Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-07-25
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE.

stroyed during the siege, would take col
umns of this paper, Churches, Library,
City Hall, Theatres, University, Barracks,
and private buildings without number,
could be seen in every direction one mass
of ruins.
You could get better idea of the hor-
rors Of war by riding through this town
for an hour, than you could obtain by
reading a library full OF books on the sub
ject
We drove to the Cathedral in time to
witness the performances of the celebrated
clock, which was something like the one
we had seen at Berne, but on much
more magnificent SCALE. 1t had a cock to
crow and flap its wings, skeleton to
strike the hours, procession of apostles,
and much more of the same description
The clock is situated on the interior of
the church, in the south transept, and
was erected about thirty years ago by
Schwilgue.
Luckily it was not injured during the
siege, although the Cathedral was hit in
many places and masons were AZ work re-
pairing it while we were there. The Ca.
thedral is built of reddish-colored stone
which is not pleasing to the eye. We
think it is not to be compared with the
Cathedral at Cologne, and others that we
have seen in Germany. The height from
the street to the tower is 524 feet, being
the highest building in Europe. st.
Peters, in Rome, being only 455 feet, and
S.. Paul's, in London, $40 feet. We after
ward drove to the Place Gutenberg,
where handsome bronze statue to the
great printer, who conducted his first ex-
periments in this place, was erected in
1S40 The four bias reliefs are emb lemat-
ical of the blessings of the invention in
four quarters of the globe, and comprise
the likenesses Of many celebrated men
among whom, I was pleased to see that of
our own Franklin. The next worthy
object of interest in Strasburg is the tomb
of Marshal Sake, in the Church of St.
Thomas. 1t is noble sculpture and one
of the most beautiful monuments we have
seen. Itrepresents the Marshal, calm and
deliberate in his bearing, stepping down
ward to the grave, which Death is holding
open, while figure representing France
seeks to detain him upon earth.
Leaving Strasburg on the 1920 A. NJ.
train, Journey of two hours from Kehl,
on the opposite side of the Rhine, with a
change of cars at Appenweier station,
brought us to Baden Baden, where COM
Portable quarters were obtained in the
Hotel Holland.
During the afternoon, we took a walk
to the "Conversation House." which is the
name given to the egalized gambling tenn
pie. As conversation, exceptin whispers,
is forbidden in the gambing-rooms, we
considered the name inappropriate. The
building is model of architecture, sculp-
ture and painting.
The splendid portico is adorned by eight
corinthian pillars On the south side is q
restaurant capable of accommodating three
hundred guests, and on the north side is a
reading-room for cosmopolitan visitors
The great assembly or dar ong room,
which connects with the gambling saloons,
is nearly as large as Apollo Hall, in New
York, and its polished waXed floors, gor-
ceous drapery, elegant pier glasses, and
luxurious sofas are in the best style of
European art. In the gambling-rooms,
the game commences at II A. NJ. and con-
tnues without interruption till midnight,
Sundays not excepted. The three rooms
we visited had in the centre Of each a
table covered with green baize, about six
feet wide, and fifteen in length, around
which were crowd of men and women
busy watching the movements of the gam
bers, who dealt the cards at one Of the
tables and turned the roulette wheel at the
other two. There We're four dealers at
each table, two on each side, whose duties
are to deal the cards, or turn the roulette,
watch the various plays made, receive the
money that is lost, and pay ont to those
who are fortunate enough to win.
With but few exceptions, the playing
was very light the most daring player
being Larry O'Brien," of New York,
who was PLAYING $1,000 a bet. l subse-
quently heard that before he left Baden
Baden, he won nearly 100000 from the
bank.
The majority of the players were evi,
IDENTIFY old hands at the business and
looked hard, impassve and calculating.
At each table were number of female
betters, but they risked but very little on
1.-THE hazard of the die" while we were
there.
We noticed one old woman, dressed in
:, a seedy suit of black, who dill not bet but
was const ntly watching the game and
pricking off the result of each turn, on q
card she hel in her hand, which wa:
, printed in black and red lines. 1t seem:
,, that in the early part of the season, she
= had commenced playing against the bank
9 struck run of hard luck, and "couldn't
- win bet whether she coppered or not ,
= and the result was that in short time
. she was "broke."
y Since that time she has been a constant
y visitor to the rooms from the time they
commence playing till the game closes
and does nothing but prick off the turns
of the wheel on her card, not having {
Y sou to bet with. Who she is, where sh,
+ came from, or how she lives, no one
e knows, as she never speaks to n soul. TIL,
), crowd that assemblies ound the tables are
e after all, but a small portion of the visitor
!. to the place, and of that crowd even, tn
d proportion of players is small compared
:. with the numbers that idleness, and tn
reputation of the place, and curiosity at
tract only to look on.
!, The town of Baden Baden is in itsel
\ interesting in its ancient houses (sur
rounded on every side by fine mountai,
scenery with quaint rural avenues AM
mndernizel streets md hnildin rs In whic]