Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-09-12
VIRGINIA NEWS.

| Sutte delivered the charge to the knights
who contested the field with a great deal OF
ardor. .. e.. r., .-;..,......
4 camp meeting will begin next Friday,
September 18th near Spotsylvania Court House
and continue one week. A camp meeting will
commence at Bcrea, Stafford county, on Frl~
day next ,a..., ....
| After an illness of several weeks Mr.
Charles l. Baldwin, popular citizen, and
tobacconist of long and wellestablished repu-
tation, died at his residence in Richmond on
Saturday. e.
Mrs. Van Ness, of Florida, accompanied by her
husband, arrived in Fredericksburg on Satur-
tlav night, from one Of the Alum Springs, in
very delicate health She died yesterday.
She was born in Essex county.
Accokcek run in Stafford county is lower
than known for many years being entirely dry
about two miles above .Brooke's Station. 1t
! has heretofore been very reliable.
TIE LAST DAYS OF THE GERMAN GAMING
TABLES. From the London Globe, August
23. 1.-The decision of the Reichsrath has been
pronounced, and allthe gaming tables OF Ger
many must positively be closed on the last day
Of December, 1872. WeSbaden Fms, HON.
burg and Baden must find fresh means OF at
tracing the public, and of deriving the funds
necessary Tor their great expenditure. hon,
burg alone pays Il fine to the government OF
f70,O0O a year and the expenses Of keeping
up the beautiful gardens that surround 1t
amount TO an annual outlay Of e., 900 which are
also paid out Of the receipts OF the gaming ia
hles. It would seem, as might be expected,
that this year will be MI unusually productive
one ; the players throng round the tables every
evening in rows Of six deep, and many have to
retire without the wished for opportunity Of
stalking their money The Salon Dore,' is
crowded every night with spectators, and the
play becomes very exciting a company OF
Russians have come over with the avowed IN
tention of breaking tho bank, and night after
night they may be seen winning and losing
enormous sums. Each is attended by his &C.
cretary who sits beside him and registers the
gains or losses made by each coup. FOR one
night they played alternate stakes OF l0UoW
francs and IL, 900 francs at a coup, the latter
sum, equal to G4S0 of our money, being the
largest sum which the bank permits to be
staked at a single occasion. Or course, with
all players the chances of the bank make It's ul-
innate success certain, but the players which
it prefers are not the steady gamblers, but the
occasional visitor who yield to passing temp
tation. A pr0tesssed gambler plays upon
system, and the part of his system most OBJ
iectionablc to the bank is this that when he
wins large sum he stops The celebrated
Maltese, who broke the Hombug bank three
years ago used to pay into his bankers large
sums whenever he was successful, and ultl-
matcy left the place, carrying away, from 1t
many thousands Of Maps destined to be lost at
Baden Baden few weeks afterwards. 1t is
otherwise with the tyro Of the tables lie plays
and wins, becomes inoculatcdwlth the fever OF
gaming, and ultimately loses all he can readily
obtain; at one time you see him playing WITH
gold, flushed but anxious, then the wheel OF
fortune is adverse; the lightly got coin lightly
goes: the boards are swept back to their origin
al source, and he is almost CLEANED out.
You would think that now at least he would
stop but no, the hand that staaed gold an hour
l ago now stakes guldens. tits for such visitor
u that Homburg spreads forth its attractions with
a prodigality that is almost lavish Bands,
concerts. balls, shady walks under we'll, preserv-
ed tree plantations, cricket hunting: pigeon
shooting, the sparkling waters Of the Kaiser
brunnen for the dyspeptic, reading rooms for
all classes and for all nations and all this free
it only asks it's chance at the table, and it does
not even ask that, but trusts to the common
propensity for gambling, that is independent Of
race, language and nation. Day after day, the
train takes back to Frankfort visitors who return
with lighter purses than they recokned on. But
there sage a green crop coming, and every night
the tables are again crowded. AS an illustra
ton of what expenses are incurred without
hope Of other return than that which is paid
down SO literally on the green cloth, it sknown
that the opera costs the administration more
for every representation than would be realized
assuming the house to be filled at the eXorbi-
taHt prices that are asked. Madame Patti
alone receives for thirteen performances f3, 500,
and such artistes as Trebelli- Bettini, Fancelli,
and Bettini support her Some miles from
Homburg there is the pleasant little town of
Nauheim, which has i natural salt-spring, and
is reached from Homburg by coaches that start
at fixed times daily. There IL rival company
have established kursaaa gaming table Orig
inally the llomburg tables were open every
day Of the week, but the law which compelled
them to close on Sunday did not include Nau-
helm, probably as being too insignificant The
Nauhcim directors accordingly made ar
rangementS with the coach proprietors,
that Sunday passengers from Homburg
should obtain return tickets at Il sim
return Journey Accordingly on SUNDAYS
all the gamblers Of Homburg packed off to
Nauheim, and the rooms there became so
crowded that it was impossible to get to the
tables At last the law that affected the large
town was extended to the little one, and forth
with the liberal arrangements for Sunday traffic
came to an abrupt conclusion Every one isl
asking now what will become of the admins
tration after 1872. During the Emperor Wis
it the town did everything to appease him,
and then presented its petition that matters
might remain az they were at least till 1873.
His Majesty replied that the question did not
rest with him but had already been decided by
the Rcichaath 1t is said that the company
intend to open at Geneva, and that they will
pay an enormous tiue to the Swiss government
y fire in NIindcn. Louisiana, last night de-
stroyed two blocks in the business part Of the |
town. Loss 100000; insurance $4,000.