Morning journal and courier., 1885-03-13
Gambling at Baden.

OA of the site, to distinguish it from 8 third rate German spa. Where visitors from every part of Europe used to eongregate the native element is chiefly conspicuous /; the guttural accent of the Teuton reigns supreme on the promenade and in the Conversation" nor is the spectacle of row of matrons from Ra- stadt or Carlsruhe, busily employing their knitting needles by way of accompaniment to the music in the kiosk, an agreeable sub stitute for the well dressed bellies of bygone days, by whom season at Baden was re- garded as an indispensable feature in their yearly programme At first sight the change is hardly perceptible; there are still the same hotels, and the same shops as of yore, the proprietors of which are quite as disposed to relieve the tourist of his super1uous "marks' as they used to be when thalers and forins were the circulating medium of the Duchy. All appears externally the same, and it is only when you look more closely into things that you discover how wide gulf-always socially speaking-exists between the Baden of 1870 and it's shadow in 1884.
 The period from 1860 to the date of the Franco German war was perhaps the most brilliant in the history of this delightful re sort and there is no doubt that the reign of Napoleon the Third contributed largely to it's prosperity By the higher class of Parisians it was considered an imperative duty to put in an appearance there at least for portion of the summer, and to profit by the thousand and one inducements seductively held out to them by the lately deceased NJ. Dupressoir, who had succeeded Benazet as lessee of the bank and who certainly deserved credit for the liberality displayed by him during his long tenure of office. One of his satellites for some years was Frenchman of excellent family, but in such reduced circumstances that the post of inspector, with considera- co1aru nfforo1 him hv fha m Us e too tempting to be refused; it is, however, only doing him justice to say that he ap- peared thoroughly conscious of his undigni- fed position, and, when off duty, lived in strict retirement and associated with no one.
 have seen in my time good deal of the goings-on in the play-rooms, but rarely met with anyone-e- en the most fortunate-able in the long run to hold his own against the overpowering odds in favor of the bank, or possessing sufficient strength of mind to con- tent himself with what he had won without seeking to win more. Of the few players remember who not only netted a large sum, but actually kept 1t, was retired tradesman who came over in an excursion train from Strasburg with two or three hundred francs in his pocket, and returned thither the same evening with balance to the good of over three thousand pounds sterling, which he in- vested on the following day in the purchase of a small landed property, and may possi-
 
 of prudence-very involuntarily the part of the individual principally concerned may be related on the authority of M. Flu gene Guinot. A young Austrian count, who by a run of luck found himself winner of thirty thousand forins, carried the money away with him and deposited it carefully in his desk, fully intending to recommence ope- rations next morning with renewed vigor To his unspeakable dismay, however, the precious roll of notes had in the course of the night unaccountably disappeared, and with 1t his servant, an old retainer of the family, of whose honesty he had hitherto meyer en- tertained the slightest doubt Ten days later, while the count was still bs~ailiug his loss, the absentee quietly entered the room as if nothing had happened and handed fold ed paper to his master.
 ''Whe1e have you beent" angrily exclaimed the young man:
 ''To Vienaa," coolly replied Fritz.
 "And my thirty thousand horins, where are theyz"
 Perfectly safe. felt sure you would lose them again. so I took them to your bankers, and the paper you have in your hand is his receipt for the money"
 I recollect hearing of droll story of captain Zen retraite" residing in Strasburg who had a passion for the s'board of green cloth, but, being unable to indulge it from fear of his wife, hit upon the following in- genious method of playing by deputy GA friend of mine,' he told my informant, ssis staying at Baden, and has invented an infal- lible system, the working of which only re quires capital of six thousand francs. I let him have most of the money, and he plays for both of us. As yet he has succeeded ad mirably, and every day receive a telegram addressed to certain hotel where I am known, and so worded that no one but my self could possibly understand it. Here," continued the captain, lis yesterdays dis patch; EGustave arrives at two o'clock;' that means we have won two thousand francs; when Gustave arrives at half past one that signifies fifteen hundred. Come with me to the hotel and we shall see what has been done tarday." ''Sure enough" said my friend, 'tthere was the telegram when the captain had read it he flew into terrible rage, and after bestowing long string of very unparliamentary epithets on the sender, handed me the naissive, which consisted simply of three worlds
 "Gustave hle!'
 Among the many regular visitors who at the period in question never failed to pass at least part of the season ct Baden, one of the most noteworthy was a rich banker of a neighboring "Residenz," about whose early life strange stories were occasionally told, It was mysteriously whispered that his youth had been marked by more than one singular adventure, and that a duel in which he had been engaged had terminated fatally for his adversary; these reports, however, whether true or false, were known only to few, and in course of tirue were gradually forgotten. He was an inveterate gambler, but most unlucky one, playing by fits and starts as the fancy took him, and always at roulette; his stay in the room seldom exceeded tea minutes, but he generally contrived to leave at least two thousand francs behind him. af- ter which habitual result he quietly ad- journed to the closed gallery adjoining the Cafe Weber, and sat down to chess with 8 fellow-townsman until dinner time, the stake being invariably limited to three kreutzers the game.
 Another curious type was an Englishman, who lived about mile out of the town, and was strongly suspected of being employed as ssbonnet' by the bank; chair was regu- larly reserved for him next the dealer at the trente ct quarante table, and there he re mained for hours with pile of gold hafore him. but never by any chance yisking more than fve-franc piece. A year later, re- marking his absence from his accustomed seat, asked what had become of him; and learned, that owing to certain malpractlces, the exact nature of which was kept secret. he had been for some months imIpuTed in the town prison, and had subsequently, dis appeared no one knew whlther.
 Pre-eminent among the habitues were the pretty Princess Souwarof and ~the lively Mme Ratazzi, the first perpetually fitting in and out of the play-rooms, and largsly con tributing to M. Dupressoiy'a yearly revenue; and the second eharging circle of admirers by her bright sallies and epigrammatic con- versation. The literary element was chiefly represented by the Russian Turgenetf, by Ernest Feydeau, in search of $ pendant to his Fanny" and by constant influx of Pa risian journalists, by whom every fresh tid- bit of ''la chronique scandaleuse' was care fully treasured up for the Gaulois and the Figaro; while the lovers of music were grat- flied by the presence of Madame Viardot and Offenbach, whose "rrincesse de Trebizonde" was originally brought out at Baden. It was with this prolific composers passion for rou- 1ette that the major part of his ''honorari- una very princely one, for M. Dupres oir was a liberal paymaster- -profted him little; and was soon swept away, not like the ram of Derby, ''by the food," but by the crou- piers rake,