New-York tribune., 1909-01-24
RoMANcEs OF THE CARD TABLE.
A Story Of Louis XV-The King Of Prussia,
in Disguise. as a Winner.

~ the full story Of the card table could ee
written II would surely be the most starting
revelation Of human eupidity ever puollsneq' ana
almost every page OF II would be marked ey sofne
tneidant which would outstrip action. SAYS Tit
Bits
When Louis XIV was az the card table the fascf-
nation Of the game made him absolutely DEAD 70
all externals. and even 10 deeency ana hehlaIii'S
ON one occasion. when he vas playing lot H7a'F
stakes one Of his opponents, overcome by excite
nent collapsed in his chair in a M OF apopieAs
His majesty affected TO ignore the incident uat- -
some one exclaimed. M de Chauvelin Is III
..TI7r retorted the King. casting careless SAINTS
q, the stricken man: he is dead Iahe HiiH
away: spades are trumps. gentlemen
Equally weird is a story Goldsmith tells Nhen
.be cIsrgvn,an arrived to prepare LADY, parish
toner who had a passion for gambling ror her sv-
rroacbtng death. the lady, after listening Ier
short time 10 his exhortation, exclaimed LHa
enough Now let Us have game OF eafds
hunior her the parson consented 10 PIaS' =.
diving woman won all his money. and haa lLs.
suggested playing for her runerah re- 4~
fell back and expired
In the early years Of last century Vf-s' 80
composed largely Of CieTsymen used 70 me-
the back room Of a BARRIERS shop II ooil7fS
shire town. On one occasion. so 'hs SUI
when four of the club members we're actins a
paIlhearers at the funeral of a reverend oro'I1
some delay occurred. and the coffin vas se' 60 .
in the chancel One Of them produces Va-N
Of cards and suggested a rubber The CONN
served the purpose Of a table ana tHe pa-
were deeply immersed in the game Vaen the -
ton arrived 10 announce that everything was a.
last ready.
Nazarin's passion for gambling vas so s'Eo-s
even in death that he played cards to the 'e.
end when he was weak that they had 70 -
held for him; and the Merry Monarch spe"'
las, Sunday on earth playing at basset r'uHu
large table with his great courtiers and other a
fr, han pf 2
before him. .-
The curious fascination cards possess Tor 'Hs
devotees is illustrated by the following s'oi'
Lord Granville at the time our sSeSt ts re-
turn to Paris he repaired 10 Grahs ~ sr;ssa ~ TO
farewell game of whist ordering rI5 - he was
much deep in the game TO- be dlstu ,t readv
and that the horses had better be ehansed "a SId
hours later the same message w. .ss rhanged be-
fore he consented 10 leave the taoie a''''
An equally remarkable story is told Of GsssT ss,Ts
Payne. the great turf punger OF SeseiI'jf iIjmners
ago. On one occasion he sat down. a.. a. Nnsnson.
later the frst Lord Londesborough Hour ,sraEa sus
the night and long sf5er day and it s9 Sai
not until an urgent message same @ 70 btr, at the
altar OF ST. Georges. Hanover Square a,a Lord
cards were at last flung down III bride I3a.-
900 poorer than when he left her on the pfe'-
One of the most romantic of gambling irssssS srogS
is told by Mr. Thiselton-Dyer. of ptaiisiS .shie
stranger who took his seat az a iaaoScssdsd
and after extraordinary run or tucA !f-,s5 an
in breaking the bank. Heavens. excIdlIls~~+ "a
old infirm Austrian officer who had s sal 1sin<
the stranger. the twentieth part OF w. uvsrIdr'
would make me the happiest man IN tne ..~snger,
You shall have II. then. answered tHe
as he left the room .a,.sd the
officer with the twentieth part or tne oarA' Ths
ing My master. sir. requires no anSNe.. - he no
successful stranger soon discovereH - "
other than the King of Prussia IN diSslss o-o,-sd
That all gamblers not ungenerouSS in
by the following story told hy Horace w He sane
one OF his letters Mr. OBirne, an Iisn 50 ~
ster had won f10O. 600 from young MT ma ,ta an
chigwelI, Just started from midshipnlsan aid:
estate by his eldest brothers death y blrno oorth
You can never pay me- II can Sslo tlS . aid
MY estate will sell for the debt No. sbau
O'Birne. II will win ten thousand. ana you 5i5-
throw for the odd ninety thousand 1HeS -
and Harvey won. ..o-5 vas
probably that'in which the late George ists-v MsSv
ioch Chairman Of the Broken Hill ProprlsIssS
Company. took part A syndicate or ssVsn s,I tJiIi
been formed to finance the famous brokens 45s
silver mine, and Mr.. McCulloch was one Oh % AZ
seven One day. while sitting in sndh{S {a,tr-
the foot of the hill. McCullech offered = ssoosa
tsenth share in the mine 70 young nah N
Cox for 1900. - rar-
Cox would only offer f12o. and after nuca by r1s
Cling IL vas decided to settle the disputs ~
game OF euchre. II Cox proved the M. xas
Vas to have the share for s120; II he lost nssr-S
to pay $3.50 for IT. He won. and for the nessIIss sIIss a
few years later was valued at f1.sso.sss