The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-07-14
TIE AFRICAN
MONTE CARLO
Americans Making Piles OF Dol
lars at the Gaming
Tables.

Things were dull on the Water Front
and the American who had recently
arrived from South Africa was spin
ming a yarn about "the New Monte
Carlo"
The New Monte Carlo is hundreds of
miles from Monaco Its supporters are
not tourists or fellows who have syn
dictate schemes with which they hope
to break the bank. They are soldiers
from every portion of the globe who
are fighting or have been fighting for
Great Britain. The scene is laid in
Cape Town. A large building is used
by Jake HiIdebrand, an ex-Denver
man, as a Casino and as there is no
in the way it is conducted there the
place is run wide open. Hildebrand
has a number of rooms in which are
faro, roulette and poker tables, and
from 4 O'Clock in the afternoon until
about the following morning the
place is crowded with soldiers who are
shovelling English sovereigns by the
sack full to the American gamblers.
II paid a visit to the rooms one
night" says the water front man, land
got onto the inside workings of the
game.
LAS I entered / noticed a crowd about
five deep around roulette wheel. The
little o in the pea green wins, gentle
men; it's all mine this time mo-
ment later and he was shouting: Mum
Der thirty-five, gentlemen. Thirty five
for one on the number. Even money
on thel red and odd, two for one on
the third dozen and the second column;
ali paid?' Then he went on. Lots of
chips went onto No. 35 again in the
hope that it might be a repeater, but
it proved not, as the croupier shouted.
Again, my merry troopers. the little
o in the pea green wins-Little Bobs
enters Pretoria
I'm another room knot of men were
seated around a table. They were all
silent men. Not whisper was heard.
A dealer was turning the cards and a
clerk beside him was either taking in
the winnings or paying out the losses
at faro. Sometimes one would see as
much as thirty sovereigns (S150) on a
card. In addition to the soldiers there
were many others there-repreSenta
tives of nearly every nationality
black, white or yellow-on the face of
the earth. sportily dressed Euro |
pean sat in a complacent manner be-
side Malay. Had the same man met |
the Malay in the street he would have |
probably kicked him if he had APP !
within a yard of him.
I'm the poker rooms it was the same |
Around a poker table one might see a
Peruvian Jew, Dutchman, a Russian |
and an Englishman absorbed in a game
at big stakes, yet on the street on
ne following day they would not rec
'gnize each other.
Occasionally a man would get up |
rom table and approach the big
nan seated in back of the roll top
iesk. The big man wore a fancy vest |
md a bright red face and bright
mile. On the vest was a remarkable
display of diamonds. In his hip pock-
It's he had as good set of six shoot
RS as money could buy. As a man
eavinS a table would approach him
lie would put on a sickly smile and
SIX: Well, old boy, what luck to-
ifght?' The man addressed might per-
laps curse and say something about
einS obliged to enlist again the fol-
owing day. as he had lost his all.
md then he would say: Lend me a
uId Give dollars). Jake. I've been
leaned out tonight Jake would lend
he sovereign eagerly, as he we'll knew
hat he was only giving back a very
mall portion of the amount he had
Fon. The man would be asked to have
drink, cigar and as many cigars
nd drinks as he liked, for the bar in
his place was a free one and liouor
nd cigars were served out to all com
rs without question and without stint.
AFTER many such men as these had
eparted the proprietor would take a
ooK around. If there were but few
laying he would take his big hat and
Faik to all the tables. His clerks
would throw the winnings into this
nd he would announce: We'll gentle
len, the bank is closed for tonight
hat would settle matters and after .
ach man had borrowed a little they
-ould depart.
was a stranger. so Jake asked
lie TO step into a parlor in front and
ave a little lunch. Over the yiands
E told me that there were about eighty :
UGH houses as his running in Cane
own and that they were all making
lg money He was making something
ke fifteen thousand pounds sterlingI
year (S75,000). but did not expect the
pod thing TO keep up after the war.
or that night his winnings had been
bout a thousand dollars
THAT is why the city of Cane Town
becoming known as the New Monte 2
arlo. More money changes hands G
yer the gaming tables in this African
ty now than there does at Monte
arlo."
\ steamer whistled and the listeners
spersed.