The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-06-27
MONTE CARLO AS 1T is.
A MATTER-OF-FACT VIEW OF THE
MOST FAMOUS GAMING RESORT.
How Entrance to the Cnsino is OBJ
tanned and what Is Seen There-A
PRODUCTIONS Array of Plain and I'm
calmly Women and n Varied AssOrt-
ment of Men.


ment of Men.
A big yellowish building with a blue
clock dial stares at you on the edge of
a cliff overlooking the sparkling sea. says
the Boston Herald. II is not a beauti-
full building nor an ugly one. But no
body who goes TO Monte Carlo bothers
himself about the architecture of the
place. All roads in Monte Carlo lead to
the yellowish structure, which is the pal
ace OF chance. You begin your novitiate
by following the crowd not that there
is any crowd to follow, but you see
group of sedate persons ascending the
steps Of this yellowish place and you
straightway scent the game.
OF course you ask no questions; you do
not choose to betray yourself as a
stranger since you have a haunting fear
that confidence men" must Turk in
these quarters. You follow the man in
front of you-a grave and reverend
seignor, who Is probably a deacon or a
bank president when he is at home. He
knows his way about. He ascends the
carpeted steps and passes without finch
ing the immense uniformed person at
the portal. You don't know whether an
eNNiiAAo9AbAA ATN VIII NC uCllAAlAuNN VI gb0i
nobody has ever told you whether you
have to pay for entering the gambling
hells OF Monte Carlo; pOvelists do not
descend to such paltry details. But you
recall the phrase gambling hell you
roll the words over your tonkue and you
like the smack Of them rkw you are
here, and you have a half tOnceit with
yourself as a desperate fellow who is go
ing TO see the elephant this time If he
never did before. You have snealing
notion that the immense uniformed per-
son at the portal looks at you with calm
contempt, as If he were a butler in an
English country house. At all events,
you take example by the grave and rev
erend seignior who precedes you. He
pushes a swinging door and you advance
with Indifferent eagerneSs lest he elude
you. The respectable old gentleman evil
IDENTIFY does know his way about, and
it is worth while having so grave a
guide gratis. His very shadow seems 10
impart responsibility. at least enough 10
induce you to step in it.
The elderly gentlemen turns into a
large clOakrOom at the right, and deliv-
ers his overcoat and walking stick to
courteous attendant. You watch to see
whether he pays anything, and how
much. He pays nothing, but he re-
ceives a metal disk, which he slips into
his waistcoat pocket. You have mean
while Zealously initiated him, with sim
the corridor you walk after him. He
takes his place in a line of persons
standing in single file near a bureau OF
some sort. Here, then, is the receipt OF
custom. So you watch again to see
what there is to pay II Is a most amaZ-
ing place. this Monte Carlo! Up to the
present stage OF the proceedings no.
body has lightened his pockets Of so
much as a single brown" The people
in front Of you are getting tickets, and
apparently getting them for nothing;
you had to pay nothing at the outer
door. nothing ct the cloalsroom, and
now, behold, you are to receive a ticket
gratis for the halls Of dazzling light.
The adventure augments IN wickedness,
you think, for if they are going to ex-
tend these manifold courtesies to you
without charge, Il is evident that they
count upon your falling a victim to the
tempter later on. You Halter yourself
on your shrewd dlScernment, and you
remember that you We're always es-
termed a wise one.
As the line moves on you notice that
the people in front of you hand their
visiting cards to busy little clerk, who
scratches first in a big book, and then
on a numbered ticket, putting ques-
tions between the scratches to each ar
plicant. Your mastery of French ena-
bles you 10 perceive, after few pre-
liminary tremors, that you are expected
to present your card, and say what
country you came from, and what no.
tel you are stopping at. Warned by the
linguistic slips of the parties in front,
you write II all down on your card. Be
yond doubt, you are expected to vouch
for your own responsibility. But, alas,
do they want indorsers? Is the busy
scribbling clerk demanding certificates
Of birth, baptism, and vaccination?
There are bitches in the line! Some of
the applicants go away empty-handed;
ofT or 10
clerk ceases his scribbling and looks as
stern as any dog in the office. Upon
him argument prevails not; he raises
his hand in the most approved tragic
manner as you have seen It done by the
great artists in the Coincide Franchise
or in the pantomimic ballets at the En-
pire in London. Then he says: Next
in French, and your grave and reverend
seignor lays down his pasteboard of
Identification, and the busy clerk looks
up and raises his hand with a go
away gesture and the grave and rev.
erend seignor mutters establishment, or
Stimulates establishment, in voluble Gal
lie
Impossible" says the imperturbable
scratching man. go away" says the
appraised hand. The grave and reverend
one goes away, knowing probably by ex-
perience that argument prevails not in
Monte Carlo. You have no time to ask
yourself what his offense may have been
and why he is not wanted All that is
clear is that, In Monte Carlo, as in some
form Of faith, there is a process of Sc
lection which surpasseth your under
standing. The busy scribbler looks at
you and says, Monsieur" and gives an
interrogative twist 10 his eybrows. You
hand him your card he makes a record
of your name on his book; he scrawls
your name on a numbered and dated
ticket, putting your surname first and
your Christian name last, in his curious,
French way. Then he gives you your
ticket and returns You your card, and
you make your way for the next man,
feeling that, after all, you have a new
sensation. The authorities Of Monte
Carlo have given you a certificate Of res
probability and 1t is yours forevermore.
In the big central corridor of the
Casino people are smoking, walking, and
talking but you do not pause for these
attractions. The obvious thing is to fol-
low the other holders of the buff tickets
of responsibility. Your number is 1876,
and. although the hour is but in the
afternoon, the numerals give proof of
fair attendance since luncheon time. At
the end Of the big corridors there are
two sets Of swinging doors; people are
coming out at one and going in at the
other. Eminently grave persons In uni
form keep watch and ward at these
doors. You show your ticket, you are
greeted with a bow and a ceremonious
wave of the hand, and door is swung
ajar for your entrance. Another step,
and you are in the famous gambling hell
OF Monte Carlo.
The spectacle is familiar. You have Of
ten seen it reproduced in the illustrated