Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1911-08-16

world tnan 10 crltlclSe monte
Carlo. Morally, socially, eli
matically-it is an obvious tar
get But from the point OF
view of administration Monte Carlo
is beyond the critical range For even
the most carping can scarcely cavil
at perfection, and that is the word
that best describes the government
of that empire within a principally,
which is Monte Carlo.
Monte Carlo, be it understood. is
the property of the Societe Anonyme
des Bains de Mer at du Cercle des
Etrangers de Monaco. The Bains de
Mer exist but the Society Anonyme
would possibly find difficulty in indi-
eating their whereabouts. They form.
in fact, a more than subsidiary eie-
rnent of very mighty organization,
which consists of the one Cercle des
Etrangers in the world where rou-
lette and trente-et-quarante are play
ed under conditions which, while as
suring the success of the bankers, as
sure at the same time the security of
the player from anything even ap-
preaching fraud.
The roulette wheel is for any one
to inspect. It has been photographed
from every possible point of view. IT'S
mechanism is too childish to need de-
scription-it is mechanism in its baby
hood. AS for the croupiers, were each
one a Maskelyne or a Devant they
could no more direct the fall of the
fatal ball than that of the house of
lords. AS for the possibility of frauI
at trente-et-quarante. that has been
eliminated long ago-by the casino
in its own interests. The packs of
cards used in the game are specially
printed, and once used they are
burned. and from the moment of the
printing to the burning they never
leave the watchful eyes of the verit-
able array of employees, detectives. II
you will. with whom the Societe
Anonyme des Bains de Mer. in it's
own interests. as we'll as that of its
patrons, surrounds itself
For one out of five of all the en-
ployes Of the casino of Monte Carlo
and there are over 1,000-is more or
less detective, and with reason. Ac-
cess to the casino. be it remembered,
is free One pays Gear for it once
inside the gaming rooms. maybe, but
that is ones own affair. Entry to the
casino is ones own choice, and the
authorities stand either to lose or win
by it. That they win on the average
is obvious; otherwise they would
scarcely be able to pay 100000 per
annum in dividends. But, while they
are content to win. they do their best
to proteo; ;hose who provide the win
nings.
And while protecting the poor
of Monaco, the casino helps those
who would have helped them
selves-if luck had willed 1t So.
He who is fool enough to lose
more than he can afford has
only to make application to the office
set apart for the purpose to be given
a second-class ticket home, be the
distance as great even as that which
separates India from the principality.
Not that the casino gives as reck-
lessly as their patrons gamble Ap-
plication for the viatique, as this free
ticket home is known in casino lam
guage, is invariably followed by in
vestigation. If the gambler has been
of the big order. his stakes-and this
has hitherto been known to the few
are carefully recorded by watchful
employe, and the amount Of his WIN
nings or losses each day is known to
the authorities. Be the gambler Of
lesser importance, he has none the
less been noticed, and should he
prove a loser a fairly accurate esti-
mate of his losses is made by an en-
ploye. Wherefore, when application
is made for the viatique the authori-
ties are not easily humbugged.
There are some who still cherish
the delusion that the bank" at Monte
Carlo is there to be broken" and
that the sensational feat of which
Charles Coburn, the music-hall artist,
sang many years ago is one really
capable Of accomplishment. AS a
matter Of fact. the bank of Monte
Carlo is an hing but the fragile thing
of some peoples imagination. To
break" 1t consists merely in winning
the cash allotted to each ta-'e ot the
commencement of play-e3,2O0 in the
case Of a roulette table, $4,000 in
that of trente-et-quarante table, where
the maximum allowed is s4S0, dou-
BILE that permitted at roulette. If the
player be lucky enough to clean out
a table-"break the bank" if one
will-all that happens is that q furth-