, 1872-11-26
ROULETTE.
The Last Of the Game ct Baden-
" Baden.

The S1st Of October is here :he close Of tho
season proper. which this. yesr Is rem.rElble
for the games Of trente ct guarantee andre
leste. This is the first place in Germany, tnder
the operation of the Law, that is now definitely
closed. The other two great establishments.
Wisebaden and Homburg, remain open until tho
last day Of the year, and the smaller one at
Nauheim until the end Of November. A variety
OF absurd canards were rife scme days prcviou=
ly, one of which will surprise no one more. per-
haps, than the members OF the Club who wero
said to be coming to play hero the last two days.
canard had an additional pair Of wings given it
by the alleged receipt Of a telegram ct the Hotel
de Houande to engage 200 beds for the mem
bers-not an easy task, as the hotel has but 100
rooms: rooms The general expectation was
the last OF the public play. In tho
afternoon, about 3 O'Clock, there seemed
to be 10 probability Of such being the case. I
walked through the three rooms that nov 1e-
NAMED open, With two roulette tables and ole
tTente ct quarante, and there seemed to be ha,l-
= the accustomed number of punters; possibly,
n u, az less than 2 couple OF hundred persons in
a.! tae saton. There Was no evidence of e1y-'
th1ng unneual. People lost their rouleaux Of
eolu and Thousand franc bank notes with theac-
custoned apparent indifference. But for the
last TWO or three weeks there has been much less
than the former high play, and the number Of
arlstocratic and wealthy visitors has yerv eansi-
hty diminished, though many were resolved to
stay and be in at the death, / .astoais1ed q
modest Manchester man by Informing him, by.
way OF comfort for losing his money, that he
was in good company, as, in point cf fact both
his immediate neighbors were Princes; one a
*el1-known Russian, and the other o So7ereign
German poteniato. At o'clock, when the
usual concert, of more than average excel1ence:
By tho vory odzairab1e orchestra under the direc-
ZION Of the able director, Herr Kaennemann,
vas given in the great room adjoining tho
play-rooms, the audience was very large. In
the play~rooms another phase Of things we're
eeen. 4 lady, who amuses herself every even
ing in playing one louis On the twelve numbers
In which falls the number she receives on q
checkcard for her mantle and belongings, and
who, BY caprice Of fortune, has, with one
days exception, won regularly for three weeks,
told me in despair that there Was not the s1ight-
est human probability OF getting near enough
to place her stake, and watch it and sec that it
was not appropriated unfairly, for these little
mistakes have been vastly more frequent than
usual in these latter days. This WIS the more
provoking as the actual number she had
-23-came up during her efforts to ar
rive. Each coming train had brought a large
quota Of visitors. From mFrankfort~on-the-Mn
from Mannheim, Garlsruhe, and Rastadt on one:
and Mulhouee on the other, large streams Of
visitors poured in. Heidelberg furnished 3 con-
tlngent Of students, and Rastadt OF officers-ln
civil costumes mostly; as in uniform it is l1n-
proper to play: In civil costume some license
Is taken. However, the greater part were
destined neither to win nor to lose: US by
10 o'clock there IVES a regular jam, and ap-
prosch to the tables was only obtained by
. very patient few. Extraordinary precau-
tions had been taken by the officials IN case of
any disorder. heard several expressions Of
hope that there would be q row or a fight, which
desires Bee med destined to end in ut
ter disappointment. The crowd was decidedly 3
very mixed one; there were butchers, bakers,
1+r-f ~i4 ~
IDENTIFY some cooks.
The grooms Of the chambers weresas usual in
attendance in full evening costume. They
seemed struck with horror at the unwonted rul- |
gar mob, and if ! am not mistaken I saw some |
thing like a tear stand in the eye OF one as he /
remsrRedi it was melancholy to see such people |
IN the Baden saloons, where the cream Of the |
were formerly to be met. Neverthe- |
less the crowd was, if not very quiet, we'll |
behaved, and the expectations Of those who ]
doomed to disappointment, when, just at 11:45, |
midnight was the hour when the possession OF !
the establishment passed from the family Of !
Benazst and Dupressor-Gke the inevitable |
'ur at the Derby, 8 vulgar, dirty little fellow,
rho had been drinking too freely: having lost q
stake Of SO forms on red, seized his stake
again, refused to give it.up, and showed fight. |
= lne greatest confusion ensued in the tTente I
~. ~ qaarante room where it occurred, and it |
~ ra9 49, n9t a9 WITHOUT some trouble. he was
-
ueuIteS eloeed as the clock struck -, and pub |
lc play came 70 an aud in Badan-Baden for
aver.
What the effect may be upon the fortunes of
Baden Baden time will show. On one hand it
8 maintained that Baden's prosperity, so far
TON being diminished, will increase, and the
haracter Of the place become much more aris-
ocratic and infinitely more select. But, as
aces are to be held twice year instead Of once
8 now, and with high prices to tempt superior
orse5 to be entered, the belonging of racing
nd racers would hardly seem to Justify the latter
aticipation. II
On The other side, it is said that the great
rean OF visitors will enormously diminish,
I'd, necessarily, the large sums of money e1-
ended by them will fail. OFT. The direct rent
lid for the privilege has been for the last two
,ars 10000 forms. annually (ebont E50, 900 !
erling), bnt This Is Insignificant IN comparison
th the money that was indirectly brought to
.den snd, expended The istsof, visitors. up to
9 end Of October, is between 58 900 and 5000.
lis includes only those who spent at least one
ght in the town; and takes no &C
unit of the vast numbers who come
r the = day, as many do regu-
rly in the ssason nearly every day, having res
roxgh. La.4 given to understand that the
otits Of the tables this year somewhat exceeds
5OO. 600 francs about ;e1Q0, 600. The beauty Of !
esituai2u Of Baden has been often extoued,