Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-04-12
AMERICAS MONTE CARLO.
Bio Bets Made at Palm Beach Gamb.
lima House BY New Workers.

| Bio Bets Made at Palm Beach Gamb-
ling House BY New Workers.
This is story of what l saw in one
night in the greatest wide-open gam
bling establishment in the United
States.
monty known as Bradley's, at Palm
Beach, Fla, the most luxurious Tenn
pie of Chance on this side Of the At
lantic. 1t bears the same relation to
Falm Beach that the Casino does to
Monte Carlo. 1t is an approved part
of the general scheme.
Though the gambling is wide open,
there is not even a hint of interfer-
ence by the state authorities.
Why? Palm Beach is owned by
Henry M. Flagler-so is the most of
the state Of Florida. Like Monaco,
the prosperity Of Palm Beach Is sup
posed to depend upon the prosperity
of it's gambling establishment. 1t is
generally reported that "Bradley's"
makes a net profit Of 100000 a
lyear, which is not bad. considering
that it is open only three months out
of the twelve.
John r. Bradley, hunter Of big
game and hacker Of DR.. Cook, is the
man who operates this establishment.
Hot Springs, Ark, French Lick and
Palm Beach are the three resorts in
America where there is wide-open
gambling for both men and women,
lfree from all interference by the state
and local authorities. But the games
at Hot Springs and French Lick are
lfor pikers. At Palm Beach they are
for millionaires or for those who can
live like millionaires for a few days
lin that delightful spot. 1t is place
where pikers can't pike.
1t was ten at night when I arrived
lin Palm Beach, and with other New
Workers 1 hastily donned my evening
clothes and hurried to the Beach
club.
| Evening dress is the strict rule at
"Bradley's" after p. m. But that
and "25 years Of age" are practically
the only. requirement-except bank
roll. II one is faultlessly attired and
'1ooks good" to Mr.. Reese, the sec
retary of the CLUB" he is admitted
without question.
To be sure he is given a membership
ticket and a little book Of rules, but
there are no dues, and member
ship only entities you to, risk your
money.
| When I received my membership
card I passed from the lobby Of the
club building-a two-story structure
into the main gambling room and
to an atmosphere Of pink lit fairy
lamps and perfumed frou-frou. 1
found myself in the presence Of per-
haps two hundred men and hand
somely gowned women grouped
around six roulette and two bazaar
tables in beautiful octagonal room.
From the appearance Of the crowd
one would suppose they were attend
ing an evening function at a fash
ionable Fifth avenue home. The wo-
men were equally as numerous as the
men, and their gowns were as elabor-
ate as one would see at a Caruso
night at the Metropolitan. Most Of
them were ablaze with diamonds.
Every person in the room except
the black coated croupiers seemed to
have an aura Of luxury-not merely
the luxury of wealth, but the luxury
of it's possession for at least two gen.
erations.
The men were gentlemen, the wo-
men their wives and daughters. There
were no touts, barkeepers, no vaca-
tionists, horsemen with pasts or girls
from the chorus. The Beach club Is
no place for such people. If by any
chance they do get in, they are asked
to leave the moment they are spotted
and when a member" Is asked to
leave there Is no argument.
The game was at it's height when 1
was told by E. r. Bradley. broker Of
John R. and the president Of the
Club" to make myself at home. 1
turned to the roulette table nearest at
hand A handsome man Of 55 or 60
one of the leading lawyers in New
York-and two young women, his
nieces, were betting hundred-dollar
bills, while three or four others who
were seated at the table were playing
with five and ten dollar chips
At the next table a young couple,
the son of a millionaire and his wife,
were playing with dollar chips. They
were merely seeing life"
Later in the evening, when the
crowd thinned out, the son Of the
famous secretary of the navy was
playing at the same table with $500
bills, and rumor had 1t that he drop
ped $4,000 in less than an hour.
It is we'll to keep in mind that this
is not a story Of Monte Carlo. 1t con-
Germs Palm Beach, the Mecca Of fash
ionable New York for three months
in the year. San Francisco in its early
chuck luck days was never less
cautious. Gambling in Reno was
never more open. Canfield's at Sara
toga had a Puritanical atmosphere
compared with the life and gayety at
the Beach club.
There are gambling houses in New
York today-I was in one less than a
month ago-but the games are behind
barred doors, no women are admitted
and, Furthermore. there is little play
ing. People won't play roulette in
New York since Chief Flynn's raids
showed that most of the wheels were
crooked. But at Palm Beach there
is no suggestion of crookedness.
People at Falm Beach do not play
to win. They play for amusement,
because they have more money than
they know what to do with. What If
they do drop half million in three
months? They have had good