Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-12-13
VICE AND WEALTH.
How Monaco Has Acquired Property
from It's Gambling Tables.

from Its Gambling Tables.
Gambling has ever been held as one
Of the most demoralizing of human
devices, and yet to-day the richest aud
most prosperous state In all the world
is Monaco, wherein Is located Monte
Carlo. the most famous, or infamous.
gambling hell on the globe, says Les.
lies Weekly. Fifty years ago, when
the Casino ut Monte Carlo was first
opened, Monaco was on the verge of
bankruptcy. an Insignificant, misera-
BILE little principality. with no assets
worth mentioning. and no future. The
turn came suddenly when the Prince
of Monaco one day accepted an offer
Of 1,7OO,OOO francs from Francois
Blanc. the chief Of European gamblers.
for the privilege Of opening ana oper.
ating the Casino as n gambling hall.
Money literally flowed into the Golfers
Of Francois Blanc and his fellow-cOn.
cessiOnaires from the day the place
was opened, and has continued to flow
ever since.
When Blanc died he left n very large
fortune to his widow. The Casino was
then handed over to company with
an enormous capital. and the Prince Of
Monaco renewed the concession for
the modest sum Of 5000 week. with
an extra trlhe Of 100000 year to
keep up his body guard. The whole
state has grown rich since the gam
blers came. and not the state only, but
the coast for 100 miles round. Sandy
soil originally worth $20 an acre, 30
miles from Monaco. has realized x1O-
600 an mere In 30 years; the two ho-
tells In the state have multiplied by "a,
and as against 3 jewelers. and. II wine
merchants 20 years ago, there are to.
day Is jewelers. and S5 wine mer.
chants. A thousand people are kept
In regular work ut the Casino itself,
and honest folk who live by honest
means have grown rich In spite OF
themselves through the remarkable
development of the state. The people
of Monaco have the good sense not to
gamble themselves. and no citizen,
save on one day year, may enter
the Casino. III men from other lands,
with more money than brains. choose
to lose their brains and leave their
money In Monaco" the native argu.
ment seems TO run. 1--WE have nothing
to do with II. At least We Will use
their money well and wash our hands
Of the channel through which 1t
comes"
All this profit Is over and above the
the actual expense of running the Ca
sinO itself. which fOots up to nearly
$5.OOO,0OO year. 1t costs, for In
stance. about $2O5,OOO for the item Of
the ''theater and orchestral" firemen
and maintenance Of gardens eat up
100000 more, and opposite to such
suggestive entries as grants to the
press" and TO "bishOp, clergy and edu.
catiOnal Institutions are set down the
sums of 100000 and $4,000, respect.
lively. The lighting and water supplies
drain the revenue of the tables to the
extent of $4,000, and the prizes the
authorities are called upon to offer Mt
carnivals, races. pigeOn.shOotings, and
other amusements absorb another
$4,000. How much 1t costs to dis
pose OF the persons who are so in
considerable as to shoot themselves
after a run OF bad luck Mt the tables
Is not set down In the lists, but this Is
probably covered by the contingent
fund. for which thousands of dollars
are appropriated each year.