The Portland daily press., 1878-07-24
"CIumps,' -

Oiamps" Is the new social game which is
Just now all the rage at Rome. Native and for
eIgner, painter and culptor, C lthol:c and Pro-
testant, rich aud poor, fbshrousb,e and "vnl.
ga" spend six nights week (some sevee) at
ciamps- TIE cabinet are thought to play at it
when they ought to be contrvpg ways and
means for ighteniog the burden Of taxation
on this peer people. 1t is suspected even that
the new Pope, civil reformer as he is-bnt T
wild not give you mere gossip. The game is this,
Tbs players prescott are divid d iuto two three
or more groups, the number in each varying
from six to ten. These groups have separate
roum', if practicable, and each "clump'' sends
out its delegate to meet and select the aes tion
to be guessed. Then each delegate takes his
seat in the midst of hostile cl lump be never
goes to bis owD) There he is subjected to the
shafpest aud most rapid cross-examIuation
possible, answering only 'Yes," "No," or "t
don't know" to the questions asked. When
the clump guesses the question he claps his
hands, the clamp join in, and all the delegates
go to the winning group. The game is ended
when one clumD has absorbed all the rest; or,
what is more probable, the time arrives for
breaking up before all the members of tbs
original clump are captured iato one. In ques.
tonins, the issue is rapidly nsrro we'd by such
natural Inquiries regarding the material of the
object chosen, as "Auimal?' "Vegetable?"
"Mineral?' or resardDg its history, as "Fsct?"
'Fictioa?'' g Historical?" ''Mythological?"
Ii historical, tbs questions "Biblcal?" "Au-
c;ent?' "Modern?" "Enslish?' "Freoch?p
etc, "Eghteenth century" .'Seveuteeuth?"
soon bring tha questiooers near the time and
place OF the Occursnce os thing sought after.
The subjects selected are such as some, AZ least
IN any clump, are supposed TO know. 10 the
last resort words are spelled our, as at spirit
rappiugs The excitement and eagernes, os
the questioners, especially as they nsar ,ha
object of their search, are Infectious, az 4 ,he
clapping of iival clump is one of Ia h't,ar'
est or earthly dissppo'ptments. The trsnsfsr
OF loyalty by those captured IL. m a new cIn,Nn
should be instantaneous. r;eeiopers snlk for
awnile, put the veters-. clamoist IA as share as
ever with his qaes..,ons tae moment after his
Iansier. Inr 20 are few really good delegates.
Moet "iU'.o when the questioners are near the
SUBJECT; they answer too slowly or too quickly,
.fop unlntentional hints, or give valuable in
FORMATION TO the enemy in other nervous WAYS
Occasionally there is found a person with a
genius Tor bsthing questioosrs- born sphinx,
his lace Is utterly lrresponsive to shrewd oues-
lions, but lights up trifle at those wide of the
marx When, as so often happeus important
and unim portant queries come together, he
encourages false scents aud useless puzz' 'es.
ana oothers the enemy with cool, slow REPLIES
ana good nature that is maddenine beyoud
endurance. Saeh playeris to wer Of strength
Iae game IS Intensely Interesting, but great
trial 10 the nerves and temper. Pursued too
closely, II becomes all absorbing and leads to
curious Dreoceup upations of The mind.