The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-09-09
THE COOL GAMBLER.
HOW HE BETS, WINS AND LOSES AT
MONTE CARLO.
A Scene by Night In the Great Gilded
Den at housekeeping Tickle For
action-A Lucky English Couple.

not people enough in the town to make
mp the crowds that press through the
big corridor and the atrium i'll the even
ing. They come i'll trains from all the
neighboring places-from Cannes, Nice,
San Reno Mentoue, sometimes from As
far as Genoa. People ride down from
Paris. 20 hours in the rapide, just for u
little "shy" at the tables. All outside
is as bright as day, though chilly.
When l set out for the casino, came
upon young English couple standing
near the big fountain, discussing some
thing with great earnestncss. They
were good looking, we'll dressed, with
something of an air of bridal couple.
What became of them at the moment L
did not notice, and inside l stood for q
few minutes watching the roulette ia
bles. Ten minutes later [ went into the
trente ct guarantee room and met them
Just inside the big arched doorway.
They were on their way cut. Her rosy
cheeks were roster than before, and her
face was wreathed i'll smiles. He was
fairly radiant and looked VERY fit, " as
the Londoners say. In one hand he held
great bundle of French notes. all
stretched out at full length, just Us they
came from the tables. 1t took no great
shrewdness TO see that for ten minutes
they had been leading active, industri-
Gus lives and had reaped the reward Of
industry and virtue and were getting
out of the place before theywere tempt
ed to try again and lose.
One elderly gentleman was at the
moment doing the leading business i'll
that room and attracting the most at
tention by rislling ten 1000 franc notes
(32, O0O) at every dealing of the cards.
He was particularly interesting to me,
because he was beyond doubt an Ameri-
can He was fine looking man, with
gray hair, iron gray beard, well trim
med, shrewd eye that watched every
move the dealer made, and of course i'll
the regulation black evening clothes.
His face showed him to be IL man who
had made his money, not inherited II.
think that lumber was the foundation
of his fortune III the northwest some
where, but long enough ago to give him
time to have the sawdust brushed out
VI Ills ClOlIltSY LOI Lac was hS1 SAlASOb4A
and we'll groolned. Not word was
said around the table, so there was no
chance to hear what language he spoke.
He was one of those men who would
not look at all cut of place leading 4
prayer meeting, but who might be de-
pended upon for ready revolver if he
caught the dealer as any foul play.
The notes came out of one Of his vest
pockets, but not careIessly. There was
none of the usual effort to look as if
risking So, 600 every three minutes was
an everyday affair with him. He did
everything with caution, always dclib-
Grating over what square he should lay
IS money upon, and sometimes chang
ing it to some other square after he had
laid it down. But whether he won or
lost he showed no emotion whatever.
He won oftener than he lost while ]
watched him, putting the winnings al
ways into the same vest pocket. At one
time tho banker made Il mistake III du-
plicating a pile of his notes that had
won, but this did not bring word from
him. His eyes We're open, and instead
of picking up the pile he merely pushed
it back toward the banker. which WAS
a sufficient hint for a recount When
the mistake was corrected and the miss
ing note supplied, he added the pile to
the big lump in his pocket.
Like almost every player around the
trente ct quarante tables, he was there
strictly for business. 1t was not a few
dollars laid Oh for the novelty of the
thing, but deliberate speculation i'll
the hope of winning. My experience Of
gambling houses is fortunately rather
limited, but l have seen the big places
OF Saratoga and Long Branch and one
or two i'll New York and some very
large ones in Cuba and Mexico. Never
have | seen such a busineSslike air in
any gambling room as there is here.
| You may not be wicked enough to know
that generally Il great deal of smoking
and drinking and some eating go with
| fashionable gambling, but that is the
case. The sideboard is almost as neces-
sary as the tables, and George and Sam
| bo and Henry are kept busy carrying
| champagne and cocktails to the thirsty
| players. This is pure business with
are not charged for, for does not q man
| become the more reckless the more al
cohol he abSorbs?
But there is none of that here. There
is. no smoking i'll the rooms, and no
drinks are served at the tables As far
as l have seen, there is no place III the
casino building where drinks can be
had, though possibly there may be some
cozy corners that l have not discovered.
| 1t is as much a business house as Il
wholesale dry goods store, and the
| profits are larger for the firm. This
| gives it very cold blooded atmosphere,
for there is not particle of interest III
| either of the games outside of the tinan-
cial risks involved They are stupid
games of doctored chance that a NAVY
can play as well rs an arithmetician.
| New York Times.