Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-10

- hOBOkEN to New York il, so 10
- Jackson City to the capital Of this
/~ great nation" Thus sang gentle
~ youth as he wendell his hot and
dusty way across the Long Bridge
toward the fair Virginia shore one afternoon
not so very long ago. little behind him q
STAR reporter was also vending his way. 1t
was evidently great day for the vending Of
ways toward Virginia, for beside motley col
lection of pedestrians, there were a number Of
cabs moving rapidly along in the same direc-
ton and an occasional open carriage might be
seen with its precious burden Of gentlemen
with wide-striped collars and cuffs, big
diamond horse shoes in their pink silk neck
ties and clothes loud enough to announce their
coming as well as any courier of old with his
blare of trumpets could ever have done. One
knowing young son of Ham remarked, as a
carriage load of them passed by, "Dey looks
like gemmens what follers de races and makes
at It, too" The occasion of this miniature
exodus toward Jackson City was by no means
evident to the casual observer. One would
hardly suppose that the attractions Of that
virginia suburb we're such as to account for
this small gathering Of the clanA
WHY IT WAS.
Would'st know the explanation Of this phe-
nomenon. gentle reader? Then listen. Dost
wish to know why THE STAR reporter was trav-
cling across Long Bridge that warm spring
afternoon? Then hear. voice coming along
the wires that lead to The STAR Office telephone
had announced that day to all to whom those
presents come, that whosoever might wish to
witness a genuine old-time cooking main might
be satisfied at 2 o'clock that afternoon in an
Old shed somewhat back from the opposite bank
of the river. Nine battles were to be fought
between game cocks of noble breed. and all who
had been given the wink and told of the event
that was to come off might be on hand to see
the fun providing only they possessed suffi-
Client amount of ready cash to satisfy the de-
mands OF the grim doorkeeper.
JACKSON cIrYs PEcULIARIT1Es.
Jackson City is an odd sort of suburb. It
seems to be the only one within miles of the
city that has not been subdivided into build
ing lots and villa sites, at city prices Its
population is shifting one, yet it does not
seem to increase very rapidly; yet its attrac-
tlons are numerous and varied. There is little
monotony about life in jackson City, for there
Is something lively going on all the time. If
1t Is not faro it is poke" or crap, and if
neither of those enticements draws then a
"scrapplng match" a general jamboree or a
| shooting bee of some sort answers the purpose
OF keeping up the interest to fever point
These latter pleasures. however. are not the
most common. Games, with cards and dice
are the ruling favorites, and with these the
his living where he lives. He does not have
to come to the city for that purpose. The
people whose money he covets come to him
and lose 1t to him. Inasmuch as there seems
to be no police restrictions whatever upon
gambling over there the game goes merrily on
at all times of day and night. and the tiger can
be distinctly heard from the road as he RACES
around within his cage.
DIRECTED BY CITIZEN.
SIS this where the birds are to fight?" asked
the reporter of an elderly white haired colored
gentleman who was airing himself in front of a
frame building that looked something like a
| small country hotel.
mo sab! dis yer is faro bank. dat mex place
es whar dey rassles wild de enticin' game of
draw, but dat ole shed up dar is whar de
ROSTERS scrap" He pointed to an old shed
| several hundred yards back from the river, at
the door of which young man stood taking
in big red tickets that had previously been
dispensed by an older man for a monetary con-
slderation of two dollars. From the small one
roomed house adjacent to the shed could be
heard the Growing of boosters and the sound of
heavy shears at work. Around the building
the men who had been arriving steadily since
noon were cOngregated. to the number of about
a hundred. and many little bets were being
made on the events that were to take place
Inside the house the birds were receiving
their final clipping and were having their
sharp, bright steel spurs ad justed preparatory
| to the fray. All was interest and quiet ex-
| cltement, although it was evident from the
way they talked that most 81 the crowd were
old hands at the business and what they did
not know about the relative merits of the diff
ferent breeds and the various methods of
training birds the reporter was unable to
learn In one afternoons inquiries. This par
ticular event CHANGED to be a main between
Washington city and Washington county, Md,
nine battles to be fought. 5000 upon the main
and go on each fight. While the birds were
being put in battle trim the crowd outside
amused themselves as best they could.
THE SCENE INSIDE.
Inside the shed pit was built about ten or
fifteen feet in diameter with rough seats
around it. Alongside of the pit big packing
box sutficed for table. and on it five men.
| three white and two colored were enioyinp a
quiet game Of draw" in which the colored
gentlemen seemed to be getting possession of
| all the chips in the most approved fashion
Along toward o'clock everything was ready
for the fight and cards were temporarily laid
aside in Difference to a greater attraction The
first III the pit was gamey red bird that
seemed to be especially admired by the betting
men from this city. He WAS handled" in the
ring by wellknown gentleman from this CITY
who has achieved an enviable reputation in his
peculiar line. He seemed to be on familiar
terms with most of the crowd, by whom he was
generally dubbed Bill. gentleman from the
care OF the country chanticleer.
The urban bird was by all odds the favorite
though the chicken from out of town a long,
rangy, white fowl, had number OF admirers
and the offerings of 40 to 10 on Dick Lee f"
40 to on the red chicken" did not go without
takers. 1t was closely fought battle from the
start and the birds were evenly matched The
first round aid not settle il, nor the second but
as the battle progressed it looked like dead
sure thing for the city rooster and the odds
in his favor grew rapidly, until almost any
| thing could be had on the white.
HOW THE COUNTRY ROOSTER FOOLED EN-.
Weaker and weaker he grew until he could
scarcely stand up or flap his wings He looked
as though he had never known how to crow.
But he surprised everybody there that time,
for just as he was apparently on the point of
lying down to die he gave one last chance
drive with his shining steel spur. sending it
straight into the brain of the red one who up
to this point had been lively and clipper and
looked good for many another fight on the
| same terms. The fight was over the victory
won. There was some little waiing from the
losers, but they all paid up their debts promptly
and began at once making new ones for the
next battle.
SIDE ENTERPRISE.
During the interval between the two an en-
| terprising gentleman spread a piece of black
oil cloth. painted with mysterious figures and
symbols, out upon the big packing box and
with the aid of a dice box drove a fairly pros-
porous trade at sweat and under and own. {"