The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27
TRUE MONTE CARLO.
Ell Paso the Greatest Gambling City
on the North American Continent.

Ell Paso the Greatest Gambling City
on the North American Continent.
New York Telegram.
Eight hundred miles distant from city
of any size, the center OF desert radiating
five hundred miles in any direction and
situated on the boundaries of two States,
one Territory and two republics, is the
Monte Carlo of the United States.
In no city of similar population-in fact.
nowhere in the United States. save in min
ing camps-is wide open gambling per-
mitted as it is in this city. Perhaps in the
larger city resorts more money changes
hands at periods, but the original sport in
FL Paso is continuous, constant and un-
curbed. This is in State that has more
stringent laws relative to gambling than
in any other commonwealth in the Union!
But FL Paso is six hundred miles across
an arid waste from Texas proper and
community in itself.
Twenty-nine million and two hundred
thousand dollars a year, an average of
$4,000 a day, changes hands in FL Paso.
place of less than 10000 inhabitants. This
amount does not include private gambling
| games. There are ninety-four wide open
| gambling places within two miles of the
|
across the Rio Grande. at Jaurez. Mexico.
are forty-six more houses that carry on
gambling in various forms. These one
hundred and forty resorts conduct poker,
roulette, monte, faro dice and other
games. There is an average Of four games
in progress day and night in each place.
or a total of $50 games simultaneously in
operation in FL Paso.
The amount of table gambling here is
sixteen times greater than the total dry
goods business, wholesale and retail. More
over, it is conducted entirely on a cash
basis.
In the gambling houses of this city there
are AGO employees who operate the games.
These figures do not include porters and
other attendants. The average salary Of
the operators of tables and machines is s.
a day. making a total daily expenditure for
salary only of $1,000. One-third of a mil
lion is yearly expended for rents. With four
exceptions, these ninety-four gambling
! houses have saloons attached, and the total
| investments in bars and gambling fixtures
| aggregate more than 81, 100000, many times
/ greater than the capital in any other bust
ness in the town excepting smelling.
/ There are few games in FL Paso that are
able TO stand losses of from 5000 TO $1,000
I in single day and continue business. This
does not often come TO pass, however, as
the business has been successful from the
start, and few games stop each year for
/ want of funds.
The most dangerous man to gambling
house interests is the plunger from the COW
country and mining camps. He plays heav-
/ lily and, II lucky, soon makes a killing.
Should he quit at this stage of the game
the house is out ge amount. This does
not often happen, as he delights in being
game" The strongest six houses in the
city carry 5000 To $4,000 on hand. well
as commensurate deposits in the banks.
There are no low class resorts in Ell Paso
such as prevail In the cities of the East
and middle West, where this form OF
gambling is restricted. Here it is a bust
ness, the houses being on the lower floors
and principal streets of the town and con-
Quoted by men thoroughly responsible.
Unlike places of gambling conducted Sc
cretly away from the border, the resorts
are square" The industry is guarded by
the authorities, and no game can be run
that is not conducted on what they cal
a legitimate basis. While its evils are fan
in excess of its virtues. it is a time-honored
and accepted institution. Again, because the
gambler is honest, pays his debts and Is
liberal in his contributions to charities and
churches he is in a different atmosphere
from that surrounding the gambling oper-
ator elsewhere in the United States.
Gambling in El Paso is entirely different
from the popular view. There is. OF course
/ the periodical suicide and story of
wrecked life. but gambling hall brawls anC
/ killings are practically OF the past. 1t Is
| not now men gambling with each other
but patrons playing against houses, which
are known TO be square. They are bust
ness Institutions, aud, while they are re
sorts for sports, they are also the place:
of speculation for persons who invest a:
. / one would in cotton futures or next week
grain market.
The gambler of the far Southwest want.
nothing but his regular percentage. IN fare
| and few other games there is no percent
age as in roulette but the player has TO d'
all the guessing and that keeps up thu
game TO the promoters advantage, tn
patron missing it often enough to give tn
!, game a good profit.
The trade OF the gamblers is derived
from all classes, ranging from million
aire miners and cattlemen TO Mexican
poems and negro bootblacks.
The tributary territory embraces South
ern New Mexico. west Texas, eastern Ari
IONA and the States of Chihuahua an,
Sonora Mexico. In the winter season
tourists. health seekers and traveller
| make the games somewhat brisker Dur
ing the fiesta and bullhghting season a
= Jaurez, from December to February, abou
twenty-five additional games are starte,
across the river, FL Paso men usually oh
tanning concessions from the Mexican gov
: eminent and natives Of Mexico operating
; the games
months ago and was known in the South
west as the prince of Gamblers. was
! type OF the men who have had much Z
do with the prevention or crusadeS agains
the games as he was orderly and pro
gressive. His big place. the Astor House
is still running.
| Like COlOnel Ryan, nearly ali Otner gam
blers there dress well. are quiet in deport
ment orderly and sober. They know tina
! a drunken gambler cannot play success
- fully and sObriety is eXacted of employe
as rigidiy as in the railway service. The
! give most heavily 10 convention and othe
D entertainment funds. and by this liberalit
5 | and decorum create friends among peOpl
who do not patronize their places bu
among themselves they admit that the
p, | are in a nefarious business and ar
| ashamed of II.
2 / no Dq NH IL
2 / In many Instances he viii win the las
| cent or a player and then give him none
q | 10 live on until he can obtain employment
5 | When one OF his fraternity dies he is read
= TO contribute to the funeral expenses. w
a Guiding the ever attendant brass band.