Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-25

"a kind Of 'draw-euchre') when the clubs
great game Of baccarat was not in swing
He even learned to put his gold piece down;
but he never thought to have his name in
scribed on the blackboard for a place at the
green table. and never dreamed of taking
bank.
One thing troubled him. He had not his
club card yet; and his introducer warned
him not to go and ask for II from the sec
rotary. THE members cards are numbered
for taxation. If you have one issued to you.
you will have to pay your dues. And no
pays dues!''
When the young American declared him
self willing to pay dues, they gibed at him.
You will be laughed at as a tenderfoot.
they said. Therefore he all the more
surprised one day to get notice to come
, and pay up.
Il suppose you have not played as much
as members regularly do, his lntroducer
told him.
What shall l dog"
Either play at baccarat now and then
or else resign" he was told But you
must not pay those dues. The secretary
himself would think you simple. and each
member would diStruSt you as a uouDler
OF the status quo
OF course he ought to have resigned: but
here ones vanity gets caught. He would
show them that he could take a bank.
He Was Not Afraid.
He took bank. bidding for it up to 30
louis-fifty times 81 The club croupier
shufiled the cards had them cut by half a
dozen members. spread his chips out and
the young American, advised by an Old
hand. began to deal.
In baccarat the whole crowd bets against
the banker He gives them three cards and
takes three for himself and those that add
up nearest nine win the amount staked on
the table. Thus when the banker Is in luck
he may make small fortune in a quarter
of an hour-or lose the whole of his bank
roll
Eight" called the man to his left. who
represented that side of the long table.
Seven" called the holder of the cards
for the right.
His own point was three.
Again he dealt the cards.
Seven
Nine
The young bankers point was baccarat.
or zero In two turns his capital of 500
lost.
back. He won 800 and was much en-
couraged. But later on that same night he
lost two banks and the whole of the $500.
Trying to get this back he lost something
like S1::tD more.
Then he sent in his resignation to the
club
Il had best paid those Dues he now says.
but they would not let me-.
Doubtless if we asked the club secretary
he would profess surprise at the story and
insist that the young American had but to
pay his dues and play or not exactly as he
pleased that there are many members who
do not touch bacCarat; and that the club
exists for all alike.
Looks Innocent Enough
And. really. looking around the spacious,
beautifully appointed place. it is hard to
realize that the club is a hell that all
Parsians desire to suppressed by the
police. coldly operated mill for grinding
money out Of parents lamentations and
wives tears. There are as many elderly
men young; grave. well-dressad men.
with white boards and muStaches: often
decorated. Outside the baccarat hall they
chat of stocks, politics, sport and the
theater.
The scene scarcely differs from that IN
the most legitimate and exclusive Paris
clubs. There. too. gambling Is the magnet
that holds the whole membership together.
The smarter the club the more unrestrain-
Royale and that of the Union Artistique
have long rivaled by their reckless play
the most notorious "tripOts'' of the boule-
ward. cubman in Paris means gam
bier; and it is hard to find any social
life outside the baccarat hall of a chic club
in the proprietary establishment where
one often meets its members. Indeed, 50
deep is the passion rooted that when this
young Americans Club began to enjoy
the reputation of lie plus forte partie de
ParS'-the biggest game in Paris-men OF
high position and unstained honor day by
day forSoOk their own exclusive clubs for
it.
Yet the suspicion fingers always that