The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-02-19
PROFITS OF MONTE CARLO.
Millions Derived Yearly From the Fa-
nous European Gambling He'll.

Solomon, the wise man of the Scrip
lures, and many other sages since his
day, have given forth the solemn coun-s
sci that the way Of the wicked shall not
prosper, and also the correlative that
Righteousness is profitable both for
this world and the world that is to
come" However true these saying
may be as to general principles of HUI
man conduct, the exceptions to be
found in every age and every part OF
the world are numerous and striking.
Gambling, for example, has ever been
justly held as a sinful practice, one OF
the most demoralizing of human vices,
and yet today the richest and most
prosperous state in all the world is
Monaco, wherein is located Monte Car
10, the most famous-or Infamous
gambling hell on the globe. Fifty years
ago, when the Casino at Monte Carlo
was first opened, Monaco was on the
verge of bankruptcy, an insignificant,
miserable, little principality, with no
assets worth mentioning, and no fu-
ture The turn came suddenly when
the Prince Of Monaco one day accepted
an offer of 100000 francs from Fran
co.'s Blanc, the chief of European gam
blers, for the privilege Of opening and
operating the Casino as a gambling
hall. Money literally flowed into the
Golfers of Francois Blanc and his con-
cessionaries from the day the place was
opened, and has continued to flow ever
since.
When Blanc died he left 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 consideration of $4,000 week,
with an extra trifle of 100000 a year
to keep up his bodyguard. The whole
estate has grown since the gamblers
came, and not the state only, but the
coast for a hundred miles around.
Sandy soil, originally worth S25 an
acre, SO miles from Monaco, has real
lied $4,000 an acre in 80 years; the
two hotels in the state have multiplied
by "a, and as against three jewellers
and II wine merchants 20 years ago,
there are today Is jewelers. and wine
merchants. A thousand people are kept
in regular work at the Casino itself,
and honest folk who live by honest
means have grown rich in spite of
themselves through the remarkable de-
velopment of the state. The people of
Monaco have the good sense not to
gamble for themselves, and no citizen,
save on one day a year, may enter the
Casino eff men from other lands, with
more money than brains, choose to lose
their brains and leave their money in
Monaco" the native argument seems
to run, 'swe have nothing to do with it.
At least, we will use their money well,
and wash our hands of the channel
through which it comes"
All this profit is over and aboye the
actual expense of running the Casino
ITSELF which foots up to nearly S5,000,-
900 year II. cost, for instance, about
500, 900 for the item of the theater and
orchestra; iremen and maintenance Of
gardens eat up 100000 more, and op-
posite to such suggestive entries as
grants to the press" and Bishop,
clergy, and education institutions are
set down the sums of 100000 and $45,-
600 respectively. The lighting and wat
.er supplies drain the revenue of the
tables to the extent of $4,000, and the
prizes the authorities are called upon
to offer at carnivals, races, pigeon
shooting, and other amusements abb
serb another. So, 000 How much it
costs to dispose of the persons who are
so incOnsiderate as to shoot themselves
after run of bad luck at 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.-Lesiie's
Weekly.