Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-03-18
AT MONTECARLO.
MADISON MAN AMONG SWELL
GAMBLERS.
Dexter Curtis Watches the Game and
Particularly Woman Who Plays
With Great Nerve.

Nice, Feb. 24.-Perhaps some OF
your readers would like to know some
thing about that little spot Of earth
known as Montecarlo, the greatest
gambling place known. 1t is line
place and is owned by the prince of
Monaco and governed by him. Standing
on the steps of the house looking back
from the sea you can see the Bank of
Lyons which is in France. 1t is
beautiful garden of flowers from the
gambling house to the bank. l am not
going to try to describe the place and
its beauties, for I cannot half do justice
to them. The gambling part o. the
house does not open until II o'clock
noon. At about half-past twelve l
started to so in, supposing that any
one could enter gambling house, but
was stopped and told l must get a
visiting card. I went to the managers
desk. He handed me a card to sign.
I signed it carelessly and he could not
make much out of it. Then he gave me
another and told me to put my name
and residence on it. 7 lid so in as bold
a hand as | could and handed it to
him. He said Good, very good" and
gave me visiting card. went in and
found about 1,500 gambling ladies and
gentlemen. You must take your hat
off as soon as you enter the room. A
few tables were not in use. | came
out and took a cab to the princes pal
ace. He had Just come home and flags
were hung all along the road. 1 came
back about o'clock and went into the
gambling house again. Every table
was in use and as near as
| could count the people, there must
have been $500 of them gambling or
| trying to gamble. They were four Or
five deep around every table. | could
not tell anything about the games or
how they were played, but I saw big
| fat lady at table standing up. She
could not get seat, but she raked in
| quite haul. | went on and when |
came back she was at the same place
and hauled in another lot and put
about six pounds back on the same
place on the table. l thought l would
watch her and see how she came out.
She lost this time. Then she doubled
it and lost again, doubled it and lost
again, doubled it again and wen. It
was quite a little pile. She put it into
her satchel, bumped up her shoulders,
got out of the crowd and left that table
| perhaps only to go to another. There
were about one-third as many women
as men at those tables that had seats
around them Most of the players have
books and keep account Of their losses
CT gains and they have lot of cards
with numbers on them. They punch
out the number that wins,-I suppose to
keep track Of the numbers that win the
ofteneSt.
A company pays the prince for the
privilege Of running this house $250.00G
year. 1t pays all the expenses of
Keeping UP the city, pays the police
guards. and every other municipal eX'
pense. Last year the company divided
over a million dollars. Mostly gold and
5-pound notes are used in gambling.
No smoking is allowed and there was
10 loud talking. The players were as
SIICHL do pSOpIS Ill CuulCu' 1uc1S dlC
two large doors near together-one to
go in at, the other for exit. Such a
rush could not get both ways at once
through one door. 1t is half an hours
ride from here to Montecarlo, through
the Alps, and fine country what there
is of it.
Later.
l write this letter, sitting about
so feet from where the sewage Of Nice
empties into the sea. 1t boils up like
big boiling spring, ard 1 should say it
is about 80 feet across the bit of water
that boils up. All you can see is a lit
tie roily look to the water where it is
bubbling. Thirty feet from the edge
of this you can see nothing. The sew
age empties $50 feet from the shore. |
saw people fishing about the place.
There are no tides here to take the sew
age off, but it quickly settles out of
sight.
This is carnival month and there are
great goings on. The weather is fine
now. 1t rained cpd showed and was
cold the first four Gays l was mere, but
we have had no storms or cold weather
since. The nights are clear and cold.
This carnival business lasts about a
month. King Carnival rides big tur-
key gobbler about 80 feet long and 25
feet high. His hat is two feet across
the top and his pipe is about as big as
a beer key. They overdo everything
here.
I go to Paris the 9Th If March and
will be in London the 18th.
Dexter Curtis