The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-08

uaenher had 10 b reelected and il is need
le~< so cav that those who we're hlack-bailed
nj the reel ectiun have experienced consd-
cradle dificulty in their attempts 70 enter
other clubs
Gambling hiss always been high in Paris
higher, perhaps. than in any other capt.
a in Europe. In the days OF the second
empire il was at its highest; bat most OF
the members Of that generation have either
paesed away or been ruined. or arc now too
old % play The cercse Imperial. 1t the
corner Of the Palace de Ia Concorde and
the Champs Elysees, has now been united
to the 'Niriitons," and Is known rs the
.Epatanfs,n and here gambling is still car
RED on to . large extent, especially since
the fusion OF the two clubs. Baccarat and
poker are chiefly in vogue. Play begins in
the afternoon, and goes on again after din
ner. until the small hours Of the morning.
Among gambling tragedies, Prince Melis-
san0's death stands out as warning to
those Who make too free with 'la Dame de
Pique." Here was . man popular in all
classes of society. well born and possessing
= considerable fortune. but the day came
when .Qainze" and baccarat lett him high
and dry. and be was unable to pay his
debts of honor. Then his name Was posted
in the looking glass of the salon OF the Rue
Royale. When the prince caught sight OF
it he smashed the iooking-glass to atoms
with one blow from his cane. and then
there was q scandal. Prince Meilssano.
who occupied q room At the club, senta few
days later for his eoiffeur. and, having been
carefully shaved and-in American par
lsnce-fxed. he dressed himself in evening
clothes, and then put bullet through his
heart Thus was another life-and the life
Of deservedly popular man-sacrifced to
the demands OF Dame Fortune.
Todescend to lower scale of clubin Paris
than those slready mentioned. We may
refer to certain magnificent establishments
far easier of access than the Rue Royale
and the Jockey Club, where gambling
especially baccarat--is played for very high
stakes. OF these the principal ones are the
Presse, the Washington and the Amercain
the last generally called the Colonel.
from the sufficiently well-known fact that
all Americans are colonies. The Presse Is
freeuented by the better class of journalists
men who make large sums OF money
By their pens. and who spend
the greater part OF these sums
in gambling. Then there are rich stock
holders, financial dahblers, lie tout boule-
vard-that unknown auantity which GER
tainly exists, but which it is SO difficult to
define. All these men are prepared 70 risk
a thousand louis in the bank, and at the
Washington" and the Colonel the play
is even higher. Here AInericans-and,
indeed, all strangers-are admitted with
less formality than in other clubs. and it
was at the Colonel that Mr.. Benzon, in
the sporting parlance. skinned the lamb"
to the extent of some II. 600 pounds during
his stay in Paris two years ago. These
clubs are openly spoken of as tripots or
'hellsn by those who frequent them.
Their very existence depends upon the
members gambling, and indeed they are
founded for no other purpose.
Baccarat is one of those games which in
the long run mean certain ruin. The
banker pays 5 per cent. for the advantage
that he has in dealing-namely, that when
his adversaries ask for cards, the cards he
gives them are turned up, and he can there
fore gather very clearly what points they
have, and can make very shrewd calcula-
ton AZ TO whether or not he ought to take
q card himself. This per cent. goes to the
benefit of the club, which thus makes enor-
nous profits during the evening whether
the members win or not If a given num-
her of players were to sit down and play
baccarat. each with a stated sum of money,
it would only be question of time for the
united amount TO have passed into the
cagnotte or pool, and for no one to be any
richer save the proprietors OF the club.