The evening times., 1896-01-12

| through 4 brilliantly lighted vestibule aud
| up flight OF handsomely carpeted stairs.
A pull at silver bell knob on the right
| brought negro attendant, who scrutinized
the applicant through latticcd door. II
| recognized the visitor was Instantly ad-
mitted 10 "a magnificently furnished apart
| ment, elegantly equipped with all needed
paraphernalia. in =. .fsr ..,..- .,-..
Fine haugings graced the walls, costly
| carpets covered 1.-THE floor, handsome
chandeliers lighted the scene, and heavy
curtains draped the windows, the latter
serving the double purpose of adding to
the richness of the surroundings, and, what
was more important, preventing the lights
| from being seen from the outside.
SEDUCTIVE FARO GAME.
And here it was, from evening until the
| early dawn. go when you would, some one
! was engaged in Tie fascinating game. The
| table and wines were free; no one obliged
| to play in return for the refreshment; the
proprietor, gentleman and entertaining
gentleman, was quite sure that no guest
would presume to partake af his hospitality
without iDcurriug the risk at the faro table
White checks, 81; ned. checks, So: blue
checks, S25: purple checks. 500; and a
fair dealer to cope with, what more Gould
one ask? ..,. ,,a ~,
The players of that day are said TO have
been for the most part men who had passed
the first flush of youth h-men or the coun-
try high in position and authority ana
many OF them charged with the handling OF
the funds of the nation. Governors, Con-
gressmen. officers. dressed in the blue and
gold of the Army and Navy. Were congre-
gated in This Gilded palace almost nightly
Ii is stated TO be an actual occurrence
that during a certain session or Congress
the proprietor of noted gambling house
received from the sergeaGi-dt-arms nearly
all OF the salaries of Il large proportion or
the members of the lower house, upon
orders made pa yable TO bin by the men
who had been his patrons and It was
not at all infreQuent that the leaders Of the
day Were under obligation to this same
proprietor for temporary l6ins, i'll large
amounts, for which he held their Il. o.
Us"
Some of the greatest men the country
has ever produced were frequcnters OF the
''Congressional.''
PAPERS GOT AFTER 1T.
So notorious did this fact become that
the newspapers published long stories of
the proceedings, and from one OF them, of
date more than thirty years past, this
extract is ta ken: zl-,..s ..-
"A single glance at the group around
the faro table when a game IS geiHg, on
Will reveal the character and, in many cases,
tIt iutHlNs vi tnc petspiis fhd ht-fN Al Is
well dressed group and well worth a
sketch.
Here sta nds an ex general Of the
Army, next to him Il Senator or the United
States, bearded and tall, with a face CORFU
gated with wrinkles. the result OF intense
study Of knotty financial prob!eIns. No
man is better known than he. He holds in
his hands stack Of blue chips, worth a
4 quarter OF hundred dollars apiece.
10 VI hot nd iS
warmly welcomed at the gaming tables.
"Vis-l-yis, watching huge pile Of |
red chips, is another United States Sena-
tor. He halls from the far West. and this |
is Il favorite resort of his after the evening |
dinner party or caucus. He does not ex- |
hibit the same stoicism OF his friend, but |
flashes and pales alternately through his |
gray beard. as his money is doubled or |
swept away by the tIrn of the cards. -ttl !
''Onc OF the richest mining States on |
he Pacific coast also has 4 representative |
here who Is Il desperate bettor. and who |
always plays to win. His bald head fairly |
ylistens with satisfaction when be has |
,un. Another Western and another Pacific |
state watch the cards through Senatorial |
'pcctacles, but the bets they make are few
md far between. /
HOUSE REPRESENTED ALSO.
The other end of the Capitol is repre-
wo sons there, and New York, Pennsyl-
'ania. Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, and Mime
ota seldom fail of having one or. more
representatives around the faro table"
There were some, however, towhom even
he slight publicity given their acts in
he main room was too much, and these
re und erstood to have sought upper
tories where there was no danger or de-
ection or intrusion.
IN fro /
rally whist, eucher, or poker, and some
ines keno. A waiter was in constant at |
enhance to bring up 'the drinks,' and
lso to give warning OF the approach of an
intruder.
People from almost every department of
he government and business men known
A Washington as well as ahy of the public
crowded the "Congressionar' at
IL hours OF the night. and bankers as well
s society men, hustled each other for u
lace about the seductive green-top tables.
Visitors to the lower grade establishments
net monsters in masks. Decontly dressed,
With the manners of i courtier, they were
IS base and as cruel as they were treacher-
us and cowardly. The Mexican greaser
would not more quickly strike you down
or less cause, than would these reckless
abitues of the low class gambling, dens.
THEIR RULING PASSION.
The Chinese pcnchant for fan-tan does
ot exceed the feverish passion displayed
v these professionals for the exercise
f their sO-called skill, and once inside,
he victim was invited to play. His refusal
nvariably brought an Insult, often an as
ault, and the amount of villainy prac-
ced was governed altogether by the
epth to which the establishment had
escended in the scale Of ''respectabiliiy"
Such was the ra ge for gambling in Wash
pgton in an age that is so recent as that
IS remotcness may be measured by the
pan of an ordinary life.
1t is difficult now. That there is
amblinS going, on here is indisputable,
ut like Joey Bags;ock, 1t Is "devilish
Iy," and the number Of prominent men
Tho indulge the passion is comparatively
United. ..-f ,,t.-
The dives and dcns arc practically ex-
met, and even the long-entllrcd Jackson
ity nuisances are, for the present, at
,ast reduced to the eminimum. IfGoycrnor |
> 'Ferrall employs the proper remedy,
hey will be extermiDated, and so, like
rise, should be the lately developed nest