The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-06-01

second sailor, but the life-boat still
struggled onward. John Buffers yes
sci was on the verge of laundering,
and he had clasped his wife and his
. SON TO his breast. when q tOw-rope
thrown by the men in the life-boat fell
at his feet. His vessel was saved, and
, saved through the splendid devotion of
four French pilots.
! This devotion had inspired John
4 Burter with a warm sympathy for
France. Thus, when misfortune be-
fell her, John Burter was one of the
first to enlist in the regiment of the
Friends of France" Frenchmen had
, saved his life, that of kis wife. and
that of his son. In his turn he would
sacrifice himself, if il were necessary,
for France. Throughout the day on
which the battle of Montretout took
place John Burter fought like a lion,
and when in the evening the bugle
sounded the retreat, the brave Captain
Law in the midst of heap of the enc
my's corpses, terribly wounded, but
still breathing. His gallantry had
been told to the General commanding,
and when the latter passed the
honor which he wore on his tunic. and
clasping it on John Buffers breast.
said TO him: Captain, accept this
cross; it is the highest reward that
France can be>tow on brave men. In
the name of my country | bestow it on
YOU" On the following day John
Burter died i'm the field hospital, but be-
fore closing his eyes forever he confided
the cross to a friend, saying a. he
handed il to him: ''YOu will give this
cross to my son, that it may be a tails
man which may always keep him in the
path of honor and duty. If ever an
evil thought crosses his mind, let him
look at this cross. let him think of his
father. and feel sure that he will inn
mediately return To the sentiments
which alone are worthy of an honorable
man."
Long after the events recorded hao
taken place, chance led me to the
shores of the Mediterranean. For
many days [ staid at Monaco, not TO
gamble, for. thank Heaven. | have
never felt the passion of play. but TO
settle some family business. Morning
after morning had travelled along the
coast, and had admired the truly adj !
mirable picture which nature offers to (!
the traveller who goes from Nice to Ge- |
noa by the Corniche road, when one |
day the fancy seized me TO enter the |
Monte Carlo Casino. The impression |
| received was strange, and | must /
frankly confess that the sight which !
met my eyes cOntrasted disagreeably |
with the beauties which nature has Law /
ished upon this country. If the view !
from the top of the terrace of Monte
Carlo daZZles the eyes. Gains the mind
and fills the soul with an infinite
charm. the scene which the gaming sa-
loon presents troubles the sight, sad
dens the heart and fills one with a feel
ING of WEAKNESS and depression.
PictUrs to yourself splendid saloon
brilliantly lighted by numerous cham
deliers; the walls are magnificently
decorated, but the sole furniture of the
room consists of tables and chairs. On
each table may be seen roulette
wheel, miniature fakes and locked
box. Gradually the crowd enters and
the gaming saloon is;tilled. Visitors of
the most varied types take their places
round the tables, the croupiers co<le
in, open the box, fill ii with bank-notes
and pile up before them heaps of gold.
The play begins. This consists Of
throwing an ivory ball, which revolyeS
m a wheel-a species of round BASIN
with numbers, and which il itself
in an opposite direction
There are thirty-six numbers on the
wheel without counting zero Each
player stakes a SUM of money upon
The croupiers pay thirty-six
lines the sum which Is staked on the
at which the ball stops. All
he money risked on the other numbers
iorms the gains of the Casino
A gentleman of military appearance
s standing near a table. He stakes a
ouis, and whether he gains or whether
ne loses, the sum which he risks never
is always a louis. Acrossthe
able young woman l. noting down
he winning numbers; for hours to-
yether she is absorbed i'm this oceupa-
ion. and in the evening. when she re-
urns to her hotel. she devotes herself
@ making innumerable calculations.
She reckons how mann times each num-
Der has come out during the day, she
strikes an average, and thus settles the
number on which next day she will risk
the money st her command. At an
other table two PLAYERS of a different
face each other. One is
brutalized by play. the other is impas-
sive: he has what is called "a strong
stomach" Whetherhe loses or whether
he wins, his face always remains the
same. No nervous contraction betrayS
the feelings which are agitating his
heart. He digests equally well all for
tunes vagaries. and when the roulette
carries off the sheaf of bank-notes
which is before him. the digestion of /
this loss does not appear TO give him /
the slightest discomfort; hence his name /
of ''strOng stomach.
/ had been in the gambling saloon |
for some moments when i noticed a