The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-08

Louisville Courier Journal.
 VU7HILsT Monte Carlo is chiefly A/ identified in the common mind " with gambling, and was indeed at the outset but a gambling resort, It long ago outgrew the narrow yet splendid limits of the Casino At this moment 1t is the mecca of the world or fashion. Half the ruling sovereigns or Europe are here and hereabout, all, ilt- orally all, the leaders of European swell dom, the more prosperous of the deml- mondaine and no end of the merely rieh of every land. The show of opulence ana impudence is positively bewildering.
 The little principaity of Monaco is hard ly bigger than the Cabbage Patch of the redoubtable Mrs Wiggs. It is however more happily situate. Nestled under the heights of La Condamine and Tete de Chien and looking across a sheltered bay upon the wide and blue Mediterranean, 1t has better protection against the winds of the north than Nice, or Cannes, or Menton. It is an appanage-in point or fact the only estate-remaining to the Grmaldi family. Tn Man Grin1aldi held his own with Old Man IIohenzollern and Old Man Hapsburg. The Savoys and the Bourbons were kth and kin. But in the long run of freebooting the Grimaldis did not fare so we'll How they retained even this small remnant of inherited brigandage and self-ano1nted royalty, I do not know. They are here un- der leave of the powers and the especial protection, strange to say, of the French republic.
 Something over 50 years ago, being hard up for cash, the Grimaldi of the period fell under the wies of an ingenious All satian gambler, Guerlac by name, wao foresaw that Baden Baden and Hombourg were approaching their finish and that the fancy must look elsewhere for their living. the idle rich for their sport. This tiny "enclave" in French territory pre- sented many advantages over the German dukedoms. It was an independent sov- ereient.- issuing it's own coin and post age stamps. It was in possession Of half-dozen policemen which it called it's
 army" It was paradisaic in beauty and climate. Its ruler was as poor as Jobs turkey, but by no means as proud as Lucifer.
 The bargain was struck The gambler smote the rock of Monte Carlo as with a wand of entertainment and stream of plenty burst forth. The mountain side responded to the touch. It chortled in its glee and blossomed as the rose.
 | Charles Garnier came and built the Casino, next to the Library of Congress | at Washington and the Grand opera house | at Paris the most beautiful building in the world, with incompatible gardens and commanding esplanades. to set 1t on and display it resplendently. Around 1t palatial hotels and private mansions and villas sprang into existence Within 1t | a gold-making crucible fabricated the
 wherewithal Old Man Grimaldi in his
 widest dreams of land piracy-not even Old Man Hohenzollern, or Old Man Haps-
 burg-ever conceived the like.
 l There is no poverty, no want no | taxes-not any sign of dilapidation or
 saualor anywhere in the principality Of
 Monaco. Yet the people" so called
 have been latterly in state of discon-
 tent They clamored for freedom Ihey
 were too well fed and cared for, too rlo
 of dirt and debt, too fiourishing. Pros
 nerity grew monotonous They demanded
 ''constitution.'
 | The reigning prince is what Thack-
 cray would call "a scientific gent. Ills
 son and heir, however. has not his head
 in the clouds. being in point of fact of the earth earthly, and, of consequence,
 more popular than his father He came
 over from the castle on the hill to the
 market place In the town and says he: F.eWhat do you galoots want. anyhow"
 First. their rights" Then a change in
 the commander-in chief of the army.
 which had grown from six to 60. Finally.
 board of aldermen and common coun- cil. .'Is that all?' says his royal high
 ness. They said it was. Then" says
 he, take it, mes enfants, and bless you!''
 So, all is well again. The little toy Kingdom is to rattle round in its own conceit as a chartered democracy. The little jim crack economic system is to
 be "reformed.v new patonalism'' is
 to be established in the brewery down by treaty between the Casino and Vanit.
 Fair to be revised by the introduction of two roulette tables and an extra brazler for cigar stumps. Nn*
 But the Prince of Monaco stood on
 one point. He would have no commit tee on committees in his. He told me