National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1868-09-11
Fashionable Gambling in Europe.
The attractions which money and

une great GamDllng Halls at the
European watering places, and the
fearful destinations to which all
classes yield themselves at the ta-
bles within doors have never been
better described than in the letter
which "Carleton" sends from Wies-
baden, Germany, to the Boston Jour
nal. Startling as the picture is, it
scarcely overdrawn in a single fea-
ture of the scene observed for an
hour in that same Hall ten years
ago. We can find room only for the
following extracts
"Their are four great saloons ra-
diant with light-four restless, anx-
ious throngs of men and women
seated, standing, walking nervously,
calculating chances, exulting over
gains, bewailing losses. The doors
of this magnificent suite of rooms
are open to everybody. The gam
bling is conducted on a democratic
plan; prince and peasant, countess
and courtestan-all may enter and
roam at will through the gilded
halls, play if they please, provided
they have guilder-forty cents
American currency. That man yon-
der, who has pale and sunken checks
and dreamy eyes, who weaIs an old
threadbare coat, who convulsively
clutches his last piece Of silver,
who, if he loses it, will go to bed
supperless, may win thousand dol
lars, may ere daylight have his
pockets with handfuls of gold; or
that portly dame in a chair upon the
other side of the table wearing a
white satin robe covered with gold
spangles, with Il great pile of gold
before her, may go from hence with.
out a penny in her purse. BE it one
way or the other, the men who
whirl the wheel or roll the ball will
be utterly Indifferent. They are as
remorseless as fate. They work for
the bank, and the bank has no soul.
Come not here for soul, or heart, or
conscience. They are extinct
burned up. These men anG women
are animate forms only-fleSh and
blood, bones, cords, .luScles--deSti-
tute, utterly devoid of soul, of a
conscience, to be quickened or ami
mated by moral considerations.
At the first table is a gray haired
man with a white moUStacAe and
smoothly shaved checks. He must
be at least Sky years old for time
is multiplying and deel aning the
furrows. He is not desperate
gamester-perhaps plays for the
fun of it. He stakes out dollar
at q time-loscs, gains, loses, anc
after Il time leaves the table. A
Young man with Il tutt OF hair OF
his chin aud thin side whiSherS, hol
low cheeks, sunken eyes, wearing
thrcndbare coat and dirty linen
takes the vacant seat, pulls a leal
portemonnaie from his pocket, lay
Il dollar on the greeu cloth ant
watches with intense eagerncsS th'
rolling ball. He is poor, and this il
the way he has taken to increase hi
fortune. Luck is on his side. Ill
p clutches the shining silver, turns i
over; gloats upon it with miserl.
satisfaction; he lays another
"Ninctecn," says the man at tn
, wheel, and the dollar is scrapc'
away. The next time he will WI
again. He is mistaken the ban
takes it. lie tries once more see
the second dollar disappear; the
quits his seat creStiallcn, lookin
longingly at the growing heap ,
IS gold and silver beneath the hand
Of the raker.
At the other side sits woman
, the bloom OF early womanhood, {
fair countenance, and large lu
trous eyes. She was here ycSte
ID day evening with a pilcof gold b.
re fore her, and was playing twent
francs at u time. She wears a joel
cy hat with u superb ostrich plum
and her rich silk lilac colored rol
r lies at her feet in heavy folds. Whe
she walks it is with the air OF
ii, Uncen, and she sits there seeming
,"13 Indifferent whether twenty fra,
". pieces are won or lost, and yet VIII,
Pt four successive stakes have be,
- swept away Il slight flush oversprea'
- her face; she bites her under Iii
smooths the wavy hair upon h
forehead, and with an air of bray
do, LAYS another piece and wins.
us little later every one of the Shinll
is pieces of metal have disappeared
W all gone INTO the bank.
Standing behind the lady is
'e' youug man, dressed with taste ~
elegance, who has u well.trimm
beard, smoothly brushed hair, W
plays but u dollar at a time, but
lays it down with the air Of one vi
N" expects to win. lie goes from t
u" table richer than he came.
At the end of the table is a fell,
VI. with u hard, cold facc--an eye
e the color OF steel, who looks not
a the right or the left, but only up
4" the table. He lays down n tho,
:, and francs in gold. II is raked II
" the bank, and not u muscle OF
countcnancc moves. lie lays $
4" ond thousand, and sees 1t dra
j." away with as much unconcern as
" il were but half.dimc. True 1t
4" not u great amount, but the whce
"" all the while turning, and there
" not many men who can afford
.- lose 500 every minute.
,, A tall man-broad shoulder
&c, with n hall crown thin locks