New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-11-25
Baden Baden,

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After locating ourselves in the Hotel d An
gleterre, we went forth in the cool of the even
ing to see Baden Baden. Hill and vale, palace
and cottage, splendor and poverty are mixed up
together. So steep are some of the streets as to
render them difficult Of ascent on foot A dense
forest skirts the town, netted by beautiful
walks, which adds greatly to the attractions Of
the place Opposite to our hotel and in the
background of large green, rose the Conver-
sation House, devoted to the various purposes
Of balls, card parties, eating, drinking, smoking
and gambling And We saw men and women
engaged in these pursuits, even to the smoking
and gambling! Very large trees throw q
dense shade over the part of the green in front
Of the house, and hundreds were sitting beneath
them Of all ages and sexes, slipping wine, coffee,
and ice, in great glee, and apparently very
happy.
But the place which most attracted our at.
tention here was the famous gambling room, of
which we had heard much and which we re-
solved to see for ourselves.
This room is connected with the Conversation
House, and is finely frescoed and furnished
There are no green blinds or curtains to conceal
persons from view. 1t is on the first floor. beau
tifully lighted, and exposed to public view. 1t
is open to all--all may enter it, but all save
those who venture are forbidden to take seats
We stood at least an hour to witness the opera
ton, and to study human nature. Piles of gold
and silver lay on the table, and by the elbows
Of man called 90 the banker
A machine was there, which was turned rap
idly round, out of which a small ball soon drop
ped upon board below, which was squared
these squares were variously colored and num-
bered And it would seem that whether the
player won or lost was determined by the square
and the number in which the ball reposed AS
did not understand the game, l commenced
reading the gamblers. The g banker uttered
not one syllable during the time stood there.
He watched the ball, and, as he won or lost,
threw out or raked in the gold or silver. There
was no conversation above whisper around
the table. There was no appeal-no scolding.
One man threw down Napoleon he lost it
then two-then three-then five he lost them
all, and retired obviously disappointed; but not
a word did he utter. An old man threw down
five gold pieces he lost them, and retired A
man in mid life with jaunty air threw down
three pieces; the banker paid over: three more
he won again and again. He retired with cheer
tul countenance and, as he retired, the leaden
eye of the banker fell upon him; but not a
word was uttered. Some women were seated at
the table, with all the soul they had, both as tc
quality and quantity, in the game but they
did not play during our stay there. That they
do play is notorious, and some of them even stake
their virtue when their money is gone! But
such must have lost their virtue before their
money. The winner of such virtue gains q
very doubtful prize.
This was such sight as l had never previ-
ously witnessed. That cold blooded banker,
schooled in crime and in the art of deception,
watching for victims as spider for fiies-passion
rising and falling in his face as he won or lost.
and as quietly as mercury in the thermometer
those victims throwing down their money in
hope, losing it, and going away in despair
those women, with fingers sparkling with Jew
els, witnessing and abetting the whole o, if ]
have even seer tiends in human form, | believe
it was round that swindling machine in Baden.
Baden. And this gambling house belongs t
the Duke of Baden, who claims II monopoly il
gambling, and who farms his monopoly to q
company in Paris at an enormous yearly rent
How humiliating, that such robbers and black
legs should rank among princes! This is towr
beautiful for situation but its moral atmospher,
is communicating,
The hot springs of Baden form its great at.
traction and curiosity. The main spring issues
from the side of the mountain, which rises ovei
the town, and which is surmounted by the pal
ace Of the reigning duke Over this spring il
erected large building, in which is a large
basin for the reception of the water, whose heat
as it issnes from the rock is 154 degrees. Tn,
steam tlal rises from IL Is conveyed into apart
ments for steam baths, where it is cooled to the
required point. From this reservoir it is con
veyed in pipes over the whole town, and at every
corner you see the people drawing hot water
Indeed, it is conveyed across the river that flow
through the town to a fine building called til,
Drink-hall, where people resort for the waters
in the morning, as they do in Saratoga to th
Congress Spring, and where it retains undmin
ished its heat and virtues.
The use of these waters is regulated by law
and none are permitted TO bathe in them with
out an order from physician. Unless the sys
! TEN is in state to require them, bathing i
them is greatly injurious. A single bath gay
to travelling friend a pair of black eyes, fror
which he did not recover for weeks One Gu
at the Drink hall fully satisfied us. The waite
smells like poor broth, and has a salty, alkalis
| taste.
We made morning call at the new castle G
the duke, which surmounts the hill, and wer
shown through all its apartments As if 70
our accommodation, he had just retired from hi
| breakfast-room, that we might see the table a
which a reigning prince slipped coffee. We hav
seen the breakfast room and table of many a
American more richly furnished. The uppe
apartments wore quite an air of poverty, afte
having seen those of Versailles, the Quirinal an
Turin. But the underground apartments pos
sess a fearful interest. With ligAted torches W
went down into the cellar of the palace theme
by a spiral, inclined plane, We went down, dowI
until, by a door formed of one huge flag, an
fitted to its place with remarkable exactnes