The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-06
GAMING AT CROCKFORD'S
ENORMOUS SUMS OF MONEY LOST AT
THE FAMOUS LONDON CLUB.
Gorgeous Furnishings of the House
Exclusiveness and Incompatible
Cuisine-Favorite Game.
London News.

London News.
Although the celebrated club. or gam
bling house, known as "Crockford's," the
memory of which has recently been re-
vived by certain scenes in Mr.. Trees new
play at Her Majesty's Theater, was by no
means the only Infamous institution of it's
kind which flourished in London during
the earlier part of the nineteenth century.
it was without doubt the most prominent
and splendid and successful of them ALL
The most eminent architect of the day.
Wyatt, was employed to design the build
ing, and it's magnificent vestibule and stair
case, its fine domed hall, its nobly proper
toned rooms. and its gorgeous internal dec
orations, on which alone Crockford is said
to have spent 900, were the wonder and
admiration of all who beheld them. A con-
temporary account describes the drawing
rooms, or real hell of this new pande-
monium,' as consisting Of only four cham
bers, 1.-The first of an ante-room, opening
to a saloon embellished to a degree which
battles description; thence to a small cur
iously formed cabinet. or boudoir, which
opens to the supper ROOM" These rooms,
are told. were ''paneled in the most gor-
geous manner, spaces being left to be filled
up with mirrors and silk or gold embellish-
ments. the ceilings being supurb the
walls" In addition to these a billiard room
on the upper floor completed the number Of
apartments ''professedly dedicated to the
use Of the members But the writer of
this evidently inspired account significantly
adds: Whenever any secret maneuver is
to be carried on there smaller and
more retired places, both under this roof
a nd vhAe lie mill toll
tales"
SOON BECAME THE RAGE.
The place was regularly organized as a
club, and the election of members, who
were charged an annual subscription of
e25, was vested in a committee of noble
men and gentlemen. in order to keep the
company as select as possible Crockford's
quickly became the rage The Duke of
Wellington was one of the original mem
bers, and its habitues, in addition to 1000
or 200 of the best-known men in London,
included all the great foreign dipIomatists,
such as Prince Talleyrand, Count Pozzo di
Borgo. General Alava the Duke of PaImel-
la, Prince EsterhaZy, the French, Russian,
Spanish, Portuguese and Austrian ambas-
sadors. In fact, all persons of distinction
and eminence who arrived in England
seem 10 nave belonged TO CrOckfOrd's az a
matter of course The cuisine was of un-
rivaled excellence, and among other ad-
vantages of membership was the privilege
or dining at very low price from bill of
fare provided by those great culinary art
lists, Ude and Francatelli. Ude, with whom
the establishment opened, received a salary
OF tl,ao year. with. we may presume.
other not lnconsiderable emoluments.
Abraham Hayward used TO tell an anus
ing story showing that even this great art
list sometimes failed of his due recognition.
Colonel Damer happened TO enter Crock
evening tn do
walking up and down in a towering passion
and inquired what was the matter. THE
matter, Monsieur lie COLONEL Did you see
that man who has lust gone out? Well he
ordered red mullet for his dinner. L made
him a delicious little sauce with my own
hands. The price OF the mullet marked on
the carte was IS; added Sd for the sauce.
He refuses TO pay the Cd. That imbecile
apparently believes that the red mullets
come out OF the sea with my sauce in their
pockets. But. although the members Of
set OF gourmets. it was generally admitted
that both Cde and Francatelli in their turn
were indispensable in London.
THE OLD-TIME DANDIES.
Captain Gronow. in his entertaining
"reminiscences and Recollections," gives
lively description OF the dandes who
nightly thronged Crockford's rooms.
Boards, he says, were completely unknown,
and the rare mustache was only seen on
the lips OF officers of the Household Bril-
gade or OF hussar regiments. Stiff, white
neckcloths. blue coats with brass buttons.
rather shOrt-waisted white waistcoats, and
tremendously embroidered short fronts
with gorgeous studs of great value were
considered the right thing. "A late de-
servedly popular colonel In the Guards
to furnish him with new set of studs