The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-04-13
GAMBLING IN WASHINGTON.
Not Much nigh Play There New Says
an Old Gambler, ana lie Tells why.
lFrom ~. wa,hluaton Pest }


his home in this city. As sporting
man In bis prime and day Jerry Jewel
was known AL over the United States.
lie came cf highly respectable family
OF colonial CesosDt, aud, m n lifelong
friend OF his pnts It, Jerry took TO
gambling So naturally "a a duck takes
TO water Coming to Washington early
In the buchanan AdmlnistrAtion, Jswel
has resided here ever sipos. Talking on
the old times to few friends who re-
ceLtly visited him. Jerry eloqusnty
pointed cut tie causes for the decadenos
Of gnu bling. He said:
"ons night while dealing for old Thad
stevens, then national figure In Con-
grsss, q man for whom he had scored a
position In one OF the departments
watched the game aw lille, and finally
made sus gsstion as - the best play.
Mr.. Stevens merely rsissd his eyebrows
and made no rsjoinder. Finally the man
said: 'Mr. Stsvsns, will sake my repn-
tation that the nine wins.' Still Mr..
stevens 90 nEnued to plsy right and
left, as was mis- custom, without deign-
ing TO notics this remark. Bot when the
nine lost, Mr.. Stevens saw q chaDss to
suppress his would be coach. and, raising
his head, he excl aimed. Pay the dealjr
rs cents, SIR But l haven't bet, AIR.
Stevsns,' answered the surprised aud
conf fused individual. You staksd on the
nins to win, sir, and you owe quarter,
CRU fly returned old 1had, and the litter
Of the other players around the board ad-
n onished the fellow that Mr.. Stevens
very pointed estimate Ct his stake and
reputation was conourred In.
"After he had left. Mr.. Stevens cas- he'd
10, and addressing me, lie forttold the
decadence of the exciting sport In the
near future, 70 far as Washington was
corcered. Said Mr.. Stevens:
Jewel, these department clerks and
appoinees ara running us out, sir. That
fellow who has just left secured q
position Of 81. 800 Psr annum. He needs
every cent Of 1t to support those who are
dependent on him, but he must needs
gam bls. How much longer do you SUP
rose the GLASS of men who have heen
o1c patrons will sit around the green
cloth with clerks or appointessr
81 was struck with the force Of Mr..
Stsvens's observation, and also noticed
another element increasing daily which
equally hsipsd to kill the game. This
eioment was the chap gambler who liv ed
by his plays and lOafed around the rooms
where the games were In operation. l
was dealing for the Janss brothers at
this period, in the house where the Hotel
johnson now stands. ! had been pre-
vlously operating strong game at the
northwest coruer OF Sixth street and
Pennsylvania avenae. Morrisssy and
Aorrissey wss In Congress, The rooms
were coated where subsequently, the de-
funot Warrington Press Club had head
q 'arteTs, near the corner Of Fifteenth
sureet and this Avenue. Here Senator
Matt Garpsntsr ana many other noted
men wrsstlsd with the tiger many times
70: twenty -four hours at sitting. A
man named John Usher kept rsstau-
+ Int In those days next door 10 where
Shoemaker is now, and Senator Carpen-
ter would come In there daily to eat corn
beef and cabbage with the rest OF rs who
fan cisd Il at dish. The boys all liked the
Senator, as he was truly democratic In
bis intercourss with Us. Ike lhompsoB,
prince Pendleton. General wilkinson,
Bob Steele, and more OF our set who
handled the boxes at ths various
houses made Usher's kind Of meeting
place to compare notes and exchange sal
ut6 tions.
"Gsn. Stsadman, OF Ohio. whom bis
friends like to refer TO as the Rock Of
Chiokam auga', / met for the first time
when dss ling for the Jones boys at sixth
street ana the Avenue. He came In one
night and threw his overcost on the
roulette table. l siZsd him up as q West
srn man. he approached the table whsrs
was and said:
"'Glye me a hundred dollars worth OF
ohips.
"Tbe General, whom / learned to know
and apprscist at his trus worth. was
little gruff on firss acquaintance, but be
was dead game man al the iabls or In the
teld, for that ma tier. Hs warned me
one night that the { IL times wsIe passing
and that an inferior and financially poor
or GLASS Of men were becoming the
patrons CT the game. He said;
Jewel, the stock exchange and the
bucket shops are going to supersede
gambling among the legi, lators at the
nations capital The returns are q uioker
and bigger, and gam pliRg In stocks and
margins can be done on the quiet with
out subjecting ones SILT to tine exposure
and gossip OF Department olsrks>and
Government employees. Now, mark
what tell you: When Congressman and
members Of the ''third house. abandon
the game, gambling in Washington Will
be suppressed by law ~ you will no
longer have any friend In either house to
protect you.
And sure enough, the Generals predic-
tion has come to pass. The third house.
to which ire General referred was CON-
posed of lobbyists and influential poll
tisia ms and business men from all over
the United States who visited this city
during the sessions of Congress. The
membsre Of the 'third house were DOR
best patrons.
fifty or sixty thousand dollars ID = re-
spectacle sum In any other business than
the bank Of . gambling house. In the
latter thers 10 an un,eItainty about the
roll that lessons Its value from the point
OF View Of the gambler. In those days
have seen the bank cleaned out N re
than once and In more than one house,
but the game opened up the next night
~ II nothing had happened. We stood
by eaoh other then. after the manner In
which the national banks and clearing
houses help zach other out now.
"My experience concluded Mr.. Jewel.
land am in my sixty -sighth year, OF
the men who try their LUCK at the faro
table, outside, of course, the professional