Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-15

Paris Correspondence Wilkes, snir,,

PreSSe, IN Lepelletier. The rooms of this new
and decorated, and it has become one of the
most fashionable houses of Paris. 1t was OPEN
ed a few months ago, Ostensibly as house of
eau i0r the presSmen, and among Its members
are all the well-known journalists; but now
nothing but baccaret goes on here, aud the
heaviest gamblers of the city meet there every
afternoon Often. in the hour just before din
change hands, and in the evening play is re-
ssumed and kept up until broad daylight. 1t
Is Is a most surprising thing that in town like
lafls, Where private play is surveyed by the
ike the Cercle de la PreSse should be allowed
TO nouTlsh unmolested. The gambling clubs
Of Paris are little more than public hells, for
tam entrance tothe most high toned, and those
OF the lower calibre are the rendezvous of
Si ,aI and blacklegs The French author
project OF founding roulette and trente-et-
qGafaBte rooms, and their determined princi-
pies In this respect are in contrast with the
laAlty manifested in the matter of the clubs.
Inc state Itself does not profit very largely by
the bacGarat houses, which only pay certain
annual due, and are, of course, the largest con
SSumers OF cards, which are the objects of a
heaYytaX. Certainly public roulette and trente-
et-quarante rooms Would be source of great
revenue to the city, and it seems strange that
one class of hell being tolerated, the other
should not be cOuntenanced as well.
ANY one wishing to realize what hold
gambling has taken upon the French should
look in at the Cercle de la Presse toward six
o CLOCK In the evening, an hour before dinner,
Bots, and the absinthe- slippers at the Boule-
ward cafes are moving away. The baccara'
room of the fashionable club is crowded, and
The table is covered with counters, of value
varying between louis and a thousand
iraEcS, Which every minute change hands. 1t
IS curious to observe the deXterity of the
crGupter, who, armed with long lathe, sits
opposite the banker, to sweep in or pay out,
according to the coup, with one stroke of his
''flapper," as young American friend of mine
rather aptly denominated the instrument the
checks about. never making the slightest
mistake, however. and always right in his
lightning calculations. The crOupierS are the
neI " who apart OF course from the proprie
profits by the game. They have many ways
of making money: In the first place, any one
having had lucky bank or two will gener-
ally toss them over a bonus of few louis.
Then, again, the unfOrtunates who get dead
broke" during the game, and, like all card
players devOured by the hideous fever of gam
ping, would sell their souls for more money TO
lose, are always glad to negotiate loans at
a most lucrative rate of interest. little
episode WHICH l witnessed a few days
ago at one of the boulevard clubs VIII give
an idea of the facility with which the
cronpaeTS amaSS com. One of the heaviest
players of the house had brought large sum.
twenty or thirty thousand francs, with him,
and Rad lost it in few banks. He borrowed
always similarly obliging to persons he can
trust, and tried his luck again. 1t is a super
SStition with some gamblers that lent money
brings luck, and in this case the adage turned
out to be true. The 5000 francs were soon
multiplied ten-fold. The negotiator of the
loan was so delighted with this unexpected
his funds he presented him with present of
ten louis. Two hundred francs interest for
the use OF 5000 during an hour is a lucrative
operation If frequently undertaken, and as
n ha lyrtl.ay
the principal do such little strokes of bust
ness, 1t will easily be seen that at the end of
the year their profits amount to- a very high
figure. The frequenters of clubs are ALWAYS
amused to see cr0upierS turn out at the races
on Sundays in dazzling array, and bet their
ponies" and 'fllies' with the best. The life
o. these worthless is very fatiguing one, for
hey rarely are. able to knock off before the
small hours OF morning. and very often are
still mOnotOnOusly drawing, "FaiteS rotre
,cu, messteurS, rtens ne 10 plus" and manipu-
at nine or ten O clock the next day; so they
really work very hard for their gains
The Paris clubs are world in themselves,
ana very curious one, too, though any one
VINO has gone the round of these eSta bsh-
ments,. short OF being an inveterate gambler
can not help regretting that they
should be allowed to flourish and afford facilf-
ties for ruin to thousands of people who would
have kept clear of gambling Bac-
carat is such terribly fascinating game that
once one has fallen under its charm, the odds
are that he will remain slave to it thereafter
There are thousands of men in Paris, men of
incomes and medium standing in So
clety mot to mention the members of the up
per ten thousand who have fatal passion for
lives at the board of green cloth. They all see
and know how strongly the chances are
against their winning, and yet they are con
great coup Dozens of stories circulate among
hdbitues of the clubs Of great gains made under
peculiar circumstances: All the baccarat
players In Paris are talking of a case in point
one OF the most destitute of the many poverty
stricken players who, after having lost all they
could get at Daccarat, still carry every LOUIS
a. run Of extraordinary luck one night, win.
ming with fifty francs more than 1.5OO.
The following day, of couse, he resumed
llay on l;s alge scale than before, and in
The case nine times out of ten, fortune re-
manned with him, and he won a large sum. He
then launched out into heavy play, and for
months was constantly lucky, playing an inn
mense game, and never meeting with any re-
verse: The shabby, .dissOlute lOunger is now
tpanIi4rmed into man Of pleasure and fash
the Bots, and it is said that during the last six
m nthS his winnings have amounted clio
u. on million francs. Now would be the time
1or this wonderfully fortunate gambler to with
carat has, Of course, become such a necessity
TO him that until his dying day nothing but an
accident Wilkeep him twenty four hours away
from the green cloth. There are good MANY
other Instances cited in the Paris clubs of men
who from very small beginnings have found
themselves possessed of large gains; but few
OF these men escape such reverSes as those
which have Overtaken the celebrated journal
ISL, Albert WOlff, who, year ago, could claim
to have won SOC, 600 francs at baccarat, and now
has not only lost back every thing he had but
has greatly compromised his brilliant pros
poets on the press by his fearful passion for
gaming. On the whole, The more one sees of
Daccarat the more thoroughly one becomes
persuaded that it will be fortunate day for
French nation when game having such dis
aStrOuS effects is abolished.
The chief reason why gambling clubs are so
profits which are to be made by the owners of
the concern. However, the prOprietors of a
baccarat club have no interest whatever in
interfering with the course of the game. The
source OF their revenue is the 2 per cent, due,
paid by every player taking a bank. In the
principal clubs the banks are rarely less than
hundred louis: and in the course of day
and nights play certainly thirty banks are
Dealt. Consequently the daily receipts vary
between two and three thousand francs which
swellS into very large yearly income. The
percentage for the bank is very OnerOus
charge, which depriyeS the dealer of a great
part OF his advantages. During long sitting
no Ole realizes how considerable a sum is alb.
SorDed by the house, unless in such case as
one which occurred a few nights since at a
bOuleVard club, when one of the players after
having held the bank all evening, perceived
ne was precisely fifty louis loser, whereas not
one OF the punters had one. From curiosity
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