Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-07-13
RICHMOND WING.
Gambling At WIesbad.u.

i
Ier aus Rev. S. l. Prime in one Of his letter, 10 III.
New York Observer from Germany, gives a sketch q,
"ssbaden the celebrated watering place Including the
following account Of the kursaai one OF the creates,
g-mbling establishments on the Continent:
And now let Us drop in at the Kurssal a Ioug aud i'm
posing building on one side of the square, while COLON
nhdts line other two sides with all m,uoer of shops
Tor the display OF fancy articles for sale. Thi, Rur,a Is
The temple of Wiesbaden, the greatest gambling house of
"ermsuy' and having something of nstioaal
character about. With that strange but very common
cy By which governments we'll often deceive
themselves the belief shat what canrot he
must be Hccnled in order regulate the government
sei- license 10 company gambling tables here
ann handsome revenue is indeed secured the Grand
pnke The operation The company pay to the govern
meht about $4,000 for the license and besides
this they are Obliged to lag large sun in keepiny
the houses and ground. in order. Will you walk in
What, into a gambling house :"
why, every body 10 be going in and IL M
abont tune TO dine this is the great eIug house of the
place"
Wei, let US go out aud see what is going on In the
inifg roci or u YOU prefer under tn. shade OF
the great trees behind you may order dinner of do.
zen different Dishes which would you about as
pence as You wouldpiy OF ShlIiugs such dinner it,
i.ohdon The two magnificent saloons, twice week
the scene o balls where princes and mobiles and com
mons mingle in the merriest dances in which Germans
eTer engage with sprinkng of French and Englsh th
titles aud without But these halls are silent though
hundreds of and women are in them They are ali
crowded around large table one in the cenrc of each
room. Not word Il heard. Ga the sofas around III.
walls 'e" isues, ouugers are sitting bu, the
standing at the tables while perhaps twenty are
None may at down except those who play. The game il
roug & nor. The At the table where we are
sardi"g, sits by wheel the players place their
money, as much they please but less than dollar
on whatever number OF color they choose the wheel ia
whitfield, little ball flies out, and falls upon number the
manager announces it. and the fate OF each player n
stapty decided. Some have won. have lost more
Of the latter than The former of the bank must
win in the long run, it could pay the great sum
demanded for the license and make fortunes for the man
ayers besides am intensely interested in stud ing the
game aud the company. Here just in front Of me
IS genieel looking man, with red nous ache and
clear white skin, rather too much dressed
10 be gen,lemani he ID playing high Not with silver.
he l,ys down less than Napoieon and often FIVE
and sometimes more Of them once He wins every
time, and ihrustng out his little wooden scraper draws
in his double pile, and adds it to the heap his side
lie loses this time, he plays but single coin the next
loses that aud rises from his seat and leaves the
house. That man plays when he tn inks luck Is
turning against him; The next him on the same
side OF the table seems TO be fixture But he does no.
play always HIS doctrine OF chances must be secret
and he watches the game IL he could tell Just VIII the
right time comes 10 bis silver for be never risks
gold For an hour he male gans but he Il hoping to
90 better, and be very sure that he win begin to
viii soon, for be has oeen losing long the tide mus,
change.
You ladies' in a gambling house did YOU p
There several around this table Here is one standing
shoulder, pleading in undetone voice with an
elderly mln who may be her Gther or husband
or, ike than either, her friend for a fresh
supply Of FORMS her purse empty He pretends to he
absorbed In tie that the playing bu: she Is
mporunate AID he turns she then has his eve and looks
% mporiugly tnat he yields and fs her purse saw
ner lay down these fotins, two three OF them at
time fuering like frightened pigeon sometimes reveal
ing her disappointment when she ost and her ioy as
clearly when she wou but the tide against her and
before she quit the table, the purse emped again:
and there smiling when she took her old mau,s
and marched out of the hall mad as March mare
But have been watching with interest than any Of
these of beauty the corner of the table
in front Of Eve hours aso she was there: She NAV
have been out in that time for Refreshments but she is
hdJ of this house. Dressed u rich black silk and with
neat collar, stomscher and scl she would be taken for
lady, had she less jewelry bu. those bracelets and
chains and charms rather rich and many for
such place. No gentleman Is here who seems 10 stand
in relationship that splendid creature She nys
on her own account.
But women will show their feelings and with all her
effort at canness aud Indifference the tell tale blood as
hes Tito her face rshes lack her heart lea wing
her white as MARBLE dcloses the struggle that
her bosom. She has played for five or six m-utes
her head has rested her hand aud her ivory arm "A
stands up there has been glanced even by those who
TO be engrossed in the game. She PLAYS again and
loses, and che has placed her hand quietly ON her
forehead, a. If it ached. IL for moment only she
recovered and Instantly threw double her usual stakes
and sa" them a"ep; away without sigh. It e1c!,-
lag 10 see her lnvountarily my synpahie5 were with
her, and was wishing that she might be the winner
every throw she made Who was she? Nobody bnt a
gay rulned "retched woman one OF thousands hrongng
these watering places bankrupt in ioruae and reputa
the least OF their vices is gambling and if the love OF
money was the worst e their passions they would be
pure, as theg sTe beautiful With the dukes aud duch
eseS the lords and ladies' the sharpsTs b,ckleps and
pednrs ci s Sorts and travellers who resort in summer
time to these fountains Of health and pleasure come Il
gay women and they roll through the streets in their
splendid carriages or sril into the ballroom midnight
you might mistake them for the greatest ladies' of the
lind "Neven buy book by the cover" sad nv Irish
cochran at DuOn and he advice quite as 90 cd in
Germany.
CONDITION oE yIRGIxIA RANrs