Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-07-24
MONTE IN MEXICO.

MONTE IN MEXICO.
Everybody Plays 1t, Notwithstanding the
Big Percentage in Favor of the Dealer.
Characteristic of the Mexican people
is an Unsuitable passion for gambling,
says the Detroit Free Press. From the
richest merchant or banker to the poorest
"trabajador" it is. with surprisingly few
exceptions, nation of gamblers. /
have seen beggars-ragged, wrinkled,
decrepit old men-crouch all day with
appealing hand on the street corner, and
at night seek the nearest monte bank,
and, losing the miserable pittance for
which they had waited so patiently,
hobble off in the darkness, supperless
to bed-God knows where.
Monte is the National game. In
gilded palaces and grimy hovelsin every
Mexican city you may find the swarthy
monte-dealer sitting behind q table with
pile of Mexican dollars in front Of
him. From pack of cards in his left
hand he draws the two topmost, placing
them side by side, face upward, on the
table. Let them be trey and five,
you bet dollar on the trey, and If
a trey comes before five you have won
dollar. Vice versa, you lose. He may
place other pairs on the board, and you
may bet on either of each pair with the
same result. The percentage in the
dealers favor is so great that it is only
a matter Of time when he will have all
of your money unless you be excep-
tionally lucky. Even then you had
better not depend on your luck at any
other time.
The pack of cards and their denomina.
tons are the same as the ordinary
euchre deck, but the figures are differ
ent The Spade" is represented by
two-edged sword, the CLUB" by a rough
bludgeon, the "heart" by an earthen
vase of Aztec pattern, and the "dia-
mond" by figure consisting of series
of concentric rings, which is supposed
to be conventional representation Of
the sun. The "jack" is sedate courtier
of the middle ages, the queen" is a
fantastic princess mounted on pranc-
ing horse, and his majesty's full-length
figure is arrayed in costume that must
have been borrowed from Roman
Emperor of the Eastern Empire.
One night in the City of Mexico l
wandered down to the principal plaza
and walked into the greatest gambling
hall in Mexico-tbe great monte-bank
sustained by the municipal government.
Monte was no novelty to me, but this
particular bank was. In the hall
semi-circular bar described a curve of
some eighty feet. Inside the center on
11<c ! ~
and called out his cards. and about
fifty dealers placed the cards he called
on the bar. Several hundred men could
then bet on the same "layouts."
AS I stood idly watching this monster
game an old man came in whom I had
noticed whitewashing stone wall in
the rear of my hotel that morning. He
watched the game intently for few
minutes and placed so cents-his days
earnings, doubtless on card and won
he then placed the dollar on another
card and won that. He placed his
present capital, 50. on two cards and
VOL both. And there he stood for more
than half an hour winning every bet.
The dealers pile Of silver dimished as
the players increased, until the latter had
every "tlaclo." The dealer went back
to the treasurer for more money, but bv
cred Whitewater had sent another
dealer to the vaults for the same pur-
pose. BY this time the interest OF all
in the house was conferred on the lucky
player Those who We're betting made
their bets on the same cards with him.
In another hour at this rate the bank
would have been ruined, and the super.
intendent angrily closed the remaining
games. The old Whitewater counted
out more than $4,000 in Mexican coin
and changed it into gold and notes. As
1 sauntered down the street I saw hin
turn aside into another monte. bank
Curious to see whether he would tempt
fortune further, followed him in. He
began playing again, and lost as
regularly as he had won before. Losse:
made him frantic, aud he made larger
and larger bets. Within an hour saw
him turn sadly away, without even tn,
pittance for which he had toiled all da,
under the burning tropical sun.
The passion for the game is not con
fined to the Mexicans alone. 1t il
equally strong with the cowboys, herd
ers, Transfers, and soldiers of Western
+ Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
once saw nearly $4,000 paid to CAM
!, of soldiers in Texas. Within tire
hours dozen monte-dealers had nearl.
: every dollar Of it. Most of these in tur
went to neighboring towns and lost
y at other mems games. Laws prohibit
! ing the game, providing severe penaltie
for their violation, are enacted withou
avail. The monte-dealer iourishes, til
< frontiersman loses his hard-earned pay
g and turns cheerfully to another mont
i. of hardship.
e Spiders and Their Young.
Exhibitions of maternal affection ar
by no means confined to the higher an
mails. Even the spider is capable {
g displaying great heroism, where he