Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-11-07
TIE STANDARD.
from the New York Times.I
GAMBLING AT WIESBADEN.
W1EsBADEN, Sunday, Aug. %, 1901.

GAMBLING AT WIESBADEN.
W1EsBADEN, Sunday, Aug 49, 1907.
On landing at Bieberick We were assaied win mat
strange jargon of many tongues which Is Iast con
vertng the borders Of the Rhine into another Meo-
terranean More French and English than German
but only German approaching 10 purify NS nv
longer difficult for those who know e'ther one ol
these languages to travel on the Rhine since even
the porters in blouse who mount your baggage to
the carrape.top know enough of French and Eng
sh to understand where to put it and to get good
fee for their labor. This mutually satisfactory re-
suit is due entirely to the influence OF money since
on the railways, which are owned by Government,
and are consequently monopoes, scarcely conduc-
tor is met who attempts sound beyond his native
language: and vet one. half Of the travellers
on the express trains foreigners. However, there
is still another class of employees with whom the
traveller comes in frequent contact on the great trav
eled routes of Germany, who obstnately refuse to
speak any other than their mother tongue and these
are the coachmen. The German coachman some.
times knows q word of French but he is far from
possessing the esprit of the Paris coachman and by
way of compensation is more honest. l was sur
prised to find that the Germans spoke more fire.
quently and better the French than the English but
this fact imagine is only observed on the great
routes of travel where the French is the most uni
versa tongue and does not hold good, especially IN
the literary centres. The French language in all
civilized countries at the present moment as we'll as
in many semi-civilized countries, is made an essen
tial element of good education; but the English is
not and the fact observed in German hotels steam
boats and travelling agencies, among purely German
employees responds practically to the truth OF she
proposition.
Wiesbaden, charming little city, capital of the
Duchy of Nassau is built at the foot of the noun
tains of Taunus in a beautiful location four miles
from the Rhine. For long time it has rivaed Ba-
dem Baden successfully in the affections of the fash
iOnable world and the two reign as the great point
of attraction for the Summer season. Hombourg
has degenerated into what the French designate as
tripot, mere gambling rendezvous This needs
qualification, however; Hombourg is simply more
Of tripot than Wesbaden or Baden Baden. 1t is
we'll to remark. at the same time, that if Hombourg
has more tables and more professional players, the
stakes are generally smaller.
Wesbaden is city of fifteen thousand inhabit-
ants, and unites within itself, under the pretext Of
its medicinal springs, all the amusements and excite
ments of great capital. Its thermal waters, the
most celebrated of the brunnens Of Nassau, are
sponsbe fear, for more evils than they cure. Its
reputation is of to-day; remains Of Roman baths,
constructed in the time of the Caesars, and of
tie which belonged to Nero, attest a renown that
dates from antiquity.
The traveller who arrives at Wiesbaden for the
first time will walk through its quiet Streets under
its shady ems and sycamores, through its pictur-
esque parks and lawns and perhaps, like myself,
find himself astonished at the universal calmness
that reigns In the winding, charming walks of the
park he meets invalids lounging on the benches,
saunerng about and all is still and quiet He goes
to the boiling, bubbling all healng spring and there
he people drop by, one by one drink their glass;
or two glasses, of the sea-sckening stuff, max. a
grimace more or less expressive Of disgust and
ignation, and pursue their way without remark
He promenades around the Kurs0al respectfully
called the Conversation House, (perhaps because
one speaks therein he sees the swans reposing
the bosom Of the lake, quet.lookng people slipping
coffee under the shade of the trees, children playing
with toy-ships on the water; the air is mild the sun
shines brightly, the breeze is cool and refreshing
and he imagines he has found the elysium of calm
happiness. But he sees and women and chill
dren passing eisure!y into and out of the large and
elegant fursaal, and by curiosity he enters. Oh
then the scene is changed! He does not at first
comprehend what he sees the sudden transition
bewilders him. He cannot comprehend in one
breath the calm loneliness without and the hell with
in. The close approximation Of such extremes star
ties his equanimity and shocks his senses He WON
ders how such hell could have been planted here
an infection in the midst of healthseeking nvalds
He tries to trace the ideas Of affinity that presided
over SO monstrous a conception in the interes. of
hygiene 1t breaks up all his notions of the fitness
of things, and he wonders who the people upon
whom he has fallen!
four tables of the Kursaaz are surrounded by a
speechless and almost motionless mass of men and
women. Two of these tables are for roulette, the
other two for the deeper game of rouge et.nor The
tables are long and wide The first circle of PLAYERS
are seated the second and third circles-for the
Touge-etnoir tables have more than one circle in
the gallery" as it is caed-stand up. All eyes
are bent eagerly upon the table; man regards to
the right or left, even to see who elbows him.
Around each Of the rouge -noir tables there are
fifty or sixty persons one-fourth of whom are wo-
men. In the middle of the table, two on each side.
fhn hor1, Dr.
ranged their piles of mOney-notes of France and
Germany. double Frederics, Napoleons, five.franc
pieces, double forms, and FORMS On both sides of
the middle space where the bank is deposited there
are intersecting angular lines, and on one side a
small red square, and on the other side correspon.
ding black square-rouge et-noir. Players throw
down their pieces of money, which are placed bv
means of little onghandled rakes on the lines or in
tersections Of lines, the rouge or noir accord
ing as they wish to bet, each position on the table
gaining different sum. The money is all in place.
and then eight or ten cards at choice are turned m
ny one OF the bankers, and the result is declared
The board is quickly cleared by the scrapers of the
thousands of francs that were lost another shower
OF money covers the angular lines and the rouoe
nosr the same number of cards are again PLAYED out
again the little rakes clear the table, and again an
other shower OF money falls, all day long, with the
that have here described it. '''
The eternal cnking of money is one Of the most
fearful features Of this scene Add to this the
ing, totally absorbed avid looks of ffty individnals
so absorbed, so avid, that the bankers do not
turn their heads to the right or left to see with whom
they are winning or losing, and you have scene
that does not belong to the civilization nor the midst
in which it is found There is no such pandemoni
S t TINS side the river styx The startling silence oil
tne Detters, and the horrible clinkng of the money
which resounds loudly in the large hall strike the
senses OF novice with fearful effect The rapidty
with which the bankers rake in or throw ont the
money, the apparent confusion that reigns over the
game, turn his head completely. WV @''@
But who are these Individuals so absorbed in the