The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-29
LEXINGTON'S GAME DAYS.
NOTED sP0R7SMEN WBO WENT TO
KENTUCKY TUICE a YEAR.

as Faro Deniers-Snm wiia's Last
Harry owsna's Meteorie Career.
LEXINGTON. KY. Nov. 27.-Lexington. the
homo OF Price McGrath. tho partner Of the
late John Mori issey. the puRllist, Congress
man, and gambler, was n Mecca for sporting
men before and for several years after the
civil war. During that period horpe racing was
not the business 1t now is, and IL was con-
Quoted regularly at only three points-Lex-
ington, Charleston, s. c., and New Orleans.
II Is true there was occasional raringl at
Louisville, at Memphis. and Mt baltimore.
Lexington never missed its regular spring and
fail meetings from 1926 until the second year
of the war. All the sporting men OF the East
and South visited this city ut least once o year
and many OF them were here at both the spring
and the fall meeting. in those days Blue Lick
Springs, forty miles TO the north, and Harrods-
burg and Crab Orchard Springs, thirty miles
to the south Of Lexington, were popular sum-
mer resorts not only for the people Of tho
North but for those of tho South also. As
Lexington was the halfway place between
these noted springs. and as II was the fountain
head of horse racing, situated In the. midst %
the farms on which were bred nearly ali tho
leading race horses of the day. 1t naturally be-
came the rendezvous for ..the..swellest sports
men of the entire country. Such men as Leb
Ward, who afterward became famous in Ar
kansas; the Fauntleroys of louisiana. Price
McGrath, and Rufus Lisle, and. in fact, near
ly all the notable men of the time throughout
the South, would visit the gambling rooms
in Lexington and tempt fortune with gold.
From 1880 until the breaking out of the
war. gambling in Lexington was at its height.
Small games of faro and poker were run
ming all tho time, but about two weets be-
fore the beginning OF the semi-annual race
meetings tho visiting sportsmen would arrive.
and they would set up faro banks in the Phoenix
Hotel, in the old Broadway Hotel. and in
boarding houses. On many occasions there
would be at least 900 men in the city who
were faro dealers. Then the baltic Of the
cards would begin. The visiting dealers who
had not set up games of their own would play
against the Others, and in many cases when
the bank would 10 nearly broken. the player
and. the dealer would change places.
Prior to 1851 the Western gamblers knew
nothing of copperlng a bet. All cards were
played open. Early in that year several New
York sportsmen came to Lexington to spend a
few months before the races began. They
brought with them the invention of an East
ern gambler known al coppering. The West
ern men were quick to see the advantages Of
the scheme. which doubled the strength of the
game-and.consequently increased the percent
age in favor of the dealer. Many of these mi
REdtOI1 hlCI dhllOWtu u olOu Optu llIllt, Nv
of course the resident dealers had to be equal
by liberal. 1t was no uncommon thing to see
ten or fifteen. bets of 500 each stacked
around a certain card. thus making the dealer
stand to lose $1,000 or more on a single turn.
The more conservative dealers played a slid
ing limit Of SIS, which the players could run
up to 5000. Then they would have to take
down the 5000 and begin at S25 again. The
visiting gamblers would often try to play
sharp practice on the resident dealers. One
man with a stake would take eight "r ten of
his friends to a SlOO-limit game. He would
stake each of them. and they would all play
the limit, but instead Of there being a mum.
Der Of men playing against the game, there
was in reality only one. This scheme. how
ever. was not resorted to very often. as the
local dealers quickly discovered it.
Am nnH the aed noted sos, dealers Of faro arc and PLAYERS
%exinston In the ante-bsiiam va" days, msy be-
mentioned Col. Robert Boyden of Baltimore.
1t was seldom that the Colonel dealt He was
and one o. the best-dresssd men that ever cama
to Lexington. He made it a business to fur
pioyed the most expert dealers in the land to
manipulate The cards. James Pruit, Fletcher
ers. They were ali highly educated men who
had become infatuated with play. They knew
the game of faro, and human nature. too, SO
thoroughly that 1t was a rare thing for tho
games over which they presided to be mulcted
by interruptions players. The Colo2el placed
addition to the large salaries he paid them to
deal he allowed them a certain percentage of
Price McGrath was born in woodford county,
within sight of the birthplace Of Senator }. &.
8. Blackburn. His parents were poor. and he
was apprenticed TO q tailor. He worked at his
trade for many years. but every spring and
fall he would come to Lexington to attend tho
leaving his tailor's bench. he devoted the
balance OF his life to the god OF chance. He
on the outside OF the table as a player. For
several years he made the circuit of New Or
e ,hn ana Ghsriest4 on: and engaged in rambling
horses; Finally he and MOrrissey established
a gambling house in New Orleans, which they
out. McGrath was really master of the gamb-
ling end of the establishment, and Morrissey
lished a splendid gambling house in Washing
ton, D.: C., In 1861 or 1862, and insisted that
that ti.ae. "n should %id tai take &c oh iefrs N Of II. NC e.
Grath YIELDED to lis-persuasIons, and con
1870 with sl45.o0o in cash and Bonds.
1T vas in the Washington establishment
night from a Wall street man. Tho next night
the Wall street man came back and they won
sla'; over. ~ When nF be- re si + Os MeGra the 5 sisislF
the old John Gilbert farm of 4l6 acres, near this
city. for $40. 900, which he paid In 81 900 Gov
eminent bonds. lie spent nearly as much
more In improving, the place, and then stocked
II with valuable thoroughbreds. 1t was here
that his famous horse, Tom Bowling, was
reared. The writer saw him bet 81, 1000 on
Bowling in one of his races over the old Ken
lucky Association track; The famous Jockey.
Bobby Swim. rode Tom Bowling. and cantered
home n winner 1fteen lengths before his field.
McGraJh was an odd character. and n man OF
much native common sense. He was quick
witted. and possessed superior Judgment. He
never married, and left his large frotune TO his
nieces and nephews. One of his nieces is the
wife of the well-known racehorse Starter.
James B. Ferguson, and another is the wife of
DR.. Joseph Bryan of Lexington.
Among the men who dealt faro and other
games at Lexington prior to the war were An
drew Montero.' who came hero from New Or
leans; John Campbell. George Ashlock. An
drew Rogers, John Cassiday, Samuel Wills.
John Vaughn, and William Owings. Andrew
Rogers for many years had to use crutches on
the Southern circuit of Lexington. New Orleans
and Charleston with the regularity Of clock
work. Another odd character was Frank
Lisle. His lower II nbs wero paralyzed. and he
had to be carried from hts aleeninu nart,nant