do this more than twice, however,
when the Pittsburg man laid his puddier's
hand upon the taper fingers uf the gambler and
said, with emphasis; Drop thati 80 black wins
That Is the third time you have done that
Now want you to understand that / know
what am about. Pay that bet.'
They did pay it, too. But the proprietor
slipped over to the other end of the room and
called the New Yorker over. The latter was
at the extraordinary evidences of |
luck piled up in front of his companion. It |
seemed that the gamblers were afraid of this |
luck, because they tried to coax him not to play |
any more, but to take away what he had. In |
this the young New Yorker who, it will be |
readily understood, was acting as capper for
the bank, took an earnest part ostensibly for
We have got enough" said he. LET us go |
and divide"
"We," exclaimed the Pittsburger, az he |
played the red even and sprinkled three or four |
more chips over the board. Look here young |
man. haven't you picked upthe wrong man this |
.ime?'
1t is unnecessary to say that the New York |
,teerer got out of there in short order The |
watch, cashed in his winnings, babe a polite |
goodbye to the banker and walked away.
Il never had so much fun in my ife," he said |
'he next day in telling his story. 1 woke mp
his morning with four $50 bills in my pocket, |
when ought to have been robbed. l don't |
mink that young man will ever again size a |
nan up for fat because his hands and feet |
Ire not pretty"
A to the question of his civil rights guaran-
teed him by the Constitution OF the United
States, the negro fares no better in New York
han in the South. In fact, think that the
legro would have a great many more privileges
n Richmond to-day than in this city. 1 am re-
minded of this by the arrest of I. Thomas For
une, for demonstrating because he could not get
drink at Trainor's Hotel. Thirty-thIrd street
md Broadway. Fortune is an editor of an organ
or the colored man. and is pretty well known
q |
met him first in Washington, and found him
very decent sort of man. of the Bruce
tamp. Fortune went into Trainors, and on be-
ng refused at the bar demonstrated with the re-
ult above mentioned-he got locked up. There
5 no respectable place that know Of in New
FORK where a negro can go in and be served
Nth a drink or lunch. Low dives there are, no
ouDt, In certain sections of the city where
ven negro custom would be welcome. The
ther day had occasion to go into Trainors to
ct some change for porter, who had been
ding some work for me, and 1 offered the
olored man drink to close the operation.
he "bouncer" Immediately ordered the negro /
ut OF the place, and the barkeepers informed
ne that he could not be served at that bar. II
old you, boss" said the darkey, they would
OF let me have drink here. But it's all
ight."
Said I to the barkeeper, good humoredly:
Don - you know, SIR tnat you are Vlolaslng
Avs of Congress with reference thereto by re-
using equal rights to your cOlored brother?
"The Constitution be durned," replied the
arkeeper; don't allow no black man to be
erved in this house."
And this is the way it is in the city of New
.ork. II such thing should occur in the
ity OF Washington the hotel keeper would
ave suit on his hands in short order. There
not place in the city of Washington or in
richmond, or any other Southern city that
,as ever in, where gentleman could not take
ian who was serving him at the time, and
i've him drink at the bar. But this is in the
lty OF New York. the metropolis Oh tne Nortn
nd the center of national politics.
\ BOUT this time of the year a saunterer on
the Battery will see every day lying off
nd on several private steam Yachts. Some of
lese will lie at anchor over at the anchorage
Liberty Island, and others steam down in
le morning among the other yachts OFF Bay
.idge. From 3 to o'clock these yachts drop
one by one near the barge office and send a
tile boat ashore manned by two sailors. The