Evening star., 1925-01-04
A Palace
of Chance

. OF Seventeenth and I
q 8aIdcc streets was not only a
~ rhoro. matter Of much local
interest. but attracted
attention outside of Washington. In
The Star of December 40, 1874, is re-
printed a letter by "Eaertes" in the
New York Graphic, in part, as fol-
lows:
John F. Chamberlins Washington
clubhouse is now open in the late
residence of the British Minister and
his legation, on Farragut Square and
Corcoran's yard, Seventeenth and
streets. 1t is the most elaborate and
spacious gaming house and restau-
rant In the United States and cost
prince of the house of Hanover
Brunswick to make It his home, and
1t was erected by one of the most
substantial bankers in the United
States for his durable family man
sion. II was rented by the British
government for $4,000 year in gold,
equal to $4,000 or more in New York
City, and has been the scene of some
OF the greatest parties and receptions
over given in Washington. viz:
Charles Knapp's grand social party
In 1887 and the state reception OF
Prince Arthur in 1870.
more ago by Elisha Riggs. brother of
George Riggs, the son OF the founder
of the house OF Peabody. Riggs & Co.
The Riggs brothers built adjoining
each other, George Riggs expending
upon his establishment $4,000 and
Elisha a less. sum. 1t is a brick house,
plastered a pale, yellow stone color
with buttresses. bays, pointed Gothic
windows and doors, and a luxurious
growth Of green creepers covers a
part of the end and wall and angle.
A bay window at the end is as large
as an ordinary room. There are two
doors from che street, both in the
side of the house, one leading TO the
private Office and the other TO an oc-
tagon room at the center of the house
which rises through three stories.
Entering the main door. a ne
gro receives the visitor. Advancing
through a carpeted hall, on the right
is a reception room, on the left sa-
loon. Beyond the saloon an exten-
sion room and the bay aforesaid, and
beyond the extension room and the
continuation of IL is the salon jouer.
The games are roulette, faro and the
other game, whose name I forget,
bacharach. or something of that
sound. The trente ct quarante table
Is not yet UP.
"An arch out of the gaming room
discloses through the octagon the re-
fectory. a beautiful apartment with
the famous $4,000 Long Branch side
board in Il. The table is elegantly
spread for supper at midnight. Be
hind the refectory, hall intervening,
are pantries. and at the end of the
hall is the reading room, letter desk
and lounge. Over this on the second
floor is the celebrated chamber occu-
pied by Prince Arthur. hereafter to
be Mr.. Chamberlin's own apartment.
1t is octagonaf. Five other bed cham
bers and q sitting room are upon the
second floor. Three of the side rooms
in this story are for whist and 'Bos-
tom In the third story are IL bed
chambers.
Il do not see, indeed, whence the
materials are to be found for faro
playing in this Capital. unless the
next Congress should bring them in
Its wake. Money is scarce here and
schemine over. Investigations and
buckwheat cakes are the only staples
of the poor. There are not less than
20 gaming houses, generally of small
pattern and in quarters OF ambiguous
respectability, and though they are
perfectly secure from the law. a very
determined effort to break them hav-
ing shown that the officials were
more smirched than the gamesters,
yet could never perceive that any
Of these people made more than a
livelihood. But there are men here
who play Boston and poker among
gentlemen and have the regulations of
being rich. A fair proportion of pub
lie men gamble all the while when at
leisure. 1t Is the habit OF the West
and South, and Army life taught
thousands of young officers the fasci-
nation of the draw But there is no
hotel or club in Washington where a
company of men may not call for
cards and a servant and keep up the
combat all night