The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-07-29
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE.

Early next morning we took carriage
and drove round the city to view the ruins
made by the Germans during the war.
Ruins, ruins on every hand. To begin to
enumerate the buildings that were de-
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 ia 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 iull 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 IIernC, but on a much
more magnificent scale. 1t had a cock to
crow and flap its wings, a skeleton to
strike the hours, aprocession of apostles,
and much more the same description,
The clock Is situated on the interior Of
the church, in the south trnnsept, and
was erected about thirty years ago by
Schwilgna
Luckily It was not injured during the
siege, although the Cathedral was bit in
many places and masons were a. work re.
pairing it while we were there. The Ca.
thedral is built of a reddish.colored stone
which is not pleasing to the eye. We
think 1t 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
tie highest building in Europe. st.
Peters, in Rome, being only 455 feet, and
St. Paul'f, in London, $40 feet. Weaiter.
ward drove to the Place Gutenberg,
where handsome bronze statue to the
great printer, who conducted his first ex.
perimcnts in this place, was erected in
1910. The four has reliefs are emblemat.
ical Of the blessings OF the invention In
four quarters Of the globe, and comprise
the likenesses of many celebrated men
among whom, | 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. ltisa noble sculpture and One
of the most beautiful monuments we have
seen. Itrepresenb 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. N.
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 walk
to the Conversation House, which is the
name given to the legalzed gambling tenn
pie. As conversation, except in whispers,
Is forbidden in the gambling.rooms, we
considered the name inappropriate. The
building is model Of architecture, scnlp.
ture and painting.
The splendid pOrticO is adorned by eight
corintllian pillars. On the south side Is q
restaurant capable Of accommodating three
hundred guests, and on the north side Is q
reading-rOom fOr cosmopolitan visitors.
Tho great assembly or DAT o'ng room,
which connects with the gambling saloons,
is nearly as large as Apollo Hall, in New
York, and its polished waXed floors, gor-
geous drapery, elegant pier glasses, and
luxurious sofas are in the best style of
European art. In the gambling.rooms,
the game commences at II 4. N. and con.
tinuCs without interruption till midnight,
Sundays not excepted. The three rooms
we visited had In the centre of each q
table covered with green baize, about six
feet wide, and fifteen in length, around
which were a crowd Of men and women
busy watching the movements Of the gam.
blers, who dealt the cards at one OF the
tables and turned the roulette wheel at the
other two. There were 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 out 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 bet. subse.
quently heard that before he left Baden
Baden, lie won nearly $4,000 from the
bank.
The majority Of the players were Oyi.
IDENTIFY old hands at the business, and
looked hard, impassive and calculating.
At each table were number of female
betters, but they risked but very little on
the hazard Of tile die, while we were
there.
We noticed one old woman, dressed in
a seedy suit of black, who di not bet but
was const ntly watching the game and
pricking off the result Of each turn, on a
card she hell In her hand, which was
printed in black and red lines. 1t seems
that in the early part Of tile season, she
had commenced playing against the bank,
struck run of hard luck, and couldn't
win bet whether she coppercd or not"
and the result was that IN short time
she was "broke."
Since that time she has been constant
visitor to the rooms from the time they
commence playing till the gnme closes,
and does nothing but prick Off the turns
Of the wheel on her card, not having a
sou to bet with. Who she Is, where she
came from, or how she lives, no one
knows, as she never speaks to soul. The
crowd that assemblies touad tho tables are