El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-12
BALLS
NHIRR No MORE
Roulette, With Craps, Stud
and Keno, Vanishes
From Juarez.
Bv RAIPH HERRON.

over in Juarez is over for the pres
emit it would seem. Whether it is
due to the fact that American devo-
tees OF the goddess Fortune can not
cross the river because. of the pass
port regulations, or the recent an
nouncement of mayor Francisco D.
I Gonzalez that he would fight the re-
opening OF gambling in the city, op-
/ orators Of gambling games have ap-
parently accepted the situation. For
I the present, at least, the whirr of the
little ball of the roulette wheel, the
( crying Of the winning numbers at the
wheels, and the monotonous call of the
numbers taken from the keno goose"
will be heard no more in Juarez.
The paraphernalia of the various
games in the big gambling casino on
| Concrete street has all been taken out
and stored in another part of the city
workmen have been working changes
! in the keno hall adjacent, even scrap
.ng the painted word keno from
the doors.
No More Mexican Roulette.
Just before the passport reguIa-
/ tons became effective the games IN
I the big casino were enjoying much
popularity, and hundreds of visitors
crossed the river daily to take their
chances at the wheels.
There were two upright wheels.
known generally as Mexican rou-
lette" with three boards for placing
/ bets to each wheel On each of these
wheels were 30 spaces, % for num-
bers. half black and half red, and two
spaces for flags. the American and
MeXican@ These were at the east
side Of the hall, while in the center
was an ordinary roulette wheel, the
number and color being determined
by the fall of the ball circulating at
the outside of the wheel in the oppo-
site direction. Two green spaces
known as casa Crane" and casa
chica' took the place of the flags and
paid the same as a number, rs
times.
Other Cash Cafchers.
In addition to the roulette wheels
there were two crap games and sew
eral stud poker tables running In
addition every afternoon a splendid
orchestra furnished music and there
was a bar, and last a big blackboard
showed the progress of various races
in the United States. with chances
for the racing fans to bet
Picturesque Crowds Vanish.
The stringent passport regulations
wrecked the success of the big gam
bling casino. In the picturesque
throng about the tables ragged poems,
playing beside fashiOnably dressed
women; Chinese, negroes, business
men, American tourists, old time
westerners who wanted a little taste
Of the old Wolfville life, the most
from the United States Even
number Of the employees lived in Fl
Paso- When the war demands OF the
government made it necessary to cut
off visits Of Americans from this
country, save on necessary business,
the main patronage of the games was
lost November Is marked the last
regular day of gambling.
Ray Of Hope Fades.
4 ray Of hope came when the pass
port regulations were changed to al
low Americans to pass back and forth
on Identification cards issued by the
immigration authorities. The hall
was again opened. The Z. S. govern
ment authorities, however, refused to
allow any but persons having bona
fide business to cross, and those
merely seeking pleasure or wishing to
play at the games were not allowed
cards. This took away the last
chance to keep the games running.
and the hall was closed.
Most of Them Lose.
Many stories have been told in FL
PasO Of big winnings, but the sober
truth was that there were many
more broke" when they were ready
to go across the river before the
o'clock limit The management was
never known to refuse a busted"
player carfare. however. Gamesters
came from all parts OF the southwest,
ana many Of the players were women.
There was good order always. and
the games were considered square"
There were plenty who won at first,
but the deadly percentage due the
table got them before they could
break away from the lure.
Just adjacent to the gambling hall.
and connected with il by a passage
way, was the keno hall where play
went on in the afternoons.
Once Electric Keno ReIgned.
The keno Of Juarez in 1917 was far
from being the picturesque and spec
tacular game of the old days of the
electric keno. In the days Of PanchO
villa the keno halls were brilliant
with electric lights, while along the
side and front were the multicolored
glass indicators Each number called
as it fell from the goose" and the
winning card of the entire 800 cards
could instantly be flashed TO the gaze
Of the players seated at the green
topped tables in the keno hall
sfPOts" Once Very High.
In the old days it was not uncom-
mon for each one Of the whole 300
cards to be taken, either in the even
ing or on Sunday afternoon, and the
pots from which we're taken the
percentage and government tax. ap-
proximately a fifth, were often high
Generally the cards were three for
ten cents at the beginning of the
play, and later ten cents straight.
For one round, generally al 10
O'Clock. % cents a card was charged.
and the pot would be a windfall
for the lucky number.
Shipped to HAVANA.
During the time Juarez suffered
from various Captures and attacks
keno and the other games were in
.erfered with much. Finally when
gambling was stopped the keno halls
were closed and about a year ago
considerable of the electric keno was
brought to the United States and
was later shipped to Havana, Cuba.
The keno paraphernalia installed
later was primitive in comparison
with the former electric apparatus.
md the game never enjoyed such pop
ularity. This might have been due to
the competition of the other games.
The rates were usually three cards
or ten cents. except for the last
round. about o'clock in the after
noon, when ten cents a card was
charged.
The keno hall evidently had its best
patronage from Americans, as II
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