Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-27
AN AMATEUR MONTE CARLO

''The recent episode. wherein four boys
broke away from their nurses and set out
upon anSexpeattien Of determination and
conduestG heavily armed and accoutered,
finally closing the day under arrest calls
to mind an incident that occurred not long
ago. in ny seighborhood." remarked y
gentlemae residing on Capitol Hill to a
Star reporter Yesterday.
I reached home rather earlier than usual
on a Saturday afternoon-about 2:sO, l
think siringhto work a couple OF hours
getting thingsAtn shape in my coal shed
for winter. As approached the shed 1
heard ytAthfuk voices inside. and opening
the coorf behen sight that would have
comforted and rejoiced a veteran devotee
OF the gaming table. My coal shed had
oeen converted into veritable Monte
carlo on small scale, though Of primitive
cons tructfon. The appliances were crude,
oeing the handfwork of boys from twelve
to nfteen years of age, but inasmuch as
every player stood upon exactly the same
basis. with no possibility for favoritism. it
is evident the matter of varnish and artis-
TIC effects was not material factor so far
as downright fun was concerned
sever al devices, involving the element Of
chance, altogether new to me. were in use.
among them roulette table constructed
out OF cracked wooden choppfng bowl,
numbered from one to four; large cigar
box, having circular hole an inch in
diameter cut In the top. To play this lat
ter game the operator stood over the box
ana endeavored to drop marble into the
orihce: Success meant two additional mar
bies; failure the loss Of the one dropped
There were three of these boxes and all
were in full blast at the time of my en-
trance upon the scene. Then the boys had
the rear wheel Of a cart hung upon a peg;
the spokes painted six different colors
nails driven into the rim midway between
spokes and a cardboard indicator so fast
ened above the wheel that when turned the
Indicator would be hit by the passing nails
Pieces of cardboard with the same co1ors
upon them as adorned the spokes were
sold at l cent each, and when half dozen
had been disposed cf-and the boys said
they went like hot cakes-the wheel was
given a violent turn. When 1t stopped the
indicator pointed to one Of the six colors,
and the boy holding the card of that color
cent always going to the wheel, which
seemed 10 be the property of two of the
larger boys.
IA board a foot wide and two feet long
into which perhaps fifty Single nails had
been driven SO as to leave an inch pro-
truding was also, coming in for a good
share Of attention Stalls had been par
titioned off the lower end, and numbered.
Marbles were rolled in at the top and even
tually worked their way into one Of the
stalls. In some stalls the boy lost and in
others he doubled his investment.
There were a dozen or fifteen boys in
the she'd among them my own boy all
eagerly engaged in one game or another.
I made inquiry as to what they were doing
and several replied, Just having some
fun. I discovered that this was the third
Saturday my shed had been converted into
a gambling room. and that a number Of
others were IN operation at that time in
the neighborhood. and new clubs were be-
ing organized weekly. 1t appears that the
boys put forth unusual efforts during the
week to get money that they might play
the penny games Saturday afternoon, and
that some of them went home with win
nings of from 90 to 80 cents.
"WhentI informed the boys that what
they denomfnaYed as fun was gambling,
pure and simple and that every one of
them was liable under the laws of the
District ,6or violation thereof, every face
became long enough to eat oats out of
a churn. They were thoroughly frightened
and I allowed them to worry several min
utes while gave them some good advice.
Finally, npon their promise that the ap-
pliances should be destroyed the practice
discontinued and other clubs notified, l
agreed to give no names to the authorities.
Since then my boy says he has heard moth
ing further Of Monte Carlo.