The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-03-17
FURNISHED BY THE AMERICANS
=. WHO GAMBLE FOR FUN.
Their Invasion Disturbs the Serious
System Players-The Timid Amer
lean Girl Who Tries Her Luck
With a Five-Franc Piece and the
Loud-Talking Alderman.


lean Girl Who Tries Her Luck
With a Five-Franc Piece and the
BODYBUILDING Alderman.
In this place, where comedy and trag-
edy dwell together in brotherly love, one
of the most amusing things in the comedy
line is to see gambling table invaded by
Americans. The 'humor of It depends a.
good deal on the point of view, to be sure
The rest of the cosmopolitan company
of players don't see anything funny in
IT. A composite photograph Of their
faces would pass tor picture of long
suffering Patience, not willing to suffer
much longer. But disinterested Ameri-
can, little in the background, will see
succession of tableaux which will make
him chuckle.
AS everybody has been told several
thousand times, the Casino at Monte
Carlo is one of the most orderly places
in the world. This is one of the few
travellers tales which is absolutely
true A Sunday school is bedlam COM
pared with the gambling rooms of Monte
Carlo. Sorosis itself, drowsily listening
ly more quiet than these 800 or 600 men
and women silently watching the turn of
a card or the diabolical whims of a little
ball capering around a red and black
wheel.
To these orderly halls of learning
there's nothing the matter with that title
come two kinds of visitors: Americans
and Others, The others, no matter what
may be their condition in life, whether
they are rich or poor, old or young, prin-
cess or deni-mondaine, prince or butcher
all drop right onto the prescribed Casino
manner. They do it successfully, in fact,
that the princess and the delni-
are to be distinguished chiefly by COM
plexlon, while it is as hard to tell the
prince from the butcher as to guess the
next turn of the cards.
But you can count the Americans. The
others are gambling for money, money,
money!! The American is generally-at
Monte Cardo-gambl bling for fun. He has
gambied before, of course. But the en-
dvening game of poker, played with
friends, is not the same thing as trente
ct quarante played with assorted foreign
ers. The assorted foreigners, sitting
them regulars. They've been there for
days, weeks, perhaps years. They have
a smile and a word for one another, oc-
caslonally. They know one another's
gains and losses because they see them,
not because they hobnob with their fell
low gamblers. People do not talk at the
tables. The only audible remarks are
exchanged briefly with the croupiers
about placing money. Even then it is all
in an undertone, or, half the time, the
request is indicated by motion of the
head without a word being spoken.
The nervous intensity with which the
players watch their varying fortunes is
a painful sight. The quiet is almost alb
solute. Bpt 1t is the quiet of intense con-
centratlon, not of easy Indifference Most
Of the regular players have Some nerv-
Gus affection, twitching of the eyes, of
the mouth, Of the whole head. And they
all have systems Between plays they
consult little books in which they
have worked out elaborate calculations
and according to which they regulate
their betting. It is all very serious, very
mathematical, very formal But the
Americans upset the whole thing.
trente ct quarante tables-the heavy bet
ting. is at, these tables-was going calmly
on In the usual way. The players were
trying to ge into the run of the cards
and were strictly occupied with the task
of deciding what to do next. Somebody
who had lost all he could afford to left
the table and an American man took the
vacant seat He has been dropping into
the Casino every day for week or more
and always patronizes these tables, where
he plays the black unfailingly and very
often wins. He is rich man of the
world on his own continent, with a face
much more worn than his clothes ever
look, but with an unspoiled smile and the
air of general good fellow.
He Won several times and the others be-
gan to follow his betting. Immediately
they all lost, the bank raked in a heap
OF gold, and the Americans neigh5or,
with disguised shrug left the table An
American woman sat down next to her
compatriot, whom she evidently knew
Her husband stood behind her. At the
next play the Americans had the black
side to themselves and won. The same
thing the next time, and the next The
others concluded tina. run had Started
and they Joined the American, who wo1.
two more plays. Then came three more
Americans, friends of those already there,
and Joined the crowd around the table
One of them was an aldermanic person.
age whose gold watch chain, stretched
tight across his expansive waistcoat,
looked exactly like a yellow equator on
a black globe. The voice which issued
from that waistcoat was like a. foghorn
with the influenza. H. ..@. .
How you gettin, on?'' said the fat man,
and all the players jumped, and their
twitchings became really terrible. =
"Oh, first rate responded the other,
with a genial laugh
How many times you won?'
"Oh, I don't know. Seven or eight. I
guess, and lost once" n
''Bettin' on black?'
''Uh-huh."
well, put this on the rouge, won't
your" handing him a 5O0-franc bill.
PUT it on what?''
ION the rouge
'All right"
The rest Of the players were not struca
dumb by this lively conversation. because
they had been practically dumb before
But operations hung fire while everybody
croupiers included, stared and listened
Finally the dealer, suddenly remembering
that he had something to do himself,
resumed the monotonous "Messieurs
faites yos jeuz.' So long as the frsi
American had been the only Yankee in
the game and had not been having Yam
kee luck, the others had followed his
play, although with disturbed de-
meaEor But the appearance Of the big
fat man disconnected them. If he had