The Washington herald., 1910-11-27

OptimistS declare that as city grows
beautiful its people become morally bet
ter and more cultured IN all directions
Examples and statistics are cited in sup
port of this contention and both Manila
and Havana, which have certainly i'm
proved since they came under American
influence, are mentioned as proving this
claim. But what about Washington Is
there any question regarding its advance
in morality during the last half CEN
fury? Ask In all directions and there
Will be but one answer. When the board
Of public works cleaned out the alleys,
made new sewers TO drain on the ctys
corruption. IL cleaned out more than the
loathsOme places and 1t drained on more
than material corruption. IL Is dlflcult
10 believe that less than thirty years aSo
an opulent lobby fourished here and that
roulette and faro were played as openly
as bridge is played to-day How long
would a Senator or a member of Con-
gress retain his seat II he We're TO be
daily seen in a gambling place COM
placently engaged In roulette or faro, yet
some OF the greatest men OF the last
century constantly sought relaxation and
excitement in those games.
II is a matter Of history that Wash
ington was at one time the gambler
paradise Public sentiment accepted
gambling as a matter of course and there
was no attempt TO suppress II or limit
il even In turning over the annals OF
the city We find mention OF PendletOns
and Prindle's, the former frequented
the Northerner. the latter by the
Southern statesmen Pendleton's,s more
conservative than Prindle's, boosted a
famous cook. served meals that secured
as clients all the epicures in town ana
closed the gambling room at midnight.
Prindles not 50 famous for its menus,
was celebrated for its me wine cellar
and gambling was carried on there IN
the most spirited fashion. one of the
most noted hahitues of Prindle was Thad-
deus Stevens, Yankee by birth, penn
sylvauian by his own selection, a states
man. who will be remembered for many
things, chief among which was the part
he played in the Johnson Impeachment
trial, and a passionate gambler. 'Thad'
Stevens could he found almost any day
al Prindle's absorbed in faro and he
would sit for hours at the table with
a pile of chips before betting as TO which
card would come out of the box His
friends explain this lust for gambling
as a needed relaxation, a relief after this
supreme mental concentration when he
was preparing for or engaged in debate,
Gained Fame and Fortune.
Another conspicuous figure at Prindles
faro table was Green. OF Missouri pOliti-
clan, diplomat a self-made man, and one
OF Missourfs most noted sons. A Virgin
ian by birth, who left his own State for
Missouri when he was scarcely more than
a lad, Senator Green, through his own
unaided efforts. came into fame and for
tune there and one of the famous lawyers
OF his day. IL seems natural that a per-
son who has never earned a cent. yet has
the disposition of a large fortune should
squandeT il. but when a man has la
bOriOusly gathered every penny of his
wealth and has suffered and deprived
himself to attain il, throws away thou
sands, one cannot readily understand.
This is what Green did at Prindle's faro
table. where the stakes were limitless
He was d good loser. however, and paid
for mis- excitement and pleasure without
grumbling at its cost
When we look at Trentanove's statue
OF Albert Pike in Indiana avenue we
think Of that gr at Mason as a venerable
patriarch, a grave and dignihed gentle
man OF the old school and he was. per
haps. al this. though he did dispOrt him
self at Prindle's did play for heavy
stakes. and won and lost with eqUnimity.
To mention others who played in those
early days at Prindle's and Pendleton's
would e 10 quote almost the rosters of
the Senate and House To name over all
tho army and navy officers stationed in
town at that period, and all of the
wealthy and well-to-do men who might
be counted as residents of Washington,
for il was no more extraordinary for
man 20 gamble in those days than il is
for him 10 play golf and tennis In our
own. But when we consider what We
term the vices of a certain age We must
consider as we'll the standards of those
times. Gambling in the last century, from
its be ginning To almost its end. was
fashionable pastime, and not 10 conform
% the nearly universal custom was 20 be
considered a prig; although there were
some who did not conform for gambling
never prevailed among the women of
Washington as il did in London and the
continental capitals
GambIed for Rig stakes.
After the war. instead of Prindle's and
Pendleton's, there were Welcher's and
Chamberlins. where statesmen and
their fellows dined well and gambled for
high stakes. II is charged, indeed that
it was the custom of the lobbyists who
dominated legislation at a certain period
after the war 20 lose large sums to Con-
gressmen. who We're relied upon in turn
10 vote for the measures these unscrupu-
lous worthless were furthering But at
Chamberlin's and Welcher's, unlike
Prindle's and Pendleton's, the gambling
went on behind closed doors and care
fully drawn curtains. for public senti-
ment had turned against gambling and
politicians made campaign capital out of
candidates gambling propensity Just
as later on certain statesmen were de-
feated because they built homes in Wash
ington or entertained too lavishly. It
vas in 1889 that the bill abolishing the
faro table and roulette wheel became a
law, but these "decoys of Satan" and
other decoys such as poker and bacca-
rat hourished long after this law was
passed, only greater precautions We're
taken 10 conceal these vices.
Public sentiment finally dominated as
IL always does, always viii dominate,
and after Welcher's death and the pass
ing OF Chamberln in these famous gath
ering places for the notable men of the
nation were closed, and to-day the spot
where the little Belgian Gordon bleu
planned and served his celebrated din
ners is occupied by a great business
building, and John Chamberlin's no
less noted place is devoted TO other pur-
poses.
The Capital was afflicted with a worse
evil than gambling in the latter half of
the last century-an evil that wronged
the whole country, as well as the people,
and the place where it fiourished That
evil was lobbying. which was al It's very
worse just after the civil war For a
time every one not in Congress seemed
10 be lobbying 70 get something through