The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-04-05
NEAR NICE.
A Trip to Monte Carlo---The Isle st.
Marguerite -Canny Cannes.
special correspondence National Tribune.

in single day. and all free from annoyances
OF ordinary travel. For instance on Thursday,
the proper use of the time is a trip to Monte
Carlo to hear the one classical concert of the
week. Since the burning of the opera house
at Nice there is little music to be heard; and
the Thursday classical concerts are the land
marks of plans for getting the most enjoyment
from a sojourn on the Riviera Accordingly,
at nine III the morning party of music lovers
take possession of the break. This is vehicle
borrowed bodily, name included, from England.
1t is high vehicle, carrying twelve or
fourteen persons, who ride some backward
and some forward. The top is supported on
strong slight iron posts, and there is no wood
work or leather to obstruct the view Three
willing horses draw this vehicle and a driver
IN a fine green coat and stiff, queerly-shaped
hat keeps up a sort of conversation with his
horses when he is not blowing shrill horn or
throwing coppers TO the beggars along his
route. The break starts from an Office on the
edge of Old Nice and follows road which
skirts the little port of Nice, where little yes
sells, filled with charcoal, are always unloading.
There is a little Office here where the bags of
charcoal are officially weighed, and the men
and boys who do the work of unloading and
weighing are a leisurely company who pause
and watch the passing break, unconscious Of
their picturesqueness with their ungainly bun
dies on their backs. Then the road leads past
a line Of villas and out to the edge OF the sea;
and here begins series of views of the Med
iterranean such as fully justify ones precon-
ceiyed ideas of it, From Nice to Villefranche
is the ride of few minutes only and at the
present time the harbor of Villefranche has
pleasing interest for Americans, because the
Naouma, Mr.. James Gordon Benefits yacht,
which is anchored here, is drawing forth graft
flying comments on American enterprise and
taste. After leaving Villefranche, the road
leads through olive groves and orange orchards,
with here and there q r0se-hedged villa gar
den and always the sea in sight But much
of the land is rocky hillside which cannot be
cultivated, and wherever perseyering toll is
withheld there is grey, forbidding rock all the
sterner for the contrast with the rich gardens.
two hours ride brings Monaco in sight. This
is little principally which is constantly de-
scrIbed and yet is never exhausted. 1t COM
prlses only three miles of territory, chiefly
barren mountainside. 1t has a tiny port,
palace, and standing army of something like
one hundred and thirty soldiers, chiefly Ro-
mans. Its native population talks neither
French nor Italian, Though this three-mile
prineipality is on the France Italian frontier
but Monagasc, a language or dialect peculiar to
this limited territory. The Prince of Monaco
is said to have Inherited his throne through
line OF ancestors running back TO Sibalin Girl
maldi, who, in the tenth century, received
Monaco from Count William /, of Provence, as
reeompense for services rendered in driving
out the Saraeens. But the throne of Monaco
must have been slender possession through
all the generations down to the one preceding
the present for barren hillside and a small
town OF peasants cut Off by their language,
from external relations, could not afford &
princely revenue. Now, however, the subjects
OF this petty prince are numbered by thousands,
OF whom the native Monagasc are a trivial pro-
portion. There is no custom house to tax his
1oYt. \
there are internal revenue officers to tax them
directly, but the Prince of Monaco is very rich
at the expense of his Subjects nevertheless.
GREAT NATIONAL INDUSTRY.
For, in 1862 NJ. Blanc, who had done the same
thing at Homburg, came to Monaco and built
a Casino. That is TO say, he introduced gam
bling as the national industry of the prince
dom. As other countries, one after another,
have forbidden gambling, Monaco has come
to have a monopoly of this industry. The
prineedom includes four distinct districts
The town of Monaco, with the palace and gov
ernment buildings and a large part of the
Monagasc population, is crowded up0n bluff,
and is as quaint and pretty a spot as any on
the Riviera. At the foot of the bluff is the port,
and at the eastern side of the port rises the
second bluff, THAT of Monte CSTlo,) where Mr..
Blanc established his national industry. There
is q pretty fable of the founding of Monte Carlo.
q L
applications for admission to Heaven, deputed
| st. Michael and Satan mot then fallen) to ere
ate Heaven on earth. These angels created
Monte Carlo, but Satan, growing impatient of
Joint rule, invented gambling, and forthwith
found himself exclusive master of a horde of
human souls. But st. Michael found these sub
.ects OF Satan anything but happy; and, sadly
facing the fact that his Heaven on earth was
only another entrance TO the internal regions,
and that the beauty which he had created was
only another temptation to man, refrained
from further endeaY0r and abandoned Monte
Carlo TO Satan. who has held undiSputed pos
session to this day. Unhappily for the legend,
Mr. Blanc was an eminently real and practical
person, hot In the least degree angelic; and it
| is well known that Satan had invented gam
bling long before Mr. Blame established Monte
Carlo, in 1868, Nevertheless, the beauty of the
| surroundings is indescribable and justities al
most any play of fancy. The quiet sea, steep
/ bluff, and picturesque view of the town of Mo-
naeo to the south and west, or the near dark
hills tot the north appeal to theeye wherever one
/ happens to turn; and palm gardens as beauti-
full as unfailing skillful care and an equable
/ climate can make them fill every available
space about the Casino. This Casino however,
Is an unwholesome spot, which iustifies, in a
manner, the dark side of the legend. On en-
/ tering, line is formed, which files through a
/ small office where names and addresses are reg
/ iStered; persons from the vicinity being rigor-
ously excluded. Russian, English and American
visitors are especially well received in this little
/ office; and To every conner not Il dweller in the
! surrounding country a ticket of admission is
| given gratis. This is needed only for the gam
/ biing-rooms. One may go to the reading-rooni,
/ without even this slight formality, and find
! there the papers of many countries; or one
| may enter the luxurious concert-room and
/ hear two concerts daily. Every exertion is
/ made by the administration to attract persons
| OF wealth, the fixed percentage of gain from
| the tables amply reimbursing all expenditures
A GAMBLING COMMUNITY.
/ There is an odd variation in the species of the
/ Prince of Monaco's subjects from DAY TO day
! On Thursday the classical concert attracts Eng.
! lish and American travellers from Nice and
] Cannes Mcntone and san Reno. On Sunday, OH
/ the other hand, the English aud American ele
ments vanish and lady 5 maids and small shoI
| keepers play for five franc stakes; only con.
tlrned gamblers go ON Sunday to the tables where
| high minimum is required. OfcourSe this off
ference IS not without exceptions, but they are
not marked enough to do more then prove the
rule. Gambling at Monte Carlo is on u curious
basis, hard FOR the newt y-arriyed American e
understand For large number OF the person.
around the tables gambling is only an Incident
ali episode an amusement. lit is common K
| hear ladies comparing notes over small losses
or gains made in single experiment in gam
! bling never to be repeated Gambling is no.
abhorred as thing beyond the province o
| moral persons Like the cigarette smoking O
Russian ladies, it is Il permissible recreation
~ - I. I Al g