The Washington weekly post., 1900-03-20
Jerry Jewel, Who Dealt Cards
to Many Noted Players.
HE is SERIOUSLY ILL In THIS CITY
some of the Experiences Of the Oldest
Carpenter, Thad stevens, Gen. steadman,
Cole Martin, and Other Prominent Men of
the Oiden Days for Whom He Dealt the
Cards-Anecdotes by the Veteran.

day Jerry Jewel was known al over the
United States. He came OF a highly re-
spectacle family Of colonial descent, and,
as lifelong friend of his puts 1t. Jerry
took to gambling as naturally as a duck
takes to water" Coming 10 Washington
early IN the Buchanan administration.
Jewel has resided here ever since. and M
III Congress enacted the measure that ef-
fectually ended gambling in the District,
was actively engaged in his profession.
Talking on the good old times TO few
friends who recently visited him, Jerry
eloquently pointed out the causes for the
decadence OF gambling. He said:
one night while dealing for old Thad
Stevens. then a national figure in Con-
gress, a man for whom he had secured a
position in one of the departments watch
ed the game awhile. and finally made a
suggestion as to the best play. Mr. Stey-
ems merely raised his eyebrows and made
no rejoinder. Finally the man said: Mr.
Stevens. L will stake my reputation that
the nine wins Still Mr.. Stevens con-!n-
ued to play right and Left as was MS
custom, without deigning to notice the
remark. But when the nine lost, Mr..
Stevens saw a chance 10 suppress his
would-be coach, and, raising his head.
he exclaimed: Pay the dealer % cents.
sir But 1 haven't bet, Mr.. Stevens an
swered the surprised and confused indi-
vidual.
You staked on the nine to win. sir,
and you owe a quarter gruffly returned
old Thad, and the litter of the other play
ers around the board admonished the feI-
low that Mr.. Stevens very pointed est
mate Of his stake and reputation was
concurred in After he had left. Mr. Stev-
ems cashed in. and addressing me he fore
told the decadence OF the exciting snort
in the near future, so far as Washington
was concerned. Said Mr. Stevens:
Department Clerks Ruined It.
Jewel, these department clerks and
appointees are running US out, SIR. That
teIiow who has just left | secured 10
sltion Of $l,5O0 per annum He needs ey-
cry cent OF 1t to support those who are
dependent on him, but he must mead,
gamble How much longer do Won sup-
pose the class Of men who have been yOur
patrons will sit around the green Clotb
with clerks or appointees%
was struck with the force of Mr.
stevens observation, and also noticed an
other clement increasing daily which
equally helped 10 kill the game. This a1e-
ment was the cheap gambler who lived
Iy his plays and lOafed around the rooms
Where the games were in operation.
vas dealing for the Jones brothers at this
period, IN the house where the Hotel
Johnson now stands. I had been preyi-
ousiy operating a strong game al The
northwest corner of Sixth street and Penn
sy,Eania avenue. Morrissey and Burns
packed big game when Mr.. Morrisscy
as IN congress. The rooms were Iocat
e. "here subsequently, the defunct Wash
lrgtOn Press Club had Headquarters. near
.he corner OF Fifteenth street and the
avenue. Here Senator Matt Carpenter
anu many other noted men wrestled with
lhe usef many times for twenty four
hours al sitting 4 man named Holm
OsHer Kept restaurant in those days
next door 10 where Shoemaker is nov
and Ser ator Carpenter would come in
there daily 10 eat corn beef and cabbage
with the rest OF us who fancied thar disb
The boys all liked the Senator, as he was
truly democratic in his intercourse with
IS. Ike Thompson, Prince Pendletcp
General Wilkinson, Bob Steele, and NOR
Of our set who handled the boxes at the
various houses made Usher's a kind of
meeting place to compare notes and OK
change salutatioHs.
Gen. Steadman, Of Chic. whom his
friends Ike to refer to as the Rock Of
ChlcKamauga,' | met for the first tirna
when dealing for the Jones bows at Sixth
street and the Avenue. He came in one |
mght anG threw his Overcoat on the ron I
.ette table. | sized him up as a Western |
man. He approached the table where T /
was dealing and said:
Give me a hundred dollars worth NJ !
ChlDs'
Ihe general, whom l learned to know |
and appreciate at mis- true worth. VAS a |
little gruh on first acquaintance. but n !
was dead game man at the table or in |
The field, for that matter He warned rne /
one night that the Old times were mass |
ing, and that an inferior and finaDcfaUy
poorer class Of men were becoming the |
patrons Of the gan e. He said:
The Bucket shops Now.
"Jewel the stock exchange and tbo |
bucket shop are going to superseda gam
bling among the legislators at the Nafion'e |
capital The returns are quicker and /
bigger, and gambling in stocks and mar /
gins can be done on the quiet without 1
subjecting ones self 10 the exposura and /
gossip OF department clerks and govern /
n'ent employees. Nov, mark what | reU /
YOU: When congressman and members !
OF the third house" abandon the game |
in Washington will be suppress
cd oy law as YOU Will no longer have |
any ffierd in either house to protect vol1
And sure enough, the generals predic-
lion has come 70 pass. The third house /
10 which the general referred was com
posed Of lobbyists and influential poIiticI-
ans and business men from all oye- tbe
United States who visited this city du--
ing the sessions Of Congress. The Nom
beTs OF the third house were our hos,
patrons.
Fifty or sixty thousand dollars is a re-
spectacle sum in any other business than
the bank of a gambling house. In the
latter there is an uncertainty about tho
roll that lessons its value from the pofur
of view OF the gambler In those dayz
} have seen the bank cleaned out more
than once and in m0-e than one house
but the game opened up the next night
as II nothing had happened. We stood
fy each other then, after the manner In
y hiCh the national banks and clearing
houses help each other out at the pres
fnt day. ] remember one night that Ike !
Thompson was dealing and LOSING heavily
10 a couple OF pretty rough Westernrrs
" TO kew likes falling Of irritabilrv (
They played on this weakness and got him
considerably ratified Finally, ] told Ike
/ would deal awhile and relieve him. When
sat down one Of the fellows growled /
and talked about the amount OF money
he had lost 70 the tiger dc. retortsd a
little angrily: All the money you ever lost
In your life wouldn't pay for the school- !
ug of my sirl' Quick ar a flash old ThaH ,
Stevens. VINO sat about ten feet away. ez-
claimed:
Jewel. sir. you must have a very
young girl
This turned the laugh on ne but I
turned the luck for the bank and clean
ed out the 'buckers.'
Hs Wore jiany Wigs.
Talk about the vanity Of women. +, "a
az nothing compared 70 that of some
men. ] won't mention names. but every |
0ld-iimer IN Washington knew one Of the
bankers for whom ] worked for awhile
He owned four wigs and was perfzctsy /
bald, this fact was known only 70 very
few persons. and the way he managed 10
conceal his secret was this;
Each wig wgs made 20 show 70 naucn
hafv nus. hafng shorter than fha 9TH, a.. z