Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-08-29

tombs in the cemetery at Guanajuata
are used as monte tables by the home
less poor of that city. The poverty
stricken adobe homes Of the poor may
not have even chair or table 10 eat
from, but almost certainly it Will nave
n greasy pack of cards ready for game
of monte. At every well-regulatec nae
ienda in Mexico there is room set
apart for the owners monte games with
his friends. and the Mexican gentleman
who does not devote at least one even
ing a week to wooing the tickle goddess |
at cards is an unusual person.
A common game of chance in nearly
all pulque or mescal saloons in Mexico
is Roman billiards. A slanting table
five feet long and two feet VIDE Is
sprinkled with movable wooden pins
An ivory ball is shot by spring across
the table and in its rebound from the
tables rubber end it knocks over some
of the pins The players bet either On
the total number of pins knocked over
or on an odd or even number. the
game is too simple to be very popular
in the United States, but there are
thousands of Mexican poems who Will
stand about the game and bet their all
on it for hours at time. few
weeks ago one of these games in Zaca-
tecas ran continuously through three
DAYS and four nights and the aggregate
sum staked upon the playing was up
ward Of $2,700. All of this came from
men whose earning ability ranged from
SO to 81 a week.
The most gorgeous gambling hall on
!, the Western Continent, and probably
the most elaborate of it's kind outside
OF Monte Carlo, is in the City of Mex
leo. 1t is the famous gambling palace
| of Don Felipe Martel. 1t is the most
ornate building in the city after Presi-
dent Diaz's home at Chapultepec. 1t
stands on the most fashionable part of
| the Gale de Garita. All tourists go to
l..
the swell gamblers of Mexico congre-
gate. The building with it's elaborate
ornamentation, it's gaudy frescoes, its
alabaster fountains, onyx bars, marble
| floors, carved mahogany wood work
and stained glass windows has cost
something more than 100000. 1t is
two stories high and each of it's floors
has an area of about 800 square feet.
| by sunlight the exterior of the building
presents the appearance of a solidly
| built banking institution; but at night,
when the city is awake, it is mass of
blazing electric lights of all hues and
fantastic combinations of color. 1t
| may then be seen miles away.
Some years ago when the Mexican
government was discouraging whole
sale gambling in the City OF Mexico, it
was decided that gambling there should
no longer be licensed for sum less
lieved that so high a license fee would
never be paid by the keepers of gamb-
| ling places and therefore that a dimin-
ution in gambling would Immediately
| result But Martel came forward and
| gladly paid $4,000 for contract to
permit him to run his resort ninety
| days under the protection Of the law.
He had a monopoly of the high-class
| gambling in the city, and from that
! time to this he has paid in advance
| $1,000 every week for the privilege of
that but he has given the City of Mex
leo statuary and drinking fountains to
the value of 100000; he has spent $780,,
900 in identifying his gambling house,
and he has built residence worth full
ly 100000 for himself and his family.
He is generally considered worth 81
900, 900.
Everything about the main gambling
house of Felipe Martel is the best to be
| had. Theacustom of men of wealth on
| ly is sought, and gamblers of limited
| lucduo ale llOI wi oidiiy lCCClN0u. opC-
cial brands of Cuban cigars are furnish
ed, fine brands of imported wines and
liquors are served, and the mural decor
tions, the hangings and Orient rugs
are the finest that money can buy. Wis
itors to the establishment are met in
the great mahogany vestibule by liver
ed servants, who relieve them OF their
coats and hats. Other servants proffer
the hospitality of the house in drinks
and cigars and escort the visitors about
the house. There are dozens of little
private rooms for games. There are
four large halls, gorgeous in their
adornment, where general games Of
roulette, baccarat and albures OF monte
are always in progress whether by
night or day.
Albures or monte is the most popular
game at Martel's. A table about TWEEN
ty-five feet in length is used, at the
centre of which sits the tallador, or
dealer, directly opposite the play