Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1912-08-13

! sphere about the whole place. Despite
the enormous numbers present there
Is practically no conversation, and the
little there is Is carried on almost In
undertones The few who are moving
about do so quietly and softly, as II
not to disturb some strange rite. There
Is constant, monotonous, unbroken
hum, In which the blinking of coins,
the movements of players, the rattle
and roll of the roulette and the scrap
ing of the Groups or money rakes all
blend into one prolonged low muir
muir. Above this rise, in constant re-
iteration, the sharp voices of the crou-
piers calling on the players to stake
their money or announcing the result
of coup. ~
OIL Lamps Used.
We make our way to one OF the
crowds around the table. We find that
in the center Is the great roulette. Op-
posite 1t ON each side sit the two rou-
leurs or attendants, who actually spin
the roulette, and four croupiers. Be-
hind them ON each side are the two
chefs-de-partie on their high chairs. At
the end Of the long tables there
are two more croupiers. The green
baize Of the tables Is marked out with
the numbers and spaces for stalking
money, and all around 1t the regular
frequenters are seated, probably in
the same places as they occupy day
after day Behind them and between
the seated players ON each side have
are crowded four and five deep.
All over the tables are little stacks
OF silver and gold and packets of
notes in seeming confusion, but the
quick eyes of the croupiers mark each
stake as 1t is placed. and know almost
Invariably the player who has placed
| it, SO that disputes of any kind are
of the rarest occurrence. Most of
the seated players on each side have
in front of them note books or memo
randum tablets, on which they are
busily working out figures and calcu-
lations-system players. who make
business of their amusement.
The lamps Immediately over the ia
bles are, curiously enough. in this
place of modernity, old-fashioned oil
lamps, and attendants move quietly
about attending to them and replacing
them as they burn out. An attempt
was made In the very early days of
electric light to carry out an ingenious
raid on the Casino by cutting the
wires, and In all probability the at
tempt would have been successful had
It's perpetrators been little better &C.
quainted with the habits of the Casino.
The whole place was plunged In dark
ness.
Now, 1t was during this confusion
that the accomplices Of the wire cut
ter, standing at each table, were to
have scooped up whatever money
they could lay their, hands on. I'm
fortunately for them, but fortunately
for the public, the Casino authorities
were a little further sighted than they
imagined. Look up at the arches In the
gallery which runs round the rooms
Here and there you will SEQ little
spark of light These reveal the where
abouts of powerful bull -eye lanterns,
primitive searchlights. already focuss-
ed on the different tables, and so ar
ranged that they can be instantly turn
ed up by one official In the case re-
ferred to the moment the wires had
been cut these searchlights were turn
ed on, and almost before the confusion
had arisen the tables we're each bril-
liantly Illuminated in the midst Of the
surrounding darkness.
Having taken in general impress
sion of the place and got some idea of
the method Of play. we ventured to
| hazard a stake. Five francs is the
minimum allowed at the roulette table.
The highest stake on an even chance
Is 900 francs, and the minimum stakes
on the other chances are so regulated
that this is the largest amount that
can be won by any one stake; but, OF
course, one player may have any num-
Der Of stakes on the different chances.
So that practically no limit is placed
on the amount that can be won by
single coup, though the bank reserves
to itself the right not to pay out more
than $4,000 of its own money ON any
one coup at one table.