The New York herald., 1872-11-24
Tno O'osing OF tho Gambling Hsils at
tho Gsrman Spas.

The Closing or tho Gambling Hsils st
tho Gsrma. Spas.
Auiong tno varied attractions of the German
watering places the green covered tables, ON
WHICH creduious worshippers of Fortune have
Deen wont to stake and lose their gold by tho
inscrutable processes of roulette or frente 4
quarante, have not been by any means the
least Doubtless the curative qualities Of
warm or bitter waters, the charms of music.
OF scenery, and the concourse of cultivated
and wealthy people, have had their share in
drawing to Baden Baden, Homburg and
Wiesbaden the thousands who annually iill
their hotels and crowd their Rausals; but
the wide, lofty, gilded saloons devoted to play
have not failed to be popular places Of
reunion for the health-seekers of fashion.
Visitors have staked their Napoleons with
more regularity than they took the baths or
swallowed unpalatable draughts. Prudent
Americans and sanctimonious Britons have
crowded open-handed Russians and vivasious
frenchmen at the tables staid dows-
gers have followed the play of s.fast''
girls, the millionaire has placed his
gold beside the silver of the reduced game
ster, while the smiling cronpier has raked u
the ventures of the many and paid the win
nings Of the very few. There were cases in
which the infatuated players left the hell with
heavier purses than they brought, but rare
indeed was it that the end of o sojourn at tho
spa did not find the bank the gamer. Occa-
sionally there have appeared men who seemed
gifted with lucky charm, by which they won
all wagers and threatened the reserves of the
banks. Late last Summer Maltese came to
Homburg. He always hit the winning card
and his play was reckless. A rule of the hall
restricted the stakes to twelve thousand francs.
He was allowed to double that sum, and still
he won. Finally it is said, he went away
richer than he came by one hundred and sew
enty-fve thousand dollars. Still the suspicion
is mysteriously whispered that M. Bugeja was
but "decoy" and that his marvellous win
nings were clever advertisement for the. last
season of the play. Certain it is that the flock
of imitators who have unsuccessfully woeed
fortune in his wake has been great enough 20
make the season one of unexampled profit to
the bank, which will wind up its operations
with bountiful dividend
Under q law of the German Diet, enacted
two years ago, after this year public gaming
is prohibited; consequently an unusual inter-
est was attached to the play during the season.
At Baden Baden the halls were closed on the
last day of October A graphic detail of tho
scenes will be found in another column from
HERALD correspondent on the spot II tells
how the porters and servant girls Of Baden
risked their petty savings on the green cloth
and saw them raked into the treasury of the.
gorged bank by the affable croupiers who
watched the advance Of night, crying, Us the
clock pointed to twelve, SNAKE your play,
gentlemen; this is the last throw" The har-
vest has been full one for the Baden bank,
which has cleared three million francs. Wies-
baden and Homburg are to keep their bells
open to the end of the year and will pluck
their last pigeons in Christmas week. They,
too, will wind up rich Those most interested
in the permanent prosperity of the spas are in
doubt as to the effect of the suppression Of
play upon the value of their property. Prob
ably their efforts to supply the place of gaming
by less Objectionable entertainments will in
the end bring them a more desirable class OF
guests, and fully sustain the annual gatherings
of people seeking enjoyment and willing to
pay its fair value Doubtless those who wish to
gamble will have facilities provided for them
elsewhere, but the removal of the pernicious
seduetions Of play from the German watering
places will save thousands from fatal allure
ment and open the healing fountains to many
k:I
of the hells. AT Ems the season has ended
after giving the bank a profit of $325, 600.
Mannheim, too, closed its halls on the same
night as Baden Baden, after unusual winnings
by the bank. France, now making wonderful
efforts to discharge the penalty of the war and
free her soil of German soldiers, looks visit
fully at the large revenue she might derive
from the re-establishment of public gaming
houses in Paris, the provincial cities and
summer resorts. M. Blanc and his confreres,
the bankers, would no doubt gladly repeat in
| the French capital their monstrous gains at
the German Spas from which they are driven;
but French morality justly hesitates before
authorizing the public institution of hells
| where citizens and strangers, rich and poor,
old and young, men and women alike, come
to win and stay to Lose. Paris has already
abundant opportunities for dissipation, and
France can i'll afford to legitimatize vice
which has at last been outlawed by Germany.
Dcbuts.
Tile dramatic profession has q singular
charm for many young ladies, and young gen.
%oo that An
ment in the HERALD few weeks ago for bal