St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-04-10
The Gaming Tables Of Monte
Carlo.

every uiiy. Inc prlnclpalIty of Mona
co is the smallest in Europe. living on
the sea at the foot of the maritime Alps
In the southeast corner of France.
Nice is on the west and Mentone on
the east. The celebrated Corniche
road passes through it, and olive and
lemon orchards, and VINEYARDS, and
orange and palm groves, tamarinds,
aloes and large variety of the cactus
tree, with sweeU-scented shrubs and
brilliant flowers climb the steep ter
races of the sea far up the mountain
side> On n rocky promontOry rising
out of the waves, as it were, the old
city stands with its castle and palace
where the famous Grimaldi family have
dwelt since the tenth century. The
Prince OF Monaco, Il feeble descendant.
occupies 1t now, and rolls his chariot
III splendor along the perfect road of
his domains.
One mile from the palace of the
Prince, on the slope of the mountain.
on lofty eminence overlooking the
sea, Is the beautiful Casino of Monte
Carlo, the aristocratic gambling hell of
Europe, for it is the patronage of the
arlstOcratic class that gives it publicity
ihiNNbtC. IT Is dl tdGlllN Ddltl-
disc. Wealth and art and music could
do no more as it would seem, to make
the grounds and the gambling temple
attractive. 1t is 4 marvel of landscape
gardening, every beautiful tree and
flower of the tropics lending its charm.
The Casino itself was designed by the
same architect who planned for Paris
its finest structure, the Grand Opera
House. In its concert salon is an or
chestra of fifty Instruments, second to
none III Europe, playing every after
noon and evening. The reading-room,
the hall of entrance, the waiting.
chambers, the flowers and paintings
and statuary prevailing every where
ravish the eve. Choice wines and
Yiands, and music and drama from the
great cities of the Continent, appear
there throughout the season. Every
pleasure of the senses is at hand
dressed i'll its most captivating form.
The gaming-room is very spacious
and imposing, radiant in silver and
gold and fine art. There arc eight
gambling tables standing on the marble
floors beneath the glittering and high
vaulted roof. They are distributed
widely apart so as not to interfere with
each other i'll their exciting work
Afternoon and evening the fires of
avarice and ambition and envy and
lust are kindled, and rage in despera-
tion around those gilded tables, till
the soul is burned to IA crisp. We
counted ninety-fOur persons around
one table, and there could be little less
than 500 at the eight tables engaged
in tha N Of ,,In,- h,E =,
destinies, breaking forth often in fury
and frenzy. A suicide is the occurrence
of every few days. Men rush into the
lovely grounds i'll the agony of ruin,
and under the silent heavens bespatter
the earth with their hot blood. Women
play scarcely less than men, and many
venerable men and women with gray
locks may he seen desperately absorbed
in the game hour after hour.
Children are not admitted there. nor
any citizen of Monaco those that
thrOng the tables are apparently above
rather than under the line of forty.
Jews, who almost never play, are
always present, so that when the gulf
OF despair opens at the feet of some
wealthy loser he may negotiate loan
at IL high discount or part with his
.jewelry at Il great sacrifice. There is
an establishment in Nice where these
costly ornaments of the nobility and
higher classes, sacrificed under the
pressure of loss, may be seen and
bought. \ Russian Countess lost re-
Gently eight million francs, which cost
her her entire estates. Women are
more eager than men in play, as IA rule, |
and harder to reform. if indeed there is |
any reform when this consuming pas
sion is once deeply seated. A young
American with a large fortune lately
played and heavily lost, lost till his
money was nearly gone. With the |
remnant he ventured again and won n !
great fortune. He vowed he would |
quit Monte Carlo and return to Amer
lea. He was Overtaken in Paris bv |
his confreres but refused to pay He
was followed to London but still de- !
clined to play. At New York these
beset him. lie yielded some
what, but recovered his resolution and |
fed to Philadelph; acre lie was en- !
ticed to play. lie soon lost all, and on |
Il public square of the city ended the |
wretchedness of his broken life by |
These halls mt Monte Carlo are the |
vortex of destruction. Women and |
wine and gaming are the three devils |
damned that are intrenched here, and |
when one once comes into their clutches |
the lines harden on the face and mark |
of vice appear in the form sin hangs !
out its foul regalia in every look and |
feature, and the soul is sold unto death.
1t is a horrid way to hell, enticing as il |
is at the start. No admission is asked |
to any of these things. Everything in |
vites onward till the first step is taken, |
and then there is seldom any return
Tho revenue of this Casino of Monte |
Carlo is a hundred million francs a
year. A company called the Society |
for Sea- bathing" has rented it Of the
Prince of MouacO for a long term OF
years. This company conducts it with
consummate skill, subsidizing the press
and the government. 1t is difficult to
touch it, so great is the money power
that defends it. But Germany has
overthrOwn its gaming tables at Baden
Baden, Hamburg and Wicsbaden. IT,
ally is opposed to this shameless sin.
and only France winks ut it. A Ger
man Baron Won Scribe prints at Nice
a weekly paper in opposition, and Il
society has been formed against it. Az
American chaplain Of the Navy who's
ship was lying in the harbOr at Nice.
preached an able sermon on games 0i
chance in the American Chapel, which
was published, and it is among the
many influences which are undermin
ing this stronghold of iniquity. Th" .
Pope has written a powerful letter !
against the games of hazard there, :
and Mr.. Anderson, member from 6 las
gov, has given notice in the British !
Parliament that he shall introduc"
measures a1ainst il