The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-09-02
A New Game.

| SINCE the recent deal in which clubs
turned trumps, and the gay and festive
bunko gang were obliged to leave town in
consequence, they have been Obliged TO
resort to other means of earning a liveli-
hood, and they have found them. Upon
nearly every train leaving this city go two
or more card-sharpers. The members OF
this ancient fraternity work in pairs. Ap-
parently ignorant each of the other they
play their cards WELL and are as anxious
| to work" the train thoroughly as is the
conductor, only in different and less
authorized manner. They are on the
| lookout for "blokes'' and "softs"-men
| that are possessed of money and who have
| a high estimate of their own acuteness.
| And these mokes" are shrewd observers,
and usually accurate judges of physiogno-
| my, too, and they can frequently estimate
| a mans pile too, within few dollars.
| They are proficient in stocking cards,
and in case of an emergency will deal
monte" though that is not their " lay"
| They play a gentleman'S game-euchre-
game understood by every tyro in card
| playing. And these cuchre sharps have
] two tricks, either of which is calculated to
win. One is the poker" hand and the
other is the "cuchre" hand, and they play
/ them as follows:
] Deciding upon the route the sharpers
are at the depot promptly. Their make
/ up is unexceptionable, they are not tlashy
/ in their dress, and are as a rule, gentecl
/ in appearance, and there is little in cxter-
mails to mark them as different from their
I fellow travellers. There are two of them,
but they pay little attention 10 each other.
/ The casual Observer would imagine them
! strangers. They are. say, to work the
( Michigan Southern to Toledo and re-
/ turn, and are impatiently awaiting their
/ opportunity to begin business. Scarcely
/ has the smoke and noise of the city been
| left behind when thine" is up. Two
seats facing each other have been secured,
/ and one of the "mokes' occupies them
the other saunters down the car aisle and ,
selecting his man, asks:
do you play euchre?"
/ Sometimes"
Come and fill out four handed game,
just TO kill time"
The invitation is accepted: another
player is secured, and the game begins.
Anything will answer as table-a lap
robe, buster or newspaper. Scarcely
has the second hand been dealt than a dis
pute occurs between the sharpS.' 1t is a
good-natured dispute, however, one hav-
ing asserted that certain hand, both
T bowers and two other trumps, could be
euChred. No decision is arrived at, and,
the ice being broken, the vital point of the
game is reached. One of the sharpers
deals, and hearts are turned trumps. The
tirstman passes so does the other sharper.
The third man, having both blowers, -
queen and ninc-spOt oftrumps and the ace of
clubs, "orders it up" and plays italone. "
This is as was expected, and the dealer
offers to bet twenty dollars the hand will
be euchred. The party holding it looks
upon his hand as invinCiblc; he has seen,
the hand being displayed through care
lessncSs O., that his opponents partner
has no trumps, andh accepts the wager
The first player leads a spade, which he
trumps and the dealer ovcr-trumps, pro
viding neither bower" is played, and
leads back. The result, whichever way
the play is made, is the same, and he, with
both bowers, queen and ninc-spot of
trumps and ace of clubs, is beaten. This
accomplished, the game is certain to
speedily end unless one of the strangers
will bet on "ful hand" at poker, the
dealer giving himself or partner fours. "
In this event he or they are good pluck
ing.
This simple game is played every day,
and many times day. 1t counts its vic
tins by thousands, and the Times reporter
was assured by sport who thus works
the Michigan Southern Road that he not
infrequently made a couple of hundred
dollars day.
Amateurs at card playing will, there
fore, do well to think a second time before
accepting an invitation to take hand"
in social game on the cars.-Chicag0
Times