The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-10-20
WHERE GAMBLING BECOMES A MANIA.
Picture Of the Games at Monaco, Where Women Bet Their Jewels and
Scream with Delight When They Win.

uS WHICH un0y vvlOs X.
becomes overcast and those who hold
rain stock" see prices go up while
those who have purchased mo rain
stock" begin to get gloomy. h clouds,
however, pass away without rain and
the prices begin dropping again.
Before one of these gatherings there
had been no rain for months. One
evening a big thunderstorm was seen
stock. There was thunder and light
ming for half an hour, but not a drop
of rain fell. Englishmen passing the
spot at that time thought religious
fervor had reached its height. The
bets are paid when the first drop OF
water runs down the spout.
Even the Kroo boy CANDLES. Tho
kroo boy is a product of western Ar
RIGA AMI l was fortunate enough to
have an opportunity to see him at play
The white man has taught the heathen
the knowledge of cards and they will
play till they have lost everything.
Victims do up a SHARK"
On the same BOAT on which I was
travelling from Cape Town to Cape
Coast Castle on h Gold coast were q
number of kroo boys who We're return
ing to their homes after having spent
a few years in the diamond compounds.
round Kimberly way. Some enterprise
ing Scotchman picked out the crowd an
Cape Town and sold them gaudy cloths
and beads at eXorbitaEt prices. They
We're taking these cloths back to de-
light the eyes Of the natives who had
gambling. caught them on the African
seas and II mar got all the goods.
The others had not a cent.
The lot We're herded in the aft part
OF the teamer and one evening they
gathered in a knot to play. One man
produced a deck of cards. Then he
challSed q mark on the deck equivalent
to a portion of cloth. The others made
their marks according as they wanted
TO bet. Then the first man drew a card
and turned it face up. 1t was a nina
spot. Those who had nine or under
lost what they had bet and those who
drew a higher card won. 1t was a sim
pie form of the old game of banker
Toward the end Of the voyage, the man
who originated the game on board be-
panied to find that he was sflim-flam-
ming his brethren in a shocking man.
ner.
When the lot We're landed the first
mate on the steamer told the Kroo boys
how they had been swindled. They
would not believe at first but when he,
showed them how easy 1t was to draw
a card from the bottom OF the pack.
they became angry and Went for that
banker" He was hit in several places
anu LII 0OSS lOOh away dll Ills WIN
nings and divided his goods impartially.
1t was in Port Said that l saw the
~cleverest gambling swindle that I ever
witnessed. The place was run by a
fercely moustached man who was
known from one end of the canal TO the.
a Greek but he looked a Russian. His
wife helped him.
Tipping Cards by Music.
The gaming Gen was situated in an
alley leading off the main street of the
town and little Arab boys guided the
visitor to the spot for nothing-being
in the employ of Alexander. A largo
number of people gathered at the.
spot when | entered, most of whom
were drinking at a bar which stood In.
one corner OF he room. There weros
but few tables and Alexander presided,
and I noticed that the stakes were big
ger than usual. People did not visit
AleXander's for amusement, but for
gain.
AT the table where Alexander sat,
We're an English steamboat captain, an.
Arab sheik and a French canal signal
er. Mrs. Alexander walked around the
table, gaudily dressed and shaking a,
finger at those who lost too heavily.
Sometimes she brought them drink n
paid them compliments or their good
looks. After going around the table
she would go to a piano and play some
little melody-just a few bars. The
trick was explained to me later. The,
woman While passing around the table,
generally took a look at the hands held
and then gave her husband the benefit
Of her knowledge by playing on the
piano When she saw somebody trying
to bluff his way through with a pair Of
deuces h played a waltz. If Alex
ander had a good hand, she played so
that he could understand. Alexander
is becoming rich, but some day a play
er will get on to the trick and Mrs.
Alexander will have to pay the funeral
expenses.