Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-04

ord and made his mighty run here In ls2a half
million dollars changed hands aud one Con-
Gresham won six hundred slaves from another
The winner, IL 10 said, was Pennsylvanian. %
suppose be scaled IL down ana took the cash.
TIE MOST PnErExrious Axp oonaEous YAno
ever in Washington was Ned Pendleson's, %.
taelishsd in the forties on congressional patron
age. II was on Pennsylvania avenue not far
from ~ street. and il hourished tropically and
long. IL was . gorgeous palace temple
erected to the haphaxard muse. A few states
men OF his time ventured 70 call him Ned. ("
but 10 was really Edward Pendleton. ESQ.,, scion
OF stately Virginia house and brother Of q
foreign minister. In his superb dining room
at o'clock each day he set q complimentary
dinner Of twenty-four plates for the most dis
tingushed men in Washington In full dress
he sat at the head Of the opulent board and
presided like . prince-around him a. guests
members Of the Senate and House, generals,
commodores and ambassadors. There was the
rsrest food, the most precious wines, the most
elegant service. Those invited came. IL was
quite ''the thing" and so reputable that when
Schenck. Bayard, Wentworth, Wood and Yulee
vent into Pendleton's no passer-by thought OF
observing it-no newspaper thought Of
chronicling il any more than IL they had
stepped into willard's
Some of these men and their colleagues
is said the heaviest gamester ever seen in
Washington. 1t is understood here that one OF
the steadiest and most methodical players ever
known here was Thad Stevens He was never
seat in the House to his seat at the green table
and stay there till Q late bed time. He never
hazarded large sums. but he kept at it and put
up one small stake after another-never sur
feited whether the tide Vas with him or against
him.
oh pandlaxoo,. VIA. - .x;sxo,x. t;c h.ck To
was perhaps the only gambling house in the
world where no gambler was admitted at any
time or under any pretense without an invita-
ton. III the applicant were unknown TO the
usher as guest Of honor he must produce q
card from Mr.. Pendleton. and he could no
more get in without it than he could enter .
theater without ticket.
OTHER FARO BANKS
Other contemporary faro banks along "ths
avenue" we're Prindle's, McCullough's,
Caughey's, Halls, Jake Dixon's and Burns
Montero's. but they never struck the lofty
level OF Pendleton's nor exhibited his exclu-
siveness or his stunning hospitality. Mrs. PEN
dieton WAS daughter OF Mile, the architect
and artist, and very cultured aud refined lady
Her husbands eccentric profession did not
even menace her high position in society, and
she escorted cabinet ladies to her box ut the
opera while her husband was entertaining
their husbands at the theater of chance. She
was highly esteemed. and when she died at
the head Of her pallbearers stood President
James Buchanan.
After the two hospitable Eds. came chaos
and black night for gamblers. The green
table put on mourning and retired forever.
This Fifty-frst Congress is probably the So
berest the country has ever known; and il does
not gamble enough to hurt And those who
think that its public men are conspicuously
violent should recall the time when Andrew
Jackson horsewhipped Thomas II. Benton in
the ball room, when Senator Bagley assaulted
President Tyler and when Henry Clay and Gen.
Scott had q scrimmsge in Boulsnger's restau-
rant so little to the credit of either party that
its details have never been In print
CRoFFCr.