Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-08-09
purchase.

i
"I had a very good old-fashioned safe
here" said COL Spencer. 81 was all
the time uneasy, afraid some one would
blow it open. ] employed a man to
sleep in front Of the safe with a loaded
pistol at his side The man every night
made his bed in front of the safe and
went to sleep. 1t occurred to me the
other day that men who would blow
open a safe would not hesitate to cut the
, watchman's throlt, and l felt it was In
viting murder to continue to depend
upon the guard and the old safe, so l
have just made purchase. l don't
carry a great desI Of money In it OF my
own, but there are great many people
who bring none! here and leave it in
my care"
remarked that for man conduct
ing an establishment where so much
money was said 10 be won at times, he
must always have on hand a very large
amount-say at hast 100000.
Newspapers tx up the stories about
big winnings ane big losses very nice
ly," said COL Spencer, land l have no
doubt everybody enjoys reading them.
l certainly do, although l know they
are founded NOR on fiction than upon
fact. 1t is very seldom that l keep over
$40, 900 in the sac, and in all the years
/ have been running | have found that
amount sufficient to meet all the de-
mands that are made upon me. There
never was time so far as know when
such large sums have been won or lost
as the newspapers would have us be-
lieve. / am all the time picking up
newspapers and reading about remark
able games played here when John Nor
risSey was associated with me in this es-
adjustment. There are just as big
games played now as there was then.
1t is very seldom that man will go over
| $4,000 either in losses or games at the
gambling table. When they reach that
amount they usually stop and take a
rest. The amount OF nervous energy
that is expended in making such play
as this is very exhausting and there are
very few men who have constitutions
that would enable them to sit at a
gambling table for a longer time than
enables them to either lose or win such
an amount. They may il they stick at
il for different SittingS lose or win a
great deal more than that, but then
they make settlements before they be-
gin playing a second or third time, so
that 1t is not necessary to keep such a
large amount on hand as novice would
suppose.
l asked Col Spencer what class of Gus
toners were the greatest gamblers, and
he said the Hebrews probably were.
at is very hard to win any money from
Hebrew" he said, "and they display
the same shrewdneSs in gambling that
they do in their business. They are
very close players, and they will never
lose much at time. When they lose
they are sure to double their bets, and
If they get little ahead they will stop
playing. Then il luck should come
their way at commencement, they in
varisbly put good proportion of their
winnings aside, so that / don't think
that on the whole Hebrews lose such a
large amount Of money at games Of
chance as would be expected, consider
ing the risk that they take"
The widow of Gen. Grant is spending
a month here, and she has been twice to
Mount McGregor to visit the scene of
her distinguished husbands death. She
was greatly affected on her first visit
there and she remained in the cottage
where the great general died for sever
oil hours. 1t was with great difficulty
that her companions were able TO per-
suade her TO leave so that she would be
in time to catch the train returning TO
Saratoga that day. 1t is the first time
Mrs. Gran. has been to Mount Nc
Gregor since she left there accompany
ing the generals remains. She selected
Saratoga so as to be near Mount Nc
Gregor, for II is only short ride.
Mrs. Grant has found that she cannot
bear to be for any length Of time in a
place in which the general was as
ISOLATED. 1t was for this reason that
she gave up her beautiful summer
home at Long Branch where the gen.
eral went to pass his summers after he
became president She has leased the
cottage for term of years, but it is
doubtful il she will ever return there
again. She also gave up her house on
Sixty-fifth street where the general
lived most of the time he was in New
York and where he was taken with his
fatal complaint.
One Of the most interesting sojourn-
ers at the United States hotel is Mr..
Justice Blatchford, of the supreme
court. He is q man Of most methodical
habits, and one days history with him
Is very much the same as another. He
is as regular In his movements as clock
work. Every morning at seven he may
be seen leaving his hotel, and
walking 70 his fayorite spring.
Promptly at eight he has
breakfast, and from that until lunch
TINA he deyotes to study or looking over