The Press., 1898-11-17
THE COOL GAMBLER.
HOW HE BETS, WINS AND LOSES AT
 MONTE CARLO.

HOW HE BETS, WINS AND LOSES AT
 MONTE CARLO.
 Den at Monaco-Tempting Pickle For
 tune as Q Cold Flooded Business Trans
 action-A Lucky English Couple.
 Not to see the gambling rooms at Monte Carlo by night would be to miss the grand show of the place. There are not people enough in the town to make up the crowds that press through the big corridor and the atrium in the even- ing. They come in trains from all the neighboring places-from Cannes, Nice, San Reno, Mentone, sometimes from as far as Genoa. People ride down from Paris, 20 hours in the rapide, just for little "shy'' at the tables. All outside is as bright as day, though chilly.
 When I set out for the casino, came upon a young English couple standing near the big fountain, discussing some thing with great earnestness They were good looking, we'll dressed, with something of an air of a bridal couple. What became of them at the moment did not notice, and inside I stood for 8 few minutes watching the roulette ta- bles. Ten minutes later I went into the trente ct quarante room and met them just inside the big arched doorway. They were on their way out Her rosy cheeks were rosier than before, and her face was wreathed ill smiles. He was fairly radiant and looked every fit, " as the Londoners say. In one hand he held a great bundle of French notes, all stretched out at full length, just as they came from the tables. It took no great shrewdness to see that for ten minutes they had been leading active, industri- ous lives and had reaped the reward of industry and virtue and were getting out of the place before they were tempt ed to try again and lose.
 One elderly gentleman was at the moment doing the leading business in that room and attracting the most at tention by risking ten 1, 900 franc notes ($2, OOO) 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, we'll trim med, 8 shrewd eye that watched every move the dealer made, and of course in the regulation black evening clothes. His face showed him to be a man who had made his money, not inherited it. think that lumber was the foundation of his fortune in the northwest some where, but long enough ago to give him time to have the sawdust brushed out of his clothes, for he was very smooth
 
 said around the table. so there was ZIG chance to hear what language he spoke. He was one of those men who would not look at all out of place leading q prayer meeting, but who might be de pended upon for ready revolver if he caught the dealer at any foul play.
 The notes came out of one of his yes, pockets. but not carelessly. There was none of the usual effort to look as ii risking $2. 900 every three minutes was an everyday affair with him. He die everything with caution, always delib erating over what square he should lay his money upon, and sometimes chang ing it to some other square after he haC laid it down. But whether he won ol lost he showed no emotion whatever Ho won oftener than he lost while watched him, putting the winnings al ways into the same vest pocket At on' time the banker made a mistake in du plicating a pile of his notes that hat won, but this did not bring word iron | him. His eyes were open, and instead | of picking up the pile he merely pushed it back toward the banker, which wa | sufficient hint for a recount Whel the mistake was corrected and the miss ing note supplied he added the pile t. the big lump in his pocket.
 Like almost every player around tn trente ct quarante tables he was ther strictly for business. It was not fev dollars laid on for the novelty of tn thing, but deliberate speculation il the hope of winning. My experience o gambling houses is fortunately rathe limited, but l have. seen the big place of Saratoga and Long Branch and on or two in New York and some yer, large ones ill Cuba and Mexico. Neve | have l seen such a businesslike air il any gambling room as there is here | You may not be wicked enough to knoy that generally great deal of smoking and drinking and some eating go witt | fashionable gambling, but that IS tn | case. The sideboard is almost as neces sary as the tables, and George and Sam bo and Henry are keps busy carryln champagne and cocktails to the thirst players. This is pure business wit "the house., even where these thing are not charged for, for does not ma become the more reckless the more al cohol he absorbs?
 But there is none of that here. Ther is no smoking in the rooms, and n drinks are served at the tables. AS ia as have seen. there is no place in tn casino building where drinks can b had, though possibly there may be som cozy corners that I have not discovered It is as much business house as
 wholesale dry goods store. and tn profits are larger for the firm. Thi gives it very cold blooded atmosphere for there is not particle of interest j
 either of the games outside of the finar cial risks involved. They are stupi
 games of doctored chance that a navy | ran D1av as well as an arithmatician =