New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-28
THE MIN WHO MfDE THE BJNh.

STORY OF TIE FOUNDER OF MONTE 'Ai'io'
Everybody has heard thanks to musc-ha,ls ana
blr.a-organs of the man who broke the DahN AT
Monte Carlo. but perhaps loss about inc man WI"
made the bank at ti2t famous re;ort ;c' '"e i"'-
tor was the more real OF the ;wo. and not tAe 'esS
Interesting one episode in his career - HiseoS's
I, Is related by Cnaries Morseiei, VINO was a"
actual witness of It. II was in the days OF ths
SECOND Empire \ group Of men. mostly eminent
ard wealthy sat reading the evening papers III
a salon in the Rue de RiyoL "Ah." SAIL one breah-
n,. the Silence go FIVE Millions IRE sti.i "tite' "
finish the now opera house. \ s'.eh' iS'e''t' VooN
~, = non and flied in and signed check for the
,,,,,,,. vri,hout a word. 8y-anG-by, waen the
new, opera-house was finished. tina; silent man was
somehow the only person forgotten IN the nlstri-
bu.ion of seats for the grand opening night HIS
name was Francois Blanc, and he was tAe heau u
the great gambling-den OF Monte CARO-
y,s, as were his ambitions ami achievements he
mas sa,,s = "p,u Mall Gazette" writer really one
of the simplest OF men. TO see MN IN MS Drown
o,orcoot his gold spcctacles half dropping OFT MS
nos. one would have taken him FOR pet' teN'.e'
whose widest dreams were Of the constructor oi
little grotto in his lit.e garden WIN .i'te P1se'
rabbits and fountain. watch. IKE Wemnick s.
rvouid alno.. wet the back oI one Manu- De''''
his Monte Carlo days he had been the guiding spirit
!, rho direction u the Casino OF Homburg. Bena~et
accor1In, n his fatterers. was the Louis euatof|e
~ Dadon-i}aden Blanc. who was i'nperVois u ha.-
terry m.ght win equal jusilc, nave oeeh oa''eN
the Cobe. % fIor1burg. hari-headed silent man
- bourgeois exterior man without ENTHUSIASM" an.
without weaknesses. who kept lavish table ana
az soaring,y who directed a huge gambling machih'
ard ner,niited himself no exciting dissipation
than a quiet game Of Billiards after dinner.
|, has been sa. in the Tdtttrsa!i family that oo
Dick the founder Of the historic corner never
made a bet OF more than pair OF gloves III Ms
life 50 Francois Blanc rose superior 70 Tie az
fractions OF his tables, desp'ed treh'e-e'-qu@
ra,te and was afraid OF roulette. What he was
nor AFRAID OF. however was spending money. TO
con,pass his business ends he laid IL out aVishiy.
and no might; 80 they say. have been cre1I'eo
with many acts of genuine benevolence ana puO"S
sprit whereof the story of the great opera house
at Paris may serve as an example ne uie" d"
Europe to Homburg where was laid the founda-
ton of that fortune which was ultimately esu-
mated at eighty millions Of francs. or over 'hres
r,pl,o,s sterling At Homburg ne had the courage
"a engage Nine Patti. just then become Marquiss
de Caux for series OF performances at SI'V"' an
evening" Nowadays the great singer wou'u 'ni"N
il.,is " such an engagement. but there vas some
.hin. heroic in the figures then. ana the peop'e
talked Blanc liked = hear the people talk-oe''er'
vbe than he cared 10 hear the diva sing
After the war the glorles Of Homburg ana ba".n
departed. and their RUNS rose Slo"'e 80
Monte Carlo was the great the oro"hhs aO"
mont of Francois B.anc's life-the desert cape
of tho most wonderful Of the gardens OF the NJ.
erlancln lttOrai But Il was n; don. Wll'.cut ~
onpostlon lie made the fortunes OF the Nlco.' .'s
soie OF tneuo..s At every ireS.i OPDoH.1.C .n1I
Simply opened his purse. and the so.een li.nr
in the sacred name OF local interests MITE, o,x,
,he rost excellent % wives. was tower OF sllem
to him Where questions Of art ana e.esanoJ 1919
in hers was the directing spirit. ard the sooi in.';
whose thoughts and talk were OF hSu reSn ais his
finance was content that her taste should crown ms
work Il needed hard head 70 Withstand tne AT ar
tacks that were made upon him. Every IA! PC.
brought with It a hundred propositions ana threa.s
,rhers were puop.e rad lost their money; anu
demanded its return with fierce menaces' specu!atne
AMI inventive people. who proposed coinpiIa'pina;
,hora we're even temptations offered or the knu
which assared the stintet Antony; pi,tui ,n.
,,iratI,ns and warnings of intended suicides pIacS
and date carefully specified. 50 that there snoua
no M mistake once even al Monte SaIIo VIC
Villa Rlanc was actually assailed. and two Servants
v,"rs seriously wounded In its defence Dut 'ns
eouanimity OF Francois Blanc was elual 10 Ia; an
,tysn.,res Threats prayers. temptations leil MIN
~ oched: he liked best TO stay in ms own idInLIy
c,rco refusing all invitations and lndulgng MN
liz criv with n good dinner, a bottle or wins, d
CIGAR chat about fnanci>l operations WHICH,
wouli sometimes excite him. ana FAMILY cams
~ hlu,ris The only outlet which ne altSweI 'ot
81 ~ 'rrenressiba energy frequent chanSe OF
nhode In one year he lived in Paris, AvlsnoI
%ionnco Dlcppe and Loueche-les Bans IN Swit%sr'
land where he died at last Of asthma