Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1876 — A Swiss Gambling Village. [ARTICLE]

A Swiss Gambling Village.

Saxon is a prettily situated village, with little that is attractive but its roulette and trente et quarante tables. Four years ago it was the lowest gambling place in Europe, and no one went there; but when the German gaming was done away with, the Saxon tables passed into enterprising hands. Large and airy rooms were added to the wretched primitive building, as well as a restaurant, and a little gem of a theater, where a good band plays every day from two to four, and fair representations are given every evening. An Austrian gentleman in reduced circumstances was made chef de police, and keeps a sharp eye on everything and everybody. The consequence of all these changes is a great amelioration in the passing society of Saxon, and an immense increase in the sums lost by the fools who have more money than brains. As even the gambling in Saxon is to be done away with in 1878, they seem vying with each other in trying to ruin themselves. Mot even the crowd at Monaco have such traces of this abject passion. There it is decidedly the fashion to be seen once and again, in the course of the winter, while here even gentlemen seem rather ashamed of themselves, and fight shy of acquaintances. Near to us, at tne trente et quar&nte table, rather an amusing incident takes place. An English lady of the upper-ten, long resident in Paris, passing the summer at Bex for her health, has, out of curiosity, gone up to Saxon, and is tiying her luck; suddenly a gentleman we have been watching, playing very heavily, sees her for the first time ;'he starts, looks embarrassed, and seems on the point of going away; but second thought has evidently led aim to change his mind, for he walks quietly around to where his unconscious visitor sits absorbed in her game, and, leaning over her with a wicked little smile on his handsome face, says! “ Well, my lady, this is a nice place to see you in!” Such a start as she gave! and her rosy face was quite pleasant to see in the midst of those haggard, weaiy-looking wretches. “And who would think to find yon here f” she replied, regaining her self-possession, and calling him by one of the best old English names; “I am passing the summer near this place and came up only once outof curiosity; but don’t you tell on me, or I’ll write to your mother and let her know what you are up to” “Well,U’s a bargain," he replied; “ but, remember, if It goto out in any

way, that I bare been seen up here, *1 shall visit I* upon your head and everybody in Loudon, as well as Paris, shall know that Lady G. has been seen, playing—actually playing—up at Saxon, in the very woret of company P She laughed an awkward little laugh, and I think we may be sure she wished herself anywhere but where she waft; at all events, in a few moments she disappeared, and we saw nothing more of her until our return to the hotel at Bex, where she passed us, looking so aristocratic and so innocent that no one would have imagined she hail just come down from Saxon!— Cor. Botion Advertiser.