The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-09-17
MONACO'S GAMBLING DEN.
A vIvIDLx DRAWN PICTURE or A
GREAT EVIL.
Enormous Profits Of the Concern
Immense sums at Stake-Huns
drcds Lured TO Ruin and Death.

attention has been tOrClbly directed for |
the last few years to the Monte Carlo |
gambling establishment at Monaco, and |
TO the growing evils which its existence
entails. OF late the feeling of aversion, |
not to say horror, which it occasions has |
become 80 general in every country |
throughout Europe, both with the gov
erned and the governing bodies, that l |
cannot but think that its days are num- |
bered. Both Europe and America have |
become fully awakened to the fact that
the gambling house is q blot on modern
society, and that its great and yearly in
creasing prosperity scatters ruin and des
olaJion over the earth. The acknowl-
edged profits of the concern are 7,000,-
900 francs, or nearly e700,0 900. No per-
son living has probably seen more than
have of the Monte Carlo gambling estab-
lishment, for l have resided in its inn
mediate vicinity (Mentone) for twenty
five winters, and consequently no one is
better qualified to speak of its moral and
social influence on the surrounding pop
ulations. l took refuge on the Genoese
Riviera in 1859, i'll unto death, thereby
saved life, and have returned to it in
the winter ever since. On my first
arrival the gambling house was in its
infancy, established at Monaco itself,
under the patronage of the prince, and
attracted but little notice. 1t was very
! small and insignificant concern. When
the gaming establishment at Homburg
was closed, NJ. Blanc, its head, bought
up the Monaco business, obtaining from
the prince long lease with all kinds of
privileges, which were, of course, largely
paid for. Bringing to the matter great
experience and masterly mind, M.
| Blanc's success has been stupendous.
| What much aided him was the fact
that the closure of Homburg was fol-
lowed by that of all the gambling houses
in Europe, so that gamblers of all nation
1 alities, men and women, have been thrown
into his clutches. Year by year the area
/ of the pernicious influence of Monte Carlo
has increased, in ever widening circles,
until it is now felt all over the world, in
Europe, Asia, Africa and America.
It's enormous influence for evil is best
understood by simple calculation which
l owe to professional gambler. AS the
chances of the table are one in thirty-six
in favor of the bank, to gain annually
nearly 100000, which it processes to
do, $4,000, 000f.) e24, 500, 600 must
have been staked on its tables, must
have been won and lost The banks
600, 900 profit is its royalty-at the
rate of one in thirty y-six-on this enor-
nous amount of money, which must,
therefore, have been played, lost and
won. If the II, GOO, ,00Of are the profits
after deducting the very heavy expenses
incurred by the establishment, as be-
lieve is the case, the amount actually
played must be much greater. 1t is
this fact of the gambler dealing with
large masses of money that partly &C.
counts for the strange fascination exer-
cised by gambling. A careful player,
who begins with, say, CT, 900 capital
may have fingered, according to the doc
trine of chances, $50, 600 before he loses
his capital. If he play long enough, the
bank royalty OF one in thirty-siX is sure
to swallow up his capital, and then he
has had all the emotion of having been
alternately successful or the reverse, rich
or poor. He regrets when he has al
last lost his initial capital that he did
not stop when successful, which he never
does, VOWS that he will be more prudent
next time, and in order to have the chance
Often he loses all feeling ofhonor and pro
bity, and, after risking his last shilling,
plays his wife's dowry, his daughter'i
fortune, his employers money, to end
may be, by suicide.
At Monte Carlo often every fourth
player is a woman; and such women
Truly they represent the sirens of old
and are infinitely more dangerous, Otter
running entirely those whom they circum
vent The women are not all, however
of this class. Husbands often thought
lessly encourage their wives or daughter,
TO risk few tive-franc pieces, or napol
cons, on the table, and thus inoculate
them with the gambling frenzy. IL il
principally TO attract these really respec
table people, 10 lead them by slow de
grees TO the gaming tables, that every
possible alluTement aud inducement i,
offered TO all, 10 travellers and 10 residents
with the most unbounded liberality. A
magnificent band of seyenty-hve musi
clans discOurscs sweet music every after
! noon and evening. Theatrical and oper
attic performances are offered weekly a
nominal prices, at which the leading
celebrities Of the day take part. Tn,
gardens are, perhaps, the finest in South
ern Europe; the reading room is one o
the best supplied, with periodical liter
ature and all are opened from morn t,
night, without restriction, 10 any well
dressed person. says the spider 10 tht
= fly: "Walk into my parlor, my prett,
, fly They do walk in by the hundreds
/ by the thousand, and are constant,
sucked dry destroyed morally and ply
sically.
, When / first inhabited the Riviera tn,
, Monaco gambling house, as already stated
was mere gambling club or casino
, which excited but little notice Now i
has become the great attraction, the grea
fact. Half the people one meets are go
ING or have been 20 Monte Carlo
, friends are invited the probable answe
T is am going 10 Monaco, TO the classi
, cal concert, TO the band, or TO an operati
{ performance, but few dare confess the.