The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-03-31
The FOUNDER OF MONTE Garlic
Crafts or the Man Whose pccullvr Enter
prise Ruined Thousantil,

Gratis or the MAN Whose pcculiyr Enter
prise Ruined Thousands
One evening in the days of the seconf
empire Il crowd of men were readir ,
;he evening paper in a salon in the Rue
ic Rivoii.
"Ah," said one. brealiing'tlc silence
so five millions are still wanted t.
inish the new opera house"
A silent listener took up a pen ant
illed in and signed u check for tha'
mount without Il word. by and by
when the new opera house was finished
chat silent man was somehow the only
person forgotten in the distribution %
ieats for the grand opening night.
Charles Monsclet is responsible fol
;his curious little anccdote, the here
of which was Francois Blanc, directeul
IF the Casino at Monte Carlo. Blanc
was u man of vast ambition, a borr
tinancier and administrator, who might
nnder certain conditions have been 6
Rothschild, but who lives in history u:
4 mighty organizer of gambling enter
prise, and was really one of the sim
plest of men. To see him in his brown
0vercoat, his gold spectacles half drop
ping off his nose one would have taller
him for a petit RENTER, whose widest
ireams were of the construction of q
little grotto in his little garden, will
little plaster rabbits and a fountain.
which, like Wemmick's, would almost
wet the back of ones hand.
Before his Monte Carlo days he had
been the guiding spirit in the direc
ton of the Casino of Homburg Bena'
zet, according to his iatterers, was
the Louis Quatorzc of Baden-B Baden.
Blanc, who was impcrvious to tlattcry,
might with equal justice have been
called the Colbert OF Homburg. A
hard-headed, silent man of bourgeois
exterior, Il man without enthusiasm
and weaknesses, who kept lavish
table and ate sparingly, who directed
IL huge gambling machine and per-
mitted himself no more exciting dissi"
patton than Il quiet game of billiards
after dinner. | have heard it said i'll
the Tattersall family that old Dick.
the founder of the historic Corner
never made bet Of more than "a pair
of gloves in his life.
SO Francois Blame rose superior II
The attractions of his own table. de-
spised trente-et-quarante, and was;
afraid of roulette. What he was no:
afraid of, however, was spending
snonev. To compass his business ends
be laid it out lavishly, and he might,
SO they say, have been credited with
many acts of genuine benevolcnce and
public spirit, whereof the story of the
opera house of Paris may serve as an
example.
After the war the glories of HON
burg and Baden departed. and on their
ruins rose Monte Carlo. Mon tie Carlo
was the great, the browning achieve
ment of Francois Blanc's life-thc des-
ert cape, which by mere force of mil
lions he turned into one of the most
wonderful of the gardens of the Med
iterranean littoral. But it was not
done without great opposition. lie
made the fortune of the Nicols in spite
of themselves. AT every fresh opposi-
tion he simply opened his purse, and
name of local interests. Nine Blanc,
the most excellent of wives, was a
tower of strength to him.
Where questions Of art and elegance
came in hers was the directing spirit,
and the good man, whose thoughts and
talk We're of figures and finance, was
content that her taste should crown
his work. 1t needed hard head to
withstand the attacks that were made
upon him. Every days post brought
with it Il hundred propositions and
threats. They were people who had
lost their money and demanded its re-
turn with fierce menaces: speculative
and inventive people who proposed
combinations: there We're even tempta.
tions offered of the kind which assailed
the sainted Anthony: pitiful supplica-
tions and warnings of intending sui
cides-place and date carefully speci
fed. so that there should be no mis-
take.
Once, even ut Monte Carlo. the Villa
Blanc was actually assailed and two
servants We're seriously wounded in it.
defense. But the equanimity of Fran
cois Blanc was equal to adventures
Threats, prayers, all temptations lef
him untouched; he likes best to stay il
his own family circle, refusing all in
vitations, and indulging himself only
with good dinner, bottle of Chateau
Lafitte, a cigar, chat about financia,
operations which would sometime.
excite him-and game of billiards.
The only outlet which he allowed fol
his irrepressible energy was frequent
change of abode. In one year he livet
in Paris. Avignon, Monaco Dieppe ant
Loueche-les Bains in Switzerland
where he died at last of asthma. /
respectable man, MS responsibility goes
fond of his family and a good citizen
but withal perhaps the best abuses
man in Europe and certainly the indi
rect cause of as much mischief as an.
man in Europe. Pail Mall Gazette.
STUDY AND OvERSTUDY.