The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-02-15
FASCINATION Of
monte carlo
BY T. p. O'Connor, Mp.

by 1. y. " (0nnOT, mp.
have been to Monte Carlo twice
and l never gambled one solitary fran
there. When l looked around at tn
gorgeous palaces of the place ant
thought of the immense cost of keepin!
it up-something like 100000 year
and when l recollected that the owners
of the rooms were among the wealthi
est and most well known and eXtrava
CANT members of what is called smar
society in France, l made up my minC
that al these things did not come from
losings, and that a man must be a per
feet idiot to imagine accordingly tina
he could in the long run get the better
OF the bank. The estimates vary as K
what the advantage of the bank is over
the player, but l understand that it is
31a per cent at the roulette table, u pei
cent at the rouge et-noir table. Wheth-
er it is the one set of tables or the 9TH
er, it is clear that there must be a big
advantage on the side of the bank, and
therefore, the gambler must lose in
/ the end. And all these premises being
undesirable, L am unable to ascertain
! why it is that anybody ever CANDLES
at Monte Carlo.
l can understand a man gambling at
cards, though l think it is hateful. 1t
is one of the worst vices of our times.
A great and popular beauty once told
me that she had been obliged to cease
visiting one of the palaces of one of
our grandest seigneurs simply because
the gambling there was the one amuse-
ment, and even the one occupation.
And l could scarcely believe my ears
/ when she said that on the morning of
the day when the guests were depart
ing they spent considerable portion
of the time in exchanging checks with
each other for the sums of money they
had lost at cards. Tastes differ, but
really if l were great nobleman L
would just as soon think of allowing
a disreputable orgie in house belong
ing to me as permitting gambling to
go on after such fashion.
And gambling on horse racing is
equally unintelligible to me, for nobody
can possibly tell, first, which is the bet
ter horse; and, secondly, whether the
owner means it to win; and, thirdly,
whether the trainer means it to win;
and fourthly, whether the stable boy
means it to win; and, fifthly-and most
important of all-whether the jockey
means it to win. But in both cards
and horse racing, at least, some peo-
pie can get the idea into their heads
that they are playing at a game OF
skill. whereas, of course, in the case of
the tables at Monte Carlo, it is alto
gether a case of chance-of blind luck
or i'll luck.
However, there is a tremendous fas-
cination at Monte Carlo. 1t is, first
of all, one of the most beautiful places
in the world. There is also an atmos-
phere of opulence, luxury, and sunni
ness about the place that is eXhllarat-
ing and inspiring. The hotels are pal
aces, the villas are chateauX, the gar
dens are exquisite in their neatneSs
and trimness; indeed. the whole infiu-
ence of the place reminds me little
of the feeling l had on one occasion
during my life when [ was under the
influence of opium. The green is green
er, the white roads whittier, broader
than they are in any other part of the
world; you feel something like return
to that moment of glorious eXpecta-
ton and magnificent hope which comes
in youth, when every road seems an
avenue that has its ending in the heav
en- of love or the paradise of gigantic
success.
Though the rooms are physically not
it is there, of course, that
you find the real life of Monte Carlo |
And here again you want the guidance |
i is difficult at first to perceive and to |
realize all the tragedy that is there. 1t |
Ill seems so calm-so terribly tranquil |
so obtrusiyely respectable. You cannot |
smoke, you do not talk loud; anything |
ike insobriety is never seen. There |
s an almost tangible atmosphere of 81 |
enCT and self-restraint in the room. !
Tragedy all around you-moaning, |
shouting aloud-but it is all kept under
hat stern and iron self-control which
civilization has imposed upon its chill
lren.
And some of the figures are grotesque
ather than tragic. You know that type
# Englishwoman whom you see every
more frequently in board
ng house than anywhere else-with the
mall black shawl, the spectacles, and
he red worsted mittens on her poor
hilblained red hands. If there be any
'erson in the world that suggests the
rimness and responsibility of England,
IS hatred of the debauched continent
nd all its ways and mysteries, it is
woman of that type, and yet you see
cores of such women at the tables in
Ionte Carlo. And there is one other
title point in their getup which is so
ssentially English and in such ex-
raordinary contradiction with their
and occupations as to
make them look even more grotesque
nd tragic. Each one of them has
ead pencil in one hand and in the
Their one of those little penny account
ooks with red covers and cheap paper
hitch you expect to see in the hands of
woman behind counter where they
FL firewood or kippered behring's. Ev-
~ time the ball goes around and
ONES to a number they enter it
own in the penny notebook as care
ally as though they were making up
leir weekly bills; and then they turn
once to several other pages and COM ,
are them; they are victims of sys-
an and they are celebrating calcula-
ons by which under some law of aver
ges they hope to foretell the Next turn
the ball on the roulette board.
The interest of such figures is their ,
'ntrast with their surroundings; but ,
her figures there are which seem |
uch more akin and appropriate to the p,
ace. Russians supply some of the
ost notable and usully the most reck- !
SIS gamblers of Monte Carlo; and
hen Russian starts out to gamble
is the most desperate of men. a
lllet through his head is probably
lie end in many cases; but neverthe-
SIS, pursued by the devil within him. G
rs degenerate goes on his wild course. G
very day you can see the miserable
reich grow paler and his eyes be- s
me wilder, and he gets more and c
ore that look of gazing into the dark {
IF of eternity which is such a terri p
e thing to see on the human face. c
N ITEM OF INTEREST TO SALT t
LAKE TRAVELLERS. f