The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-05-16
How the Gambling Tables Came to
be Established There.
PERE BLANC'S GREAT ENTERPRISE
The Partisan Bourgeois Made Millions
There and Married His Children
Well-A Curious Pension
LiSt-PrOviSion for
Those Who Lose
Their Money.

The famous Mediterranean gambling re-
sort continues to draw mobs to is golden
flame, notwithstanding the competition of
other places, says the Literary Digest In
an article explanatory of the management
of the notorious Casino of Monaco, in the
December Pail Mall Magazine, John !.
Waller first tells how the gambling tables
got to that place. There were tables there
long before the celebrated "Pere" Blanc
arrived. As far back as 1913 the late
Prince Charles granted thirty years con,
cession to company to carry on the husi-
ness Then the fortunes of the Grimaldis
were at the ebb-tide The affairs of CHARLES
III. had touched the low-water mark of
more than lair for pirates. At that time
Francois Blanc was exploiting roulette at
lIomhurg But the shrewd old fellow saw
trouble ahead and turned his eyes towards
Monaco. Some years before the late En-
peror William decided to close all gam
bling-houses in Germany old Blanc began
to prepare for the notice to quit, which he
got in 1870. He went to Monaco with
$40, 600 and purchased the gambling rights
and privileges, and thenceforwaId the little
kingdom became the great authorized CEN
tire for roulette in Europe. We quote the
following concerning Blanc and the "emi
nence' to which his millions lifted his
family:
'Pere Blanc who was man of the
French bourgeois type, simple in his habits,
but clever and ng-headed in finance,
died July 9th, 1877, leaving a fortune Of
nearly seven million pounds. The spirit
of largness which he displayed in working
all his enterprises was the secret of his sue
cess. For instance, when he heard that five
millions of francs were required to complete
the Paris Opera House, he pulled out his
check book and wrote an order for the
amount but strange to say, he was the
only per- on forgotten in the distribution o,
seats on the occasion Of the first perfOr-
nance This was, OF course an oversight
of the most ironical character, and full re-
paration was subsequently made him. All
the most celebrated artists of the day were
anxious to sing at the gorgeous theatre
which GARNER built for him, and streams
of gold flowed into his Golfers at Monte
Carlo. Old Blanc never gambled himself
he simply stood by the roulette wheel and
the trente-et' quarante table, confident
always in his watchword: Rouge perd ct
Noir perd, mails c'est toujours Blanc qui
gagnel" Red loses and black loses, but
white blanc always wins.
In all his enterprises he was supported
and seconded by Nine. Blanc, who was a
wonderfully shrewd business woman; and
in all questions relating to the engage
ment Of artistes for the theatre or Casino,
the decorations of the rooms, and the enter
tanment of the patrons OF the play, she
was his trusted adviser. Pore Blanc left
the whole of his immense fortune to her and
her four children with the exception of
eco, 600, which he bequeathed to the an
cient church of st. Roch, in Paris, to be
spent in masses for the repose of his soul.
With this enormous wealth at her COM
mand Nine. Blanc was able to make a
splendid display in Paris society and to OBJ
tain ambitious positions for her children.
| Roth hn lonubtarS p,nrral Drinoac tho
hand and fortune of Marie Blanc going to
Prince Roland Bonapartc son of Prince
Roland Bonaparte, son Of Prince Peter ard
a cousin of Napoleon III; while the eldest
daughter. Louise became the wife of Prince
Constantine Radziwill, descendant of an
old Polish family affiliated to the house of
| Hurticus Of the sons Edmund Blanc has
been mayor of st. Cloud, and is again
member Of the Chamber of Deputies after
| having had his election invalidated for
spending the proceeds of his shares in
Monte Carlo too freely among the peasants
of his division in the ryyeneesj, while
| Camilla Blanc is L successful breeder OF
horses and liberal patron Of the French
turf.
MIR. Waller, who is familiar with the
scenes of Monte Carlo, tells tore thing, in
| tcreatng in their way, as follows:
can exact record is kept Of the profits Of
each table every day, but it is sufficient for
our purpose to strike an average. The
earnings OF a roulette-table during the
winter average Ci00 day, aud during the
SUMMER G35O For the trente-r t-quaIante
tables the averages are 600 and $50 a
day respectively. a plunGer may wall,
into the rooms at any moment and have q
run Of luck which will not only prevent
any particular table from making profit.
but force the cashier to advance uorc
money to keep it going This feat :
enormously called breaking tine bank but.
depend upon it, all such winnings iiad goaj,
way back again To- the tables. As pere
Blanc remarked He who breaks the
bank to-day will be broken by the bank
tomorrow 1t was so with Lucky Chance
Wells, whose play | watched closely from