The New York herald., 1872-11-24

the praise OF tne ignorant peasants by distributing
part OF the stolen property to needy widow or
poor beggar.
THE FATE OF THE GREEN TABLES.
FRANKFoRr-ON-THR-MAIN,O Oct. o. 1872.
On, che 3lst OF December the gambling houses at
Wiesbaden, Ems, Honburg, Baden and Mannheim
will have to be closed. The views OF Emperor Will
liam on the subject OF gambling are well known,
and no hopes are entertained OF his granting the
banks any further favors. The paragraph Of the
penal code reating to the Prussian banks is az fol-
lows:-"Wh6ever shall make business of hazard
play shall be punished with imprisonment OF from
three months to two years and q fine OF from one
hundred to two thousand thalers, and prohibited
from the exercise OF hls rights citizen. II the
accused s . foreigner he can at the same time
be expelled the land" On the day OF closing all
the contracts with the playing banks are null and
no claims for loss Of winnings can be entertained.
That these banks have many advocates is explained
in the fact that they have been q source of great
wealth to places that otherwise would never have
come into Significance. The natural attractions OF
Homburg are certainly very gratifying at the
foot OF the Taunus range, surrounded by most
beautiful scenery and but eight nine miles from
Frankfort-On- -the-Main. The waters are, however,
the least OF its attractions although the bank took
that flesh is heir to. An opera could not have been
supported there without the aid OF M. Blanc, the
bank director, who has contributed to it most
literally, taking care to secure each sea-
son q succession OF the finest musical
talent OF the Continent at great cost.
That however, the society will be improved by the
loss OF the banks Is very certain; for at present
Homburg Is notorious as The gathering place OF
blacklegs, swindlers aud birds Of like feather. AS
q suburb OF Frankfort HOmburg might take q
prominent place In future II the RAILROAD company
would run morning and night last trains. Rents
are so dear in Frankfort that hundreds OF families
would be glad to secure houses at moderate rents
anywhere within half an hours railroad journey
OF the city.
It is very questionable whether Baden Baden
win be able to sustain its old briliancy after the
loss of the bank so well as HOmburg Up to the
year 1859 NJ Duprcssor paid HOmburg yearly
rental OF 30O 900 iOrns and contribution OF 1000
norins to the theatre at Carlsruhe. The past
has been very brilliant one; the theatrical and
Operatc entertainments better than at HOmburg.
1t is not thought that Ems will suffer much when
the bank is closed there. We have the testimony
OF celebrated physician OF that city to the effect
that such a change can only be beneficial to the
guests coming there in search OF health. The same
authority thinks that In the end Wiesbaden will
rangement he thinks that the place will become
one of the most beautiful most amusing and bene-
fetal of spas, having the most excellent arrange
ments for its guests. Ems can only gain by the
change, as the gambling bank plays there, as at
Mannheim and Wedungen, a secondary role. Ems
offers in its mild climate the most beauti-
full neighbOrhOod OF the romantic Rhine
land the magnificent spa establishment
and pr0menades, its happy, entertaining,
brilliant yet noseess spa life of the highest char
acter greater attractions than the gambling house,
which would disappear with moral II not pecuniary
advantages. The two banks of Wesbaden and
Ems won in the season of 1s71-that is, from April
to the end OF September-a sum of l,717,703 gull
ders leaving out the months till the end Of Decem-
ber, when the Wiesbaden bank closes tor the
season. Out Of the winnings the bank provides
the SO called spa funds, the opera subsidy and
hundred other expenses that will In future be paid
A HEAVY TAX AND WHO PAYS 1T.
The winnings OF all the German gambling hells
amount to 100000 norins ($3,OoOOoo) per year,
an amount contributed entirely by the trav-
eing public, mostly rich Russians, English and
! Americans. Pictures OF ruin brought about by in
sane playing have been TOO often drawn " to need
occur every year as the result OF lost fortunes and
ruined characters, and these are most unpleasant
events for the directors, who endeavOr to conceal
the facts as much as possible The narrative OF the
sad event is usually found recorded thus in the
sSot ser on the Letters
upon his person indicate that an unfortunate love
| affair caused the sad STEP" Ruined players are
an ab0mnat0n to all gambling bank directors.
Homburg has paid annually sum OF nearly twen-
| uy thousand dollars to persons who have lost all
their money at the bank, in order to enable them
| who have played and lost heavily; the lesser flsh
| get second class railroad ticket for Frankfort,
| and the gods may help them further on their jour-
| ney. Many young Americans never get further
than Homburg,. the first gambling he'll on the
| route. Provided with few thousand dollars for o
journey Of year or more, the temptation just to
| stake Napoleon overcOmes them, they play and
lose, and, endeav0ring to win back what they have
lost, become reckless and lose all. To win large
| sum is next to impossible. The stories OF tempt
ing winnings are often fictitious bats. Even the
| immense gains OF M. Bugea at HOmburg are OF q
doubtful character, he being believed to be an
agent Of the bank employed to give GCt0t to its
closing season.
PUBLIC SPIRIT OF THE BANKS.
| The 'benevoencen OF the banks has been most
Ostentatious. All sorts Of humanitarian Institutes
were supported by them, and even new churches,
which have come to stand-still, were frequently
| completed out OF the bank funds; but as rule
such gifts are made In manner not to hurt the
concert "or the benefit OF the st. d. church. to aid
| in its competion.n Since the artists have to be
paid at very high rate, such concerts Invariably
bank, which adds sum OF three to six thousand
francs. .'as the result OF concert in the Cursa" :"
purified form, though it would not do to
place 1t under too sharp examination. Thus the
banks are said to have done great amount OF good
to close the gambling hes and allow the lotteries
to flourish as ever In Germany. The morality Of
the one is as good as the other Indeed, incline
to the gambling bells, in which rational men en-
tered with eyes open, determined to lose to a cer-
tain amount, while they have equal chances OF
winning whereas the winnings OF the lotteries are
the gambling banks will soon find fruitful soil else
where for the propensity to gamble seems fatal to
the whole human race.