THE FEASTS OF THE GAMBLERS.
The Mexicans, as a people, have an inordinate passion for gambling.
They gamble on everything. Poor peons have been known, when their money
was gone, to take the rags off their backs and pawn them in order
to get a few cents to lose. Men possessing thousands have gone into
houses at night to be hauled away in the morning a corpse, without a
dollar to pay funeral expenses. Gambling reached such a stage that
the government saw it must interfere. Consequently they prohibited
all street gambling and started lotteries, in which prizes are drawn
every other day. The main prizes range from $500 to $5,000. Crippled,
blind, aged, poverty-stricken men and women are on the streets at all
hours selling numbered strips of tissue paper marked "Lottery." The
seller wears a brass badge in the shape of a half-moon as proof that
he or she is employed by the government. No trouble is experienced in
selling the tickets, as everybody buys, foreigners as well as Mexicans.
The tickets range from twelve cents to twenty-five dollars. When the
drawing is held a printed list showing the fortunate numbers is posted
in the court. People of all nationalities and in all stages of dress
crowd around the notice. Many turn away unhappy, while some few smile
over their gains. It is said the proceeds are devoted to useful and
charitable works. The income, at any rate, must be a princely one.
Gambling houses are also run on a large scale. They are licensed by the
government. Once every year, in the month of February, gamblers procure
a license and open houses at Tacubaya. During these four weeks all are
allowed to gamble here in any style they wish. This chance picnic is
called "the feast of the gamblers." At three o'clock every afternoon
ladies in carriages, men on horseback, the poor in the street cars, all
bound for the one destination--Tacubaya--present a beautiful sight.
From the energy displayed, the hurry to pass one another, the evident
desire to get there first, one would think it the first holiday they
had had for years, and all were determined to get the most out of it!
To reach the scene the tourist must take a two-mile drive along a
wide road, bordered on either side with trees of luxurious growth
and shade, beneath which beautiful, pure-white calla lilies and
scarlet-red geraniums lift their pretty heads in the perfect _abandon_
of naturalness and liberty. Dotted here and there over the lovely
valley are green fields, adobe huts, and whitewashed churches, with
superb Chapultepec ever in view, as a crown or guard to the vast valley
beneath. The gates of Chapultepec, with its sentinels and mounted
guards, are passed, and in a few minutes more we are in Tacubaya.
"We will have to alight here," said our guide. "The streets are so full
it is impossible to drive through."
Impossible to drive; it was almost impossible to walk. As we stepped
from the carriage several peons, who had come to meet us, knelt on
the ground and spread out their serapes before them, displaying a few
silver dollars, big copper one and two cent pieces and three cards;
the cards were deftly crossed, face downward, one after another,
with astonishing rapidity, while the "tosser" kept singing out some
unintelligible stuff, apparently, "Which will you bet on?" Quickly
a peon steps forward and lays a $10 bill on one card. The "tosser"
shuffles again, the man wins and puts many silver dollars in his
pocket. This excites the watching crowd, which presses forward, and
many women and men lay down their money on certain cards, only to see
it go into the pile of the "tosser." One failure does not discourage
them, but they try as long as their money lasts, for it is impossible
to win. The "tosser" has one or two accomplices who win the first money
to excite the crowd or again to increase their waning energy.
The "tosser" and his accomplices will follow Americans, or "greenoes,"
as they call us, for squares. When you pause they prostrate themselves
before you; the stool-pigeon always wins and tries to induce the
stranger to play--even pinches off the corner of the card, saying "It
will win; bet on it;" "Senor, try your hand." "Senorita, you will be
lucky," whispers the accomplice as he gazes at you in the most solemn
manner. Wild-eyed women, who smell strongly of pulque, with disheveled
hair and dirty clothes, beg for money to try their luck.
Each side of the street is filled with tents. In the center and along
the houses are women squatted on the ground nursing their babies and
selling their wares, which consist of everything ugly. Some build
little charcoal fires, above it suspend a flat pan, and on it fry some
sort of horrible cakes and red pepper, which are sold to the gamblers.
At the foot of a large tree sat an ugly, dirty woman. From a big
earthen jar by her side she dealt out pulque to the thirsty people;
the jar was replenished repeatedly from filled pig skins. At another
place tomatoes and salad were laid out in little piles on the ground.
A little naked babe lay asleep on a piece of matting, and a woman
was busy at the head of another--not reading her bumps, but taking
the living off the living--and she did not have to hunt hard either.
Similar scenes repeated themselves until one longed for something new.
The restaurants were numerous. A piece of matting spread on the ground
constituted the tables, with the exception of three old wrecks that
could hardly stand. Cups of all shapes, but none whole, lay claim to
being the only dishes in sight. Large clay jars, tin boilers, etc.,
were the coffee urns.
Among all the mob that gathers here, a fight is an unheard-of thing.
"It is old California repeated," said Joaquin Miller, "with the rough
people left out." Rough, in a certain sense, they are, and ignorant,
yet far surpassing the same class of people in the States; they possess
a never-failing kindness and gentleness for one another; the police
carried one woman who was paralyzed from pulque as tenderly as if she
were their mother, while a sympathizing crowd followed; two peons
supported between them a pulque victim, who was so happy that his
spirits found vent in trying to sing a hiccough song. Another peon,
only half sober, got his drunken companion on his back and trudged off,
in a wavering manner, for his home.
In the tents along the street a second class of people gamble. Some
tables have painted on them three faces--a red one, with a white and
green one on either side--on which the men gamble. Musicians with
string instruments furnish pleasing airs, and women in picturesque
costumes do the singing and dancing. The most popular song is "I am
a pure Mexican, no Spanish blood in me." The people scorn the idea of
Spanish blood, and boast of being of pure Indian descent.
Over the top of high walls peep the green trees, and the vines crawl
over, hanging low down on the outside. Enter the vine-draped gateway
and you will see a garden as fine as any city park. A smooth walk leads
to all sorts of cunning little nooks; large trees spread out their
heavy arms; the perfume of thousands of beautiful flowers scents the
air; playing fountains mingle their music with the exquisite melody of
the string bands placed at intervals throughout the grounds; statues
glisten against the green foliage; well-dressed men and finely clad
women are visible on every spot--everything animate and inanimate adds
to the picturesqueness of the beautiful scene.
In the buildings, which are decorated outside with pictures from happy
scones in life, are tables and chairs, the walls being hung with fine
paintings and expensive mirrors. On the green table-cloth is placed
$10,000 and $20,000--the former sum on the roulette table, the latter
on the card board. The money is half gold and half silver. Before the
hour of playing these tables are left unguarded; people go in and out
at pleasure, but all are too honorable to take one piece. Ladies and
gentlemen sit or stand around, smoking their cigarettes and betting.
One woman lost $500 in a few moments, but her face never changed. A man
stood at a roulette table, and, commencing with $10, was in a short
time the possessor of $750. He never changed countenance, and after
getting the "pot" together he exchanged it for greenbacks and walked
off. Any one playing can order what they wish to drink at the expense
of the proprietor. Fine restaurants are also run in connection with the
establishment.
One gambling hall is hung with Spanish moss in the shape of a tent,
which reflects in the mirrors forming the walls. It is beautiful and
reminds one forcibly of what fairyland is supposed to be. Every large
house has a notice posted informing patrons that they furnish, free of
charge, conveyances for the city at late hours. One man almost broke
the bank and had to get a wagon to haul his money to Mexico. Others won
$5000, $10,000 and $20,000, but notwithstanding this one house made
$200,000 the first ten days. Electric lights enable the players to keep
the game up all night, and unique torches furnish just enough light in
the gardens to show the way and fascinate the sentimental.
Tired at last, we wandered forth and visited the beautiful old
cathedral which all Mexican towns possess, walked through several
plazas and examined the fine fountains, flowers and monuments, and
at last traveled to the top of the hill in order to view the country
around about. Seated on the eight-foot bank of the military road, we
watched the Indians going to and from the city. First came a drove of
burros walking quite briskly, as if they feared the load left behind
might catch up and insist again on being carried. A number of women
wrapped up in a straight piece of flannel and a piece on their heads
in the style of the peasant girl in the "Mascot," passed by. On their
back were huge bundles of wood and scrubbing-brushes. "Buenas noches,
senora; buenas noches, senorita; buenas noches, senors," they cried
out pleasantly as their bare feet raised enough dust to encircle them.
Their black eyes gazed on us in a friendly manner and their lovely
white teeth glistened in a cordial smile. "Poor human beasts of burden!
Give the little one some money," we whispered. "Here, this is yours,"
he called, in Spanish, holding forth a silver dollar. The smile faded
from her face. "Gracias, no, senor!" and she quickly passed on, too
proud to accept what in all probability was more than she ever owned.
The sun had long gone down; dark clouds draped the "White Lady;"
Chapultepec looked dim and hazy. With regret we left our prominent
position, passed the handsome palaces of Escandon, Mier y Celis
and Barron, walked through one of the handsomest villages in
Mexico--Tacubaya--and in a few moments reached our carriage, homeward
bound, leaving the "Feast of the Gamblers," just in the height of its
glory.