Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-07-16
FAMOUS GAMING HOUSE GONE
Dick Canfield's Casino at Saratoga
Changes Owners.
STRINGENT LAWS STOP THE GAME
History of Notorious Resort Founded
by John MOrrissey-SOme of
the High Plays Seen


When the announcement came one day
last week that Richard Garfield had sold
his famous property at Saratoga, COM
prising the well known gaming rooms.
restaurant and picture gallery and the
magnificent grounds with their Italian
gardens and handsome trees together with
the eight or ten cottages between the
entrance and Spring street, thousands OF
former patrons all over the country became
reminiscent.
Founded in 1867 by John Morrissey and
conducted in after years by a syndicate
composed OF that remarkably versatile man
| Albert Spencer, who died rich, and Charley
Reed. who is going serenely toward the
nightfall Of life with the knowledge that
nobody has ever questioned the fairness of
any game he either dealt or backed, the
big red brick clubhouse nesting in bower
of gorgeous elms has been the scene Of
| higher play than any other resort of its
kind in the United States.
J When Morrissey died Spencer and Rec
| succeeded to the business but they dis
| agreed and ultimately the resort became
| the property of Richard Garfield, man
of education with a penchant for works
| OF art, who spent lot of money on the
interior OF the building and enough on
the gardens and surroundings of the prop
erty, taking in several acres additional
near Circular street, to make his total
outlay more than 100000. The place was
artistic in every detail. Paintings by
! noted artists and statuary by famous
sculptors adorned the walls or graced the
halls of the building, and the best chef In
the United States produced dishes in the
model kitchen that tlckled the Jaded
palates Of the most critical
I9Y,4v ted
of more than 10000 alone. 1t was so fash
Toned that the diners could look into the
big room in which the bulk Of the play
was carried on, though there are those who
say that another smaller room was main
tained for those who wished to play high,
but baked at doing II publicly.
Some of the Big Plays.
There were but two games played in this
big salon during Canfields regime, roulette
and faro; and every evening in the season
after the races were over and ievening
clothes had taken the place of the muslns,
linens flannels and homespuns Of the after
noon the dining room and the adjacent
gambling hall were crowded. The women
were as avid in their interest as The men in
the development OF the play, although they
never crossed the barrier between the two
apartments.
Dinner at Canfield's was a function that
called for more than the satisfying of
craving for food and drink. Scores of men
when coffee was served rose and tempted
fortune in an endeavor to make Garfield
pay for their dinner. On one occasion a very
we'll known young man who was dining
with party Of friends attempted TO win
the amount Of the dinner check.
When the youth had lost $4,000 his father.
a remarkably evenly balanced and clear
headed man. who had been watering his
son unseen, stepped forward and touching
him on the shoulder remarked quietly:
That will do. Your dinner has. cost you
quite as much as ! can afford"
Passing his arm through that of the
young man the father led him back to the
dinner table and 1t is said the next day
read him a lesson on the futity OF at
tempting TO beat man at his own game.
There never was a softer spoken indi-
vidual than Richard Garfield, and he
understood how to cater 20 the tastes o.
the thousands who came to his place fol-
| entertainment year in and out for upward
OF twenty seasons. He followed John Nor
rissey's plan OF forbidding the privileges
Of the place to natives and 1t made him
popular at the Springs.
saratosa's Chief Industry.
The people of Saratoga exist ana have
lived for many years on the patronage
brought TO the beautiful town by those
who follow racing. This element rent the
cottages I'LL the hotels and boarding
houses, patronize the liveries and dis
tribute their money in a dozen ways,
Broadway assuming a metropolitan appear
ance during the month OF August
! 1t was a delightful retreat. What with
walk or a game OF golf in the morning
/ the races in the afternoon, with polo twice
week as a sort OF athletic cocktail before
dinner at Canfield's or at any of the splen-
did resorts at the lake or in one of the
tree EMPOWERED pavlions of the gigantic
! hotels with an exquisite band under the
galleries, there was nothing wanting in the
way ofidiversion.
! Two years ago the ban was placed on
gaming and Garfield closed his room Of
play and would have closed the big dining
room but for the opportunities OF a great
many persons who promised to patronize
the place to such an extent that there
would be no deficit at the end of the
season.
Garfield smiled one OF his rare smiles