The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-04-18
AT MONTE CARLO.
Exciting Scenes In tho Gay Hall OF 81
Great Gambling Palace.

EtuClNlnK hNcueh III Nno Oby NNh VI NhN
Great Gambling Palace.
The season has been late and bad
upon the Reviera. Even an early car
nival has been made to fill the fashion
able winter resorts, But while Nice and
Cannes, st. Raphael and Mentone have
been complaining Monte Carlo has been
always crowded, and this despite the
wintry weather, which powdered the
fruit-laden orange and lemon trees with
snow; despite the general deterioration
of visitors.
For Monte Carlo yearly grows more
and more distinctly canaille. Its chief
attraction, the pernicious Casino, is an
irresistible line around which the riff
raft of this whole world continually
gathers. Every one, it is to be feared,
loses caste at Monte Carlo. Even highly
respectable people land although roughs
are mainly in the ascendant, there are
some decent folk as Monaco) get touch
of the tar brush, for pitch will always
stick If you get too near
A few strong-minded persons have the
courage to resist the temptations to
play; they are satisfied to enjoy the
sunshine, the magnificent scenery -
Monte Carlo, city of palaces, en-
bosomed in perennial flowers, backed
by purple hills and fringed by an azure
sea, is one of the most beautiful spots
on earth - the splendid orchestra,
which is one of the finest in Europe, and
provided gratuitously by the admins
tration of the gaming tables, very
prosperous and free-handed body,
thanks to its enormous and ill-gotten
gains.
But to avoid "The Rooms" that COM
mon euphemism for the gay halls of the
tickle goddess Chance, demands an
heroic self-denial mostly practiced by
those who have nothing left to lose. AS
general rule all visitors to Monte
Carlo take the gambling fever, more or
less badly; it is a disease endemic and
epidemic like measles, whooping cough
or mumps. Look round these detestable
tables and note how the company in
cludes dozen different types. 1t is a
cosmopolitan gathering, various in age,
sex, country, rank and outward appear
ance. Let me describe Cne or two:
That fat, white-faced, strengthening
man is an opera singer, in nationality a
Roumanian. He is oddly dressed-in a
light, tight suit of dittoes, the coat of
which has a black velvet collar; his
shirt is of Italian make, cut so low at
the throat that it exposes half his
brawny chest; he wears dozen rings,
floating watch chain twice round his
neck, and a gorgeous gold bracelet set
with big diamond encircles his pudgy
wrist. Jewels are popular with the fre-
quenters of the gaming tables; they
represent what Mr.. Wemmick called
portable property" and can be passed
on to the convenient pop shop when
funds run low.
He is an English ring" man, prince
of sportsmen, whose business is Nice
races, and Monte Carlo his relaxation.
A short, squarely- built little chap, with
what witty Frenchman described as
an eXaggeration abdominale. See how
in his open shirt front glisten three
studs, yellow diamonds, each as big a.
a Tangerine orange.
He is ''all there, " in his own language
although dependent upon Emery" his
confidential clerk, in all his operations
| Iol lllo CuuCdblOh lldD DCCI
and although good at mental arithmetic
he cannot write his name. But he
knows the touch and value of money
and makes Emery" promptly pass OF
the "oof" which he is winning (of course
at first) in large sums.
Next him stands bright-faced En-
glish girl bride, with her husband a
her elbow. He is captain in the Brit
ish cavalry, a gentleman every inch
straightforward, honest-eyed, but botl
he and his young wife are fascinated b,
the arch demon and under the spell o
play hardly recognizable by their dear
est friends.
What right have women here? Tha
old thing (she must be seventy odd
toothless, blear-eyed, with tremblin.
fingers that can hardly pick up or pu
down her gold; that pretty younI
widow, in all the openness of weeds be
tolxening her recent loss, has she com
here to stifle her sorrow or in bold bra
vado, as if glorying in relief from al
irlxsomc yoke? These girls, innocent
laughing girls, who call parting wit
! five franc pieces "Such awful fun" ar
they not out of place in this terrestrial
hell? Innocence soon wears off indeed
While l stand observing the crow
two boys approach me, Americans, an
with charming, ingenious address, be
me to explain to them the rules of tn
games, trente ct quarante and roulette
/ do so as matter of courtesy, yet re
gretfully, and within an hour or two
find them in the fore front, fighting fo
seats, planlIing down their money C
plein cheval, six deniers and the res
9 1t is but step from the beginning
the halfway stage of high and reckles
, play, the same or less to that of the il
. evitable catastrophe that assuredly ovel
: takes all who persist in the unequs
e game. Yesterday a great throng ha
gathered round path where gros je
= is in progress. A young French ma
!, quis, the lucky husband, | heard, of a
s American heiress, was winning cou
l. after coup, maximums, 81, 400, that
to say. every time. There was a run o
all colors, red had won eleven time
then black for eight, and this fortunat
I youth carried off some $4,000 as tn
e prize of one hours play 1t was ba
g day for the tables
A Near at hand was German; he migl
e have been Bismarck's brother, and VIZ
e the born image of that illustrious prime
g whose impassive self-possession he e,
actly repeated as he put down rol
u and rolls of notes and saw them gro
e into an enormous pile. Opposite, fo
l. lowing his luck was well-lknown El
e glish duchess, great winner both c