Bisbee daily review., 1904-07-13
Fl PaSo Sure a
 Wide Open Town
A NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENT SAYS GAMBLING IS cITY'S
 CHIEF INDUSTRY.
Over Twenty-Nine Millions Of Dollars Pass Across the Tables Every Year. Termed the Monte Carlo of tine United States - An Average of s Per Day for Each Citizen.

Of a desert raidiating 500 miles in ev- cry direction, situated on the bounda- ries of two states, one territory, ana two republics. is the Monte Carlo of the United States.
 In no city of similar population. in fact, nowhere else in this country. save in small western villages and mining camps. IS wide-open gambling permit ted as it is in Fl Paso. Tex. The Pass from the deserts of western Texas and the sun-scorched valley of southern New Mexico to the equally barren ranges of yellow mountains and thirsty valleys which form the north ern portion of President Diaz's Tepub- hc. Perhaps in some of the larger cities and at few of the gayer pleas ure resorts more money changes hands under the laws of the god of chance at certain periods. at least in race-track wagering, but the original sport in Fl Paso is constant. continuous and un- Curbed.
 And this in state whose laws rel ative to gambling are more stringent and more rigidly enforced than in any other commonwealth of the Union. But El Paso is only technically city of it's state. It lies 600 miles journey across an arid waste from Texas proper. and is a community in itself A glance at the map will demonstrate that it is the most isolated municipality in the United States, and the capital of the free zone" which extends from Hu- ma, Ariz., to Eagle Pass. Tex.
 Thus situated. Fl Paso feels free to conduct its business enterprises as it's citizens see fit, regardless of the arm of the state jaw. which would shrivel and lose all its force if it attempted to stretch across the half a dozen hun dred miles of heated plain which sep arates The Pass from the orderly re- gions of eastern Texas.
 Large Sums al Stake.
 More than s29 900, 900 passes over the gambling tables of Fl Paso every year. This is an average of SS0.000 a day, or about $3 daily for every citi- zen. man. woman CT child. as the pop ulation of the place is less than 30.- 000. The amount does not include what is spent in private gambling games. But there is no need for a citizen of Fl Paso ar visitor within it's gates to test his luck in private There are ninety-four wide open public gam bling places within two miles of the custom house.
 In the suburbs and just across the Rio Grande at Juarez. Mex, there are forty-six more houses where gambling IS the principal diversion. These 140 resorts conduct open games of poker. roulette. Mexican monte. faro. keno, dice-commonly called craps-and va rious others. They are open all day and seven days a week There is an average of four games in progress continually in each place, or a total of 560 games simultaneously and con stantly in operation.
 Its Greatest Business.
 The amount of table gambling in Fl Paso is 16 times great than the total dry goods business, both wholesale and retail. Moreover, it is conducted en. tireiy on cash basis. and none of it in promissory. notes or in other lines of trade.
 In the gambling houses of the city proper there are $40 employees who op- crate the various games. and these fig uTes 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 ex- penditure for salaries alone of S2. 300. almost a million yearly.
 One-third of million is annually ex pended for rents. With four excep- tions these Sinety-four gambling houses have bars sLtached, and the to- tal investment in bar and gambling fix lures aggregates over a million dollars. many times greater than that of any other combined business in the town, except smelling. for Fl Paso boasts the greatest smelter in the southwest or Mexico.
 In spite of the great sums of money invested. there are only a few games in Fl Psso able to stand great losses and continue business A loss of from 5000 to s10.000 in a single day would cause the vast majority of pro- least temDorarily.
 Such an occurrence. however, does no. cften befall. The business-for it is s business rather than a sport-has been pnenoz1enal from the start, and few games close each year from lack of funds. The six strongest houses car-v from sS 900 to s2o.0oo in cash on hand. as well as commensurate depos- fts in the banks.
 No Dives or low-cIsss Resorts.
 Fl Paso has no dives or lowciass re- sorts Of the kind which prevail in the cities Of the east and the middle west, where opsn gambling is restricted or done away with entirely. Here it is ae nuch legitimate business as any branch of trade or industry.
 Tho hnusss are on the principal streets of the town and conducted by ner shororohlv responsible in business affai-s Unlite most places of gam b''-p rondr~tad secretly and 'n fear of tbo law. The resorts are all "on the s~r--e |" 'o rse the parla1ce Of green cIn'h natroDs
 rta o.mee are guarded s1d inspect ed rv the authorities. aud Sooa can be