The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-30
WOMEN GAMBLERS
 AND THEIR PLAYS Nell 6wynne Won GreatsRepu- tation at Tables WHY THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL The Absence of Many of the AttrIb-l utes Possessed by Their Breth- r. rem Is Responsible for
 Victories.
WHY FHtY ARE SUCCESSFUL

From tmie tostime throughout theworio gambling among women has noumsheo and declined Just at this time 1t nour- ,shas Butifsthe mania is growingsstrong fin inc women ofstoday it Is simply the re- vival of and vold passion, for in every age women have Vbeen addicted to that 10TH of vice which .caused the loss of money happiness, substance, health, and' III many instances, thonor. The pages or his- tory tell. over and over again, the story of great women gamblers. France has furnished the greater number oi 'neSe' but England has put forth many "hose fame has become international says 'ne Liverpool Mercury.
 There seems to beA something in the blood of French womein that makes them gamblers of high order. Mime. de Monte span won so much at basset, her iaVor- game, that Louis XIV. was delighted ana borrowed some of her winnings But she lost a great deal at times, and her play grew so furious that in s16S2 Louis aooi- ished the game. It is recorded of Madame that she one night, while nhe King looked on at the play, rlsked al sum equal to sW,0O0 on a single card. and that the King grumbled when no eone could pc found to cover the bet But Madame aiso lost. one New Years night. 100000 crowns at hoca and on another ' night aiinosl E200,00 at the same game.
 Mime du Barry was thes most famous woman gambler of the timeSof Louis NV, but with her 1t was only d pastlme. but that other fayorite Mime. de Pompadour went in with the sole object or winnins' if she could. It is recorded that her win nings were enormous, and that in a single night she eased the pocketS or the King of 25.0O0 louis d or.
 Marie Antoinette Liked Company.
 Queen Marie Antoinette. according to history, was a gambler who liked to pc surrounded by gamblers. Faro was the popular game but the stakes gotito be so great that many noblenan hao ms entire estates wiped out in single night. Scandal rose high and the game was TOT bidden Nevertheless in a short ilme IL was being carried on again, not only in the apartments of the Queen, put al the house of the Princess de JamDalle. AL first the Queen and those who desired to play with her went to the apartments or Madame de Guemene, whose house is credited with having been the scene Of the highest continued play of any In France. But matters got so bad before the end came that noblemen would no longer play with the Queen, and she ad- mitted to her table many common gamb- lers Then the scandal broke in full force. for some were caught cheating, and one was even arrested for picking pocket. Possibly the most famous woman gambler of English history was Nell Gwynne the actress, who was so great a favorite with Charles II. In that reign the manners were much the same as they were at the French court. Nell Gwynne lost 1yoO to her rival, the Duchess of Cleveland, and in one year lost upward of feO,OO0 which the King paid. There had never been known so much gambling among women was carried on In that reign After the Duchess of Mazarin. niece of the Cardinal. had lost 9l.O0O,WO' she died in absolute want
 The acknowledged queen of American women gamblers was Lonna Paquita, who was born in Texas fifty years ago, but early went into Mexico to rule over out laws and cowboys. The little Lonna was scarcely twelve years of age when she fell in with an old time gambler named Qualetor, who taught her every trick known to the gamblers art She made her first appearance in Paso del Norte. She was only a child, and the rough gamblers laughed at her.
 No Match for Child.
 But they soon found that they were no match for her, and that even her teacher Qualetor, was tenderfoot compared with the child. With the passing years Lonna Paquita grew to be a beautiful woman. Her hair was as black as night, she had eyes that confounded those of the gamb- lers who played with her and voice as sweet and silvery as a bell She was as handsome a woman as one could wish to sec but with heart of ice and nerves of iron. Her small white hands could manipulate the cards with skill that defied the watchfulness of the keenest gambler.
 There were many people who thought it was merely luck that followed her. but the luck kept up too long and the gamb- lers who knew a few tricks themselves understood that it was art" Still no one was ever known to catch her cheat ing. Before she was twenty Lonna Pa quita was in New Mexico leading a gang Of the worst character of the southwest
 Her death occurred in 1875. and was tragic Some lawless acts had been com mitted by a body of greasers," and search was made for them Lona Pa quita was found to be their leader and was caught. She only laughed when she was taken, and proposed that a game of cards be played to see whether she should go free or kill herself This was agreed to, and one of the party a gambler known the country around. was selected. The woman lost Those who looked on had scarcely time to understand this when Lonna Paquita drew a knife from her belt and plunged 1t into her heart
 The women of today, although they doubtless gamble heavily as in other times, incline more to speculation in stock The new woman will go on gam bling, but appearances show that she cares d great deal more for the money there is in 1t than she does for the mo- torety of being a gambler.
 Has Sounding Tin.
 From the New York Press.
 Those are my sounding tins. or trays" explained resident of Brooklyn when a