The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-02
MON PLAY IN PARIS
How the Marquis de CastelIsne stskea his
Last Five Frnncs aud Won $4,000.


PARIS. April 13-When spring sets In
there is a comparative lull In baccarat PLAYING
Mt the Paris gambling clubs. During the long
sunshiny afternoons. mon drive In the Bots. or
sit and sip absinthe before the cafes on the Bou-
cvards until thor dinner hour. instead Of
dropping into club ut 5. After dinner the air is
80 cool and pure that one is tempted to stroll
In the Champs Eys6cs. and not until midnight
or after does an hour at baccarat suggest itself.
This being the case. there Is notable falling
of in the afternoon attendance ut the clubs, the
absentecs being. OF course. only that class
who consider play merely as an oc-
cnsional pastime, for there. are hun
hreds OF men with whom baccarat has
become necessity of life. and who would hurry
to play even II tho city wore in danger. Of de-.
struction. The slaves TO the game are faithful
throughout the year to the green cloth, in sum
lner and in winter in spring and in fall. sit.
ting down TO the game when the sunlight In still
too strong for gas. and sometimes stu engaged
In II when the orb sends golden shafts through
chinks in the shutters the next morning. SUI
perilcial students Of Paris life, and casual visi
tors to the city though they know. of course.
there arc dozens Of clubs whore gambling is
kept NJ night and day have little idea what a
f0urshng and deeply rooted institution bacca-
They como ut nm early hour. and calling for a
fow louis worth OF counters. gamble AWAY in
the wild hope that with some extraordinary run
of luck they may recover their losses and start
in again on, large scale. However they are
bring TO water tho nsutate green CLOTH than
recOuped OF their previous reverses. though
now and then some such surprising freak Of
fortune will occur In their favor, ms that which
| saw happen a few days ago 10 the MARQUIS dc
Castellane. that wcll-known gentleman, VINO Tor
number OF years now has neglected. the duties
of his high station. and squandorcd his money
and lis time while pnssing the greater part OF
his life IN the hclls OF Paris.
At about in tho afternoon Castellane ap-
peared in fashionable club situated near the
Grand 0neTa. The y9nng gentleman Is atayor
gentlcmanly bearing are appreciated, ana when
| he sat down 10 take the bank now interest was
! felt In the game by the encourage, CAstellanc
had hrs usual bad luck the cards ran dead
| against him, and with that fatal ohstinacy.
| not contend against. he persisted in struggling
against III fortune. The heaps Of counters
! melted away from before him like snow in
| the spring sun. and his pockotbook was light
| cuod 81 II number Of thousand franc bills.
which disappeared quito as readlly. Having
/ run largely IN debt bv borrowing from persons
nj the table. he began to play ON credit; but this
departure was not all to the taste ~ the prOpri-
! etor 81 the establishments who interfered, with
| the warning that rcaiy money betting was the
! invonhlc rule in the club Castcanc was
| posed. and looked more ANNOYED at not being
! he had brought with him. and 1000 moro he
! had borrowed. He searched very carefully
| through all his pockets finding them
doleiuly empty, with. the exception q
! soma few small pieces of silver, about enough
| 10 constitute a cab fare. Lighting IN another
| quis industriously gathered together one dollar
| in change. and spread it cut triumphantly on
| the cloth. The banker lost and the dollar was
! doubled. He lost again and II swclled into u
| louis. A few turns aterth louis had Increased
/ into ton. aud the Marquis, rcgu ming confidence,
! began to bet against the bank with wonderful
| luck and holiness. He won 1000. 1000.
| 5000 francs paid his debts. and played again.
still winning almost every bet. Finally the
bank was broke. and Castellane departed with
1000 francs to try his luck at another establish
| mont
! The episode had Interested me. and / wished
! 10 see the conclusion of tastcllane's hight with
| the tiger. SO jumped into Il cab. and followed
! tho vehicle he had chartered until II stopped at
| the door Of n club on the BoulcvardS. The Mar
! quis alighted and nimhly ran up stairs, fol-
! lowed by your cores pOndcnt. md we entered
! the room Just ~ n bank was being bid for. A
/ hundred louis" called the well known voice OF
| DE Castellanc. and no one wishing to enlarge
| upon this sum. the noble gambler sat down. and
| was soon engaged in dealing. Fights and
! mines came into his hand every time
| aud tho poor punters Were literally cleaned
/ OUT in n few hands. Having won 1000
francs. Casteanc departed for :" fresh scenes.
ana calling in at an establishment whore n se-
loot eoterio OF heavy gamblers We're deep in the
| Nicissitudcs Of very high game. he was soot
hard ut work again. with iuctuating luck. anu
the small hours OF morning having waned,
left him To keep II np. n heard next day, unti
10 o'clock in the morning. and finally emerge
into the fresh air Of daylight. after 81 Nteen con
sccutve hours passed at play, carrying $500
francs, the produce OF one solitary dollar.