THE WIZARD OF MONTE CARLO

Evening Star, Issue 21993, 1 April 1935, Page 11

THE WIZARD OF MONTE CARLO

*— ■■ ■ ■ HOW FRANCOIS BLANC WON AND LOST REMARKABLE LIFE STORY The tourist 'who sees Europe without going to Monte Carlo and trying his luck is a rarity. Monte Catlo has become a symbol of fashionable luxury, and its casino is one of tho most famous buildings, in the world. Eighty years ago Monte Carlo did not exist; where it stands was a rOcky headland, Les Spegules, overlooking the Tittle town of Monaco. Since 1860 the tiny principality has risen from obscurity and poverty to notoriety and wealth, founded on the spinning roulette wheel. Gambling has been its chief source of income, And it has gathered millions of dollars from every other country in Europe, and probably from every country in the world, over its green baize tables.

The wizard who brought Monte Carlo into being was a Frenchman, Francois Blanc, whose life is one of the most remarkable stories of the century, (writes Count Corti, in his book, ' The Wizard of Homburg and Monte Carlo’). Francois and his twin brother Louis, who were to become the gambling kings of Europe, were born to extreme poverty in the South of France in 1806. Their father, who died before their birth, had been a poor tax collector, and their mother was forced to leave the hoys to their olvii devices when they had finished their schooling. The brothers were born speculators, and they moved from town to town trying to better their lot by risking small sums on the Stock Exchange or playing baccarat at private clubs. Their luck was good, and they soon had enough to open a small banking house at Bordeaux. The brothers were- detected in a swindle out of which they made about 100,000 francs, the basis of the fortunes they won later at gambling. The banking house was a paying business no longer, and as the brothers had to lie Ibw until the scandal died, they decided to try their luck with a gambling casino. The French had been great § amblers since the days of Henry IV., ut King Louis Phillippe deckled on his accession to follow the example of England, and to prohibit all public gambling. Instantly the gaming-house keepers made a rush for the spas on the Rhine, taking their wealthy patrons with them. The possibilities of this venture appealed to the Blanc brothers, and, being gamblers by inclination, they joined the rush and became gamblers by profession. The town they decided upon was Homburg, a tiny fortress in the North German Confederation. which was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg. The commandant of the fortress was the Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg. who in 1830 was anxiously looking for some source of revenue for his bankrupt State. The astute Blanc brothers were to play the fairy godmother to the Landgrave and bis subjects. After protracted negotiations the brothers agreed to sink practically their whole capital in providing the town with a pump-room for the waters, a gaminghouse, and other facilities. They were clever enough to see that, to attract wealthy visitors they must provide the town with a luxurious casino, together with hotels, parks, and all the amenities of a fashionable summer resort. Whan in 1843 the casino was opened they were almost at the end of their tether. But they had reckoned wisely. The lavish surroundings attracted wealthy foreign visitors, and stakes soon ran high. Before many years were past the casino at Homburg became the most famous and the most lucrative in Europe. Instead Of being a miserable bankrupt town of 3,000 inhabitants, Homburg was able to challenge Vie*badon add Baden-Baden as a fashionable resort.

A BONAPARTE BREAKS THE BANK.

Huge stakes were won and lost in the old casino at Hombnrg, with its walls bf mouse-grey silk, and its nmrocco and gold chairs. ‘ The Elector of Hesse was one of the keenest gamblers. He sank himself hopelessly hi The debt of the Blanc brothers. Finding his treasury insufficient to repay his gambling debts, he offered the brothers forty magnificent trees from the royal orangery. As orange trees were then a rarity in Europe, they were accepted. _ They went to adorn the front of the casino. Among the rich foreigners who came to the casino to play tho most numerous were Russians. Being immensely rich and pleasure-loving, the aristocrats fell victims to the mania for gambling, much to the advantage of the calculating Blancs. The greatest gambler of all was the Counters Kisselcv, whose insane extravagance and tremendous losses ultimately forced her husband do obtain a separation from her in order to preserve himself from ruin. 111 and bowed by

age, she would totter into the casino on a servant’s arm and collapse into a chair, but the moment she heard the rattle of the ball on the roulette wheel she would become animated and vigorous, watching the little ball with bated breath, and staking hundreds of thousands of poundfe in an evening. She would play from the opening of the casino until its closing, sustaining herself by pinches of snuff from a diamondinlaid snuff-box, and be carried home to her apartment, where she would go on playing with her friends to the small hours of the morning. Next day she would be in her place promptly at 11 o’clock in the morning. Only two men ever shook the bank at Romberg. One of these was Charles lAicien Bonaparte, cousin of Napoleon TIT. Arriving with his wallet full, he sat down to roulette and trente-et-quar-ante by turns, always staking the maximum, He won almost without a break, and, amid intense excitement, in four days he had amassed 180.000 francs. At the end of the four days he had broken the banks, or exhausted all the reserves from both tables. After a day’s pause he reappeared, and lost heavily from the opening of play until 10 p.m. Everyone breathed more freely as the danger seemed to be past, but then his luck turned, and on retiring to his hotel he took with him 560.000 francs. This threw the bank into a panic, but it was able to tide over the loss, and it profited by the advertisement.

The other gambler , was a Soaniard named Garcia, who was reputed to be the most fearless man who ev-er sat at the tables. On his first visit to Homberg Garcia won more than 300.000 francs in three successive days’ plav. On the fourth day he lost heavily, and his winnings _ disappeared at a single session. Nothing daunted, he returned and Won more than 400,000 francs in the next two days before desisting. At this point he disappeared Tnth his winnings. leaving the directors torn with regret at not having regained the money, and relief at being rid of so audacious a gambler. But a week later he returned, and amid breathless excitement resumed his high bidding. A crowd of excited players gathered round this tubhy, over-dressed Spaniard as he sat at the table and watched his huge pile _df notes and gold disappearing, fn six hours he lost nearly 500,000 francs, but he refused to be shaken. He continued until he had won it all hack and 300,000 francs more. Garcia then disappeared, leaving the directors in a panic. -He returned later, but he was no longer invincible. He brought with him much smaller sums, which the banksoon swallowed, and Francois Blanc ultimately had to lend him his train fare home.

THE MAKING OF MONTE CARLO. But the Blancs were Frenchmen, and they were not completely happy at Homberg. After the death of Louis, Francois cast round for another site. He lighted on the tiny principality of Monaco, where fruitless attempts were being made to found a casino, and profit by the example he had set. Blanc was now a millionaire, and he had gained invaluable experience at Homberg. He agreed to purchase the casino and to spend 12,000.000 francs in “ putting Monaco on the map.” He rebuilt the casino, which stood on Lcs Spegules, some distance from the old town, and with supreme audacity set to work to s}™ a S ai ’den city around it. Hotels, theatres, restaurants, parks and gardens came into being in * few years, while a railway was being constructed from .'lice. By 1866 the Hew district had grown to such an extent that it was named the “Quarticrde Monte Carlo ” after the reigning Prince Charles of Monaco. The outbreak of the Franco-Pnissian War in 1870 jeopardised the career of this precocious infant, but proved ultimately to be its salvation. Tbe new Prussian Reichstag decided to close all gaming houses in l its territory. The casinos of Ems and Wiesbaden, and finally of Homberg. were forced to close their doors. At the end of 1872 Blanc’s first venture came to a sudden end. but it was the making of his new casino. Monaco now enjoyed a monopoly of games of chance in Europe. The “ wizard of Homberg ” was soon forgotten, and the “ wizard of Monte Carlo ” remembered in his place. Francois Blanc did not live long to enjoy his new success. In 1877 his health failed rapidly, and he died, leaving his family a fortune of approximately 88,000,000 francs. He was enormously successful with gamik’ers. because he, too, was a gambler, a cool and astute gambler, who was always ready to take huge risks if the odds were in his favour. He knew the psychology of the gambler, too. The small gambler he did not fear, because if he persisted his handful of francs would be swallowed up by the bank’s millions. The determined gambler, such as Garcia, who had sufficient capital to have a reasonable chance of beating the bank, was the one he feared, but he found that ninety-nine times in a 100 the successful gambler did not know when to stop. Time and again

the bank lost hundreds of thousands of fraucs to a wealthy gambler, only; to send him away a day later poorei* than when lie entered the casino. Blanc made repeated attempts in hii later life to justify his gaming house on moral grounds. Two things, though! no more, may be conceded to him—* that his casinos were always conducted on exemplary lines, where the gambler* if he chose, could calculate the chances} against his ever winning substantially* and that he created out of the thirso for excitement a world in which thaj arts and crafts could flourish as they, did in few other places in , Europe. Anton Rubinstein. Adelina Patti, and Pauline Lucca were among the musicians who sang and played to his wealthy visitors; and artists and skilled craftsmen clustered about his casino* in search of patronage.