The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-27


souri,.
on one memorable occasion. Chamberlin
went 10 New Orleans with something IKE
$4,000 cash in his pocket. The boys on the
steamboat got IL all away from him with
the exception Of about $3.50. He tackled
faro bank or arriving in the Crescent
city and won before he quit the place
nearly 5000
In those days Chamberlin was a very
athletic and powerfully young fell
low, and he had the courage of lion.
To this day they Will tell you in St.
Louis that he was never afraid OF any
man who walked In shoe leather. His
brother, BILL" kept a gents furnishing
goods store IN ST. Louis. just across Val
nut street from the old Southern hotel,
which was destroyed by fire in April. 1871.
A huge bully. who was recognized as
the best slugger of his time in the city,
grossly iusulted Chamberlin one morning.
John hauled OF and struck him. but the
fellow very promptly knocked him down
and walked away. The former saw that
he was not physical match for the man,
and he had no shooting irons with him.
A short time previous. a well-known
cltlzen OF St. Louis had purchased a
heavy walking stick from "BWr Chamber
hn He was standing quietly on the cor
ner, when he was approached by John
who said: BE kind enough 10 lend me
that stick for few moments"
Aucl waking Eo0llg across the street he
Knocked the bully down with il and equal
ly as quietly returned to where the owner
OF the cane was standing, and handed 1t
10 him with his thanks.
Mr.. Chamber,in was never a quarrel
some man. He loved peace, and would
rather have a good time than wrangle or
tight, but he had so much spunk he
would fight at the drop OF a hat rather
than take an insult.
HIS great success In life was due to his
wonderfully good nature his fondness for
stories, general good fellowship, and his
remarkable acquaintance with public men
and the most noted characters Of this
and other lands. He knew as much about
living and how to live as any man who
ever existed, and usually looked upon the
bright side no matter what his reVerses
/ and disappOntments were
During the latter years of his life ne
was often heard to remark: Il have more
friends and less money than probably any
man living So far as sordid gain was
| concerned he cared absolutely not fig
| Tor money, and never seemed to have the
| slightest desire to amass wealth.
At one time it is said he was worth
! considerably over 100000. Race horses
! broke him. He was a well-fxed man be-
! fore he took his celebrated horse, True
! Blue, to California 1t is reliably report
| ed that on that trip he dropped a cool
! $4,000 on the horse named He and the
notorious John Morrissey had coined
money at Long Branch, and with the
Monmouth Park, Chamberlin at one time
| appeared to have ali a man could desire
! Chamberlin was probably as fine a
/ judge of wines and liquors as any man
! who ever put a glass of wine or grog to
| his lips. Many of his friends and even
| he himself was forced to admit that he
could not be excelled in this particular
On one occasion when Chamberlin was
/ a Z al In
| after he had taken a great number of
! drinks, he called for a hot Scotch" with
| specific instruction to have certain
brand Of Scotch used in the mixture The
drink was placed before him, and in
| stantly he ordered the waiter to take it
! back. He said it was not what he or
dered. At his own place once in Washing
| ton a similar mistake was made and he
| detected it at once. Most people had an
idea he was complaining merely for the
sake of complaining, but really his taste
and judgement were SO fine there was no
fooling him.
Three things Chamberlain was very
| "touchy' on during the last years of his
life. He would never permit any one to
criticise severely his particular friend,
Grover Cleveland, President of the United
| States. The habtues of Chamberiin's
| knew his weaknesses, and they Invariably
| got a rise out OF him on Cleveland.
Two other things they were certain to
| work him up on were women riding hi
| cycles and prize fights. He was dread
| fully opposed to ''bloomers," and thought
that no female calling herself a lady
should ever be seen sitting astraddle a
pike"
A crowd of congenial spirits sat in Cham
berlins last fall 'jollying' the "old
man." as the boys liked to call him.
They brought up all three subjects and
had no end of fun with Chamberlin. II
was an hour or two before he realized
| that he was being made sport Of, out
! his good nature got the best of him. and
! he finally concluded that even If he did
| get little hot around the collar he had a
night of rare' good fun and it was all
right.
The great work of his life, and the one
| which crowned his career, was the build
ing of the magnificent hotel at Fortress
! Monroe known as "Chamberlin's. He
lived to see it completed, and 1t will be his
| monument.
! With Chamberlin must die an immense
| fund of good stories and personal rem
/ iniscences, which none could relate so well
as he. They We're infinite, and told with
gusto never to be forgotten. He had
| one on Larry" Jerome which is a gem.
Larry and he had r@urned from a
| trip in the Adirondacks. Their clothing
was rough and a weeks beard adorned
! their faces Coming out of the Central
depot, a bunco steerer ran up and began
the stereotyped ELUSIVE speech to Jerome
! The latter crushed the outstretched hand
/ in a grasp of steel, pinned the man to the
| depot wall with his capacious stomach,
! and with accents of deepest affection,
said:
kiss mel"
With a yell of anguish the bunco steer
! er broke away and fed.
| John Chamberlin married Emily
Thorne, the once famous actress. She and
! one daughter survive him.
Australia UnderIaid With Gold.