The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-08-29
Scenes Around Monte Carlo
In The Busy Season.
OUTCOME OF THELOSERS
Suicides Less Frequent--Many Who
Have Lost Their Fortunes Pention-
ed by the Managcment-How One
plunger Succeeded I'm Breaking the
Bank Only TO Lose Again.

said to have been realized during
the past few years from the gambling
tables at Monte Carlo, and the Cas-
ino Company practically keeps Mon
AGO In Its even, prosperous state.
There are no taxes In Monaco that
IS for the natives. The Casino Com
pany divides nearly 100000 per ann
um between the treasury of the gov
ernment and that of the municipall-
ty. The balance required for state
and municipal expenses Is raised in
customs duties levied upon wines,
IRON stamps and payment for certain
tionopolies which exist in the prin-
.ipality.
Every official In Monaco looks to
.ie gambling tables FOR his salary,
- do the bishops and clergy and the
religious and educational institutions
FOR the wherewithal to carry on their
work in the principality. The theat-
re, orchestra, and other amusements
connected with the Casino cost the
leading artist of the operate stage
company 100000 per annum. The
are engaged for the season, and the
orchestra Is considered to be one OF
the best In Europe, says London An
gwers.
The average man who visits Monte
Carlo never guesses that there are
as many as 1900 officials and en-
ployes In the Casino. The head of
etaE is the President du Conseil, and
he Is assisted in the general manage
ment by q director-general and three
directors; while three sous ex- dir
ecteurs-under whom come the chefs
de table and the croupiers
the supervision of the gaming rooms.
There are several private detectives.
who are told Off to watch certain
gamblers, especially the System"
players and those who win or lose
large sums.
At 10 O'Clock each morning blue
coated garcons de sale pass from
the chief cashiers office, on the first
noor of the Casino. They are two
abreast. and each two carry between
them a brass-bound box of money
one for each table in the gambling
rooms. In the presence of the public
the money is counted out. The
bank" at each roulette table-that
Is. the amount with which play is
commenced-is 10000 fraucs or G3.
200. At the trente ct quarante tab
les, where the minimum stake Is a
louis instead OF Ave francs, the
bank" is $4,000.
Over one table in the center room
Of the Casino the ghostly hand of q
woman Is said to continually hover.
This hand. which has a diamond set
In the nail of the forefingsr, Is said
to have been seen for the hrst time
after the death Of a wsll-known lady
who was In the habit Of coming
from hr villa near Moe to play rou-
iete at Monte Carlo. The forennger
of the ghostly hand. by the way al
ways points or at least 10 said to.
toward the next winning number.
Monte Carlo It may not be gensr-
ally known. has q very peculiar PEN
sion list. On this are inscribed the
aames OF men and women who have
lost their fortunes at the tables
Thse people are paid pensions rang
Ing from FIVE francs to 40 francs a
day, according to the amount they
have lost at tho tables and their So
ctal positions. A Scotchman. living
OF Nice, who lost a quarter Of mil
lion sterling at roulette. receives a
pension Of 5Oa a day
Sl( ddes Of men and women who
.ose their all at the tables are not
not so frequent as they we're few
years ago. One or two year is now
the average.
According to M. Blanc, the found
er Of the Casino, He who breaks the
bank today will be broken by the
bank tomorrow"
Charles Wells, the famous plum
ger" who broke the bank at Monte
Popular music hall song, won 10000
within two days; but he lost It all
again eventually. Wells started play
with capital of $4,000, and bet on
runs" or Series" as they are call
I'd at Monte Carlo. He would bet
the minimum stakes of 5000 francs,
Or the maximum stakes of 10000
francs. When luck was against him
he would bet the former stakes.
Wells stated that, by following
mis- system, he was able on one oc-
caston to take all the 100 and all
the 1000 franc bank notes supplied
10 the trente-et-quarante table. The
croupiers had to settle one deal with
small notes and gold pieces until the
cashier had time TO bring another
$4,000 to the table.
The roulette tables have more fas-
cinatlon for gamblers that the tren-
te-et-quarante tables. 1t Will be re-
membered that the earl of Rosslyn
went TO Monte Carlo year or two
aso with system" with which he
haped to win from the Casino bank