Show A FOOLS PARADISE copyright and all bights reserved Be served by jeffrey williston ton christine ISM 1892 MONTE CARLO dec on the coast of the mediterranean in one of the garden spots of earth lies monaco a little principality that is absolutely unique the world over for two creaso reasons ns first because it is the smallest monarchy in existence and second because its inhabitants pay no taxes whatever for reasons that we shall see hereafter yet besides these claims to distinction monaco has another which has made it famous all the world round it contains the largest finest and most nourishing flourishing gambling hell ever known in ancient or modern times this palace of pleasure or too often of misery is is located at monte carlo about one mile from the town of monaco which latter is not only the capital of the little principality of monaco but almost the whole of it for the insignificant conachy is is now reduced to nothing more than its capital and a very small territory near it As we approach monaco from the north it presents a picturesque appearance surrounded by fortifications and planked blanked with batteries commanding the little bay the orange vine lemon and olive grow here in abundance the air air is is always balmy with the fragrance oi of orange blossoms and magnolias and the gentle murmur of the mediterranean mingles with the delicious dreamy music of comets and violins wafted wafred from the velvety lawns prior to the establishment of the gambling hell at monte carlo the sovereigns of monaco had been in in a deplorable state of chronic for many years and had vainly tried various little schemes to raise the wind along about 1854 or 1855 some american naval commanders were so much impressed with the advantages offered by the port of monaco that as a rendezvous for american vessel in the mediterranean that they strongly advised their government go to purchase it from its needy sovereign florestan Fio II 11 the father of the present monarch florestan Fio was very willing to cede his principality to the united states and negotiations to that end were entered into but the affair was never consummated florestan Fio passed away and his son charles III succeeded to his kingdom and his pecuniary difficulties though rich in titles he had scarcely a sou in his pocket when on the closing of the gaming salons at the german s spas as in 1863 a frenchman one M blanc offered ered to give him francs cs ab about out annually and to assume all the expenses of the government of monaco thus freeing the inhabitants of the little principality from the payment of taxes in return for the privilege of running a gambling salon at monte carlo the agreement to continue in force for a period of 47 years or until 1910 the pauper monarch accepted the gamblers offer and has ever since existed comfortably fort ably on the wages of sin M blanc did not burden himself very heavily when he assumed all the charges of the government since it can not cost much to govern a few acres of barren land some pictures picturesque ie rocks and an old rookery called ty by courtesy a palace which was all the kingdom of his serene highness charles III consisted of after paying a ding his annual privilege money and defraying eira ying all the expenses of the magnificent ent temple he has erected for the worship of vacuna facuna the goddess of chance as well as all the charges of the government of monaco M blanc still has left the enormous sum of more than of the golden stream that pours into his coffers over the green cloth of his gaming tables at monte carlo every year vear he has amassed an immense fortune which at his death will go to the princesses rolande bonaparte and irvill after entering into his agreement with M blanc charles III seldom appeared in monaco he preferred to spend his time at a beautiful country seat that he purchased near paris or at his hotel in that gay city when he did honor his little principality with his presence everybody was made aware of the fact by the flying of the royal standard from the tumble down old barrack of a palace in view of the princes agreement with M blanc nothing could be more appropriate than that same royal standard it consists of two side strips of black bordering a white ground in ggs the e centre ot of which there is a sort of red and white checker board at a distance the tout ensemble is precisely that of a rouge roue et noir layout the surname of prince charles family is grimaldi a name made familiar to every one by the once famous clown who was descended from the same ancestry as Mo prince ince the founder of the batters lat family fa pr ily was a certain captain grimaldi of genoa who led the people of monaco in a successful revolution against the moors who had conquered them in the title ot of charlemagne As a recompense for what he had gone the grateful people proclaimed captain grimaldi prince of monaco that was away back in and the title has descended from father to son in the grimaldi family ever since and the casino at monte carlol carlo what paradise of fools who look upon it as a veritable tom toddlers Tidd lers ground where one may pick up gold and silver at plea pleasure surel what words of mine can do justice to the magnificence of the place and the rarely dramatic character of the scenes daily and nightly enacted there how can I 1 fittingly describe the ma magnificent ent building rearing its proud hel head above its velvety lawns and marble terraces the tropical fruits and flowers the sp ashing fountains the exquisitely arranged shub bery from out whose verdant depths the pistol of the suicide has so often reverberated the marble statuary the gaily plumaged birds and al all ithe the other features that make the grounds at monte carlo seem like the garden of eden rather than the environs of a palatial gambling hell up U a wide staircase of purest italian marble margle we pass to the casino its gorgeous facade is ornamented with two magnificent clocks one telling london londo n and the other paris time pushing aside aside velvet covered doors that swing noiselessly upon their hinges we enter a large vestibule passing thence into a large apartment whose lofty ceiling is supported by marble pillars do you wish to read in that room on the right you will find the daily newspapers of every principal city in the world do you care to hear some delicious music in that magnificent concert salon on the left two grand concerts are given daily by some of the finest orchestral musicians in europe you prefer to offer up a sacrifice of some of your gold and bank notes at the shrine of that fickle goddess macuna vacuna then pass on and we shall enter a vast L shaped apartment where a fortune may be lost or won in in a moment or two handsome women whose apparel suggests ests that of suggests mother eve before the fal fall look down upon a polished oaken floor from the ceiling where they have been gaudily frescoed by french artists in a decidedly flamboyant style there are a dozen gaming tables in the room and there is a crowd of eager players at each love is said to levet level all ranks and the love of gambling most certainly does so there is complete equality absolute democracy at the gaming table the prince and the pauper the pickpocket pick pocket and the philanthropist the hardened coquette and the fresh young society bud stand side by side and give and take points with regard to each others play I 1 have observed one of the greatest swindler swindlers lers lem and card sharps in all europe explaining his system of play to a clergyman for more than once have I 1 seen the roman collar in the grand salon at monte carlo the always cool russian the excitable frenchman the stolid german the blas englishman and the keen confident american elbow each other at the tables and show their national characteristics more plainly here than anywhere else there are camilles and nonas nanas from paris and in genues from new york everybody who makes the grand tour of the continent of europe visits monte carlo and no matter how much he or she may be appos opposed d to gambling when at home they play a a little here just to say on their return that they have done so and because it is an experience without which no european trip is complete this is on the same principle that presidents of foreign humane societies always go to bull fights when they are in n spain or mexico play begins at noon and continues for eighteen hours without intermission or until 6 the next morning then the casino is closed for six hours while it is aired and cleaned rouge et el noir noh treffle et el quarante and roulette are the tha games game s that hold everybody spell bound during those eighteen hours when the monotonous cries of the croupiers the click of the ball and the muttered curses of the losers are the only sounds that break the silence I 1 have seen some famous comp companies nies gathered about the green cloth at botne carlo rather less than a year ago I 1 saw your great american millionaire william ja H vanderbilt lose of the money left him by h his i s fat father h er he is an ideal gambler calm and bable and from the face he wears while playing no one could ever tell whether he is losing or winning he is a great contrast in that respect to your american comedians de wolf hopper and a mr hoey who from a part he plays is known by the soubriquet of old hoss I 1 saw the former win win a little money here andl andi haye have seldom seen any one more exultant over success his face was radiant and he laughed ano and almost shouted choutea shou tea the same is true of old hoss hoey who made a very large winning here even if he did not actually break the bank as he describes himself to have have done in his song how I 1 broke brok the bank at monte carlo chauncey M depew your famous raconteur and after dinner orator I 1 have seen play here more than once but he on only y makes small bets five franc pieces usually he would make an excellent gambler for like Vanderbil the is an imperturbable loser it is a saying here at monte carlo I 1 never play till you are sure you can lose calmly the prince of wales is quite a frequenter of monte carlo and one of its luckiest players in in a moderate way for my bold prince I 1 is none of your plungers his winnings at monte carlo and other gaming tables have assisted him in in no small degree toward keeping the family pot boiling some two or three years ago he made a coup which enabled him to satisfy the demands of some of his most important creditors he possesses the gamblers disposition par e excellence being neither too timid nor too bold too trusting nor too incredulous too pessimistic nor too optimistic he has none of the common gamblers superstition and does not believe in any signs omens or mascots the latter is something that all the regular of mante carlo religiously pin their faith to and it is amusing to see the character of the mascots on which they rely some of them suggest very strongly the uncanny things which the witches in macbeth drop into their cauldron cauldren caul dron any portion of a corpse is highly esteemed as a mascot such for instance as a little finger bone or a small piece of a toe joint one player recently aroused much envy by carrying about with him the skeleton hand of one of his countrymen who had been murdered in a quarrel at the card table if the mascot comes from one who has committed suicide its is is supposed to be doubly powerful the last time sarah bernhardt Bem hardt was here she had for her mascot the head of one of her favorite poll parrots who had strangled himself by getting that same head between the bars of his though whether ac ci dentally or with suicidal intent no coroners jury ever determined and what is to be the end of all this when the concession expires in 1910 will it be revoked and all this gaudy magnificence feverish excitement ruin ana and suicide be blotted out from monte carlo forever it is a consummation devoutly to be wished prince charles heir is his son florestan who is married to lady mary douglas sister of the duke of hamilton and daughter of the princess mary of baden duchess of hamilton and granddaughter grand daughter of the well known prince eugene beauharnois this young couple have not always dwelt together in harmony lady mary once took french leave of her husband and went back to her mother then she wrote to her brother george the duke of hamilton who possesses to the fullest extent the fiery temper for which the douglas family have always been noted he hastened to monaco and sent florestan after lady mary in hot haste florestan was humble and submissive to his wife and mother in law and the former finally consented to make it up and live with him again lady mary is a sweet good girl and I 1 think she is heartel heartily ashamed ashamed of the source whence she and her husband derive their living so I 1 think it quite probable that through her influence there may be e no renewal of the gambling concession at its expiration pi ration CLEMINTIN im |