The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-13

most cAsss husbed up. hut Washington
people always heard about them. Such
things do not occur to-day. TIT present
generation Of Americans would be- stunned.
md afterward furious. at q story Of q rough
and-tumble fight between q couple OF
members Of the Cabinet over . game OF
cards. Yet that very thing happened at
John Chamberlin's while lees than a quarter
O. the ninsteenth century vet remained
TO be unreeled. and whsn men spoke about
Il down IN Washington they only winked
gravely st each other and wished they'd
been standing by 20 see the mix-up.
Washington correspondents still In har-
nsss ct ths capital and stnl pretty spnghtly
and ohipper easily remember when ~
poker games were common under the his
doms. The games went OF I'm the COM
mittes rooms in both OF the wings OF the
Capitol, and no pretenos OF keeping them
secrst was made. Participants In these
games would be hastily summoned TO their
respective Legislative chambers 60 vote.
and, having answered To their names.
would hustle back To the cards with all
speed. Notorious lobbyists would bs per-
United. or actually invited. 90 'sit into
these games. and stories are still told OF
how thee lobbyists would oomplaisantly
lose thousands and tens Of thousands OF
dollars TO men whose good will they relied
upon In immediate or future contingencies.
There are also stories Of card parties and
drinking bouts given by some OF thess
lobbyists at their quarters 10 the legis-
lators. the -~favors' distributed among the
guests bdng bills Of large denominations
furtivcly tucked into overcoa. pockets
-An. Al. -.1....,. k,,A1 In ska hall
. The Legislators Of to-day would no more
think OF playing cards In tho COMMITTEES
rooms than they would think Of throwing
rooks at the Grcenough statue Of Wash
inRton. They wouldn't even play Did
maid or grab or casino behind closed doors
In the COMMITTEES rooms lest the fact OF
thesr manipulating the p~astebosrds should
leak CIT and they should be suspected OF
engaging In a game Of chance for money.
OF course. those OF the Legislators who
enjoy their little or ther big little game
Of draw permit themselves the indulgence
st their quarters. with boon colleagues
- tablemates. hen night has fallen and
the business OF the day Is over. but the
most inveterAte among the Congressional
lovers Of the game OF American draw poker
would a. soon play besn-bas or tag or
puss-in-the-oorner in the rotuada Of the
Capitol ~ to rifle a deck on the table OF a
Congressional committee room.
Fifteen or twenty years ago II was no
unusual thing TO SEQ a brace or trio or quar-
tette Of happy go-lucky lawmakers. gsner-
ally Weeterners. bucking the tiger at the
faro layouts alongside sporty young Gov
eminent clerks over at jackson city, q
miserable htto hamlet devoted almost eH-
clusively 10 gambling purposes at tho
Virginia end Of the Long Bridge. Not only
would they 60 up against the Jackson City
brand Of faro bank with it- manifold splits
20 the deal. but they would tackle the skill
| fully fixed roulette wheels and 60 into the
keno m and shoot craps.
The rawest Jedge WaIem % waybsck
In the halls OF Congress would no more
think Of rapairins TO Jackson City nova
DAYS TO scatter a stack Of whites or blues
around on the cards than he would OF fail
ing to request leave 90 print or Of forgetting
10 avail himself 81 the privileges OF the
Seed Division OF tho Department Of Agn-
culture There are still walking about
Washington plenty Of g%arrulous old chaps
who, two decades ago. dealt faro bank
In wide-open gambling HOUSES right hero
In Washington for lovers OF the game among
members Of tho two houses OF Congress.
and stories Of the proves or luck Of some
Of the most eminent among the tiger-huck-
ing Legislators OF those days are still the
staple OF mellow conversation among old
time w~ashingtonions.
Old John Lane, an aged but still s~prlghtly
gentleman who has lived In Washington
ever since the year 1881. narrates with gusto
many stories Of the gambling and drinking
propensities OF some renowned Americans
who have occupied exalted stations In
Washington during his long period Of
observation, and he il particularly eloquent
and interesting in his description Of the
famous four-milo heat race In Washington
early In the eos between the celebrated
running horses Fashion and Boston. the
eauina heroes OF the North and South re-
spectively.
Both houses Of Congress- were adJouned
that the Legislators might see tho race
and business in the departments was virtu'
ally suspended for the day. n Southern
horse lost, and old Mr. Lane describe.
u~nctuously how the southern representa-.
tive. and oricials rode dejectedly away
from the track on their horses, with Their
empty and fattened pocketbooks held
a uD OH Nut tndr " Ah'AA AAilH - III Nl'i
and visible sign that there would DO moth
ing doing with them, 40 to speak. until
they had sren the Discussing Clerk.
Tie FINAL public manifestations % wha'
has been termed legislative ~sportines'
occurred during the administrator o
President Arthur. Gen. Arthur himself
was q liberal liver, nor did he care 10 50,
long faces about him during his residence
in the White House, John Chamberlin',
was still a great and prosperous institu
ton In Gen Arthur's dsy, and II dstc'
its long. gradual but Inevitable decline
from the day Gen Arthur badc good-hy
To the White House stan The feeds which
Chamberlin. with the able assistance
OF Sam Ward, the famous sastronome
used 10 prepare for cronles like ConklinI
and Sunset Cox and Sam Randall and Dor
Piatt and Ben Butler and others, all gon'
now, have often been inadequstely de
scribed 1t would not be possible TO a.
justice 20 them.
Formal and rigid rs tho general toni
OF Washington hAs bccome Of late years
IL somehow or another seems even NOR