The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-03-29

There is = much greater variety OF
pictures employed on the face portion
Of playing cards than the general
public is aware Of. The four kings
represented originally David, Alexan-
der, Cesar ard Charlemsgen. Dis
tinctive features are given to each Of
these in some styles of French cards.
Another form OF picture ia the repre-
sentstion Of the kings in The costumes
of Jewish, Greek, Roman and
Frankish monarchs.
The queens in the same packs are
generally Esther, Judith, Palais and
Argine, which latter is merely q
transposition OF the letters Of regina,
meaning queen BY descent. In fact.
history has been ransacked abroad for
figures to replace the barbarous efigies
which have become historical, but
sooner or latter the eff giles were re-
stored. They are easy to understand.
and the public is used to them.
SAmericaD playing cards have pre-
sented IS great variety in this direc.
ton rs the foreign ones. Shortly
after the Revolution one X. Sanzade
invented pack fer our torefathers
use. Instead of kings there were
Washington, Franklin, Adams and
Lafayette. For queens Venus,
Fortuna, Ceres and Minerva we're
represented. Indian chiefs provided
the knaves. To-day a couple of packs
Of them are valued inmates of az
many historical museums.'
In 1868 a manufacturer here tried
to introduce an American playing
card. Lincoln. Buchanan, Pierce and
Fillmore were the kings; Secretary
Welles, Gen. Dix, Seward and
Stanton were empIoyed to repre-
sent the queens. The jacks were
pictured as certain well-known shoddy
contractors. Another novelty in the
same line was line Union playing
cards. In thes, colonies were kings,
goddesses IL liberty queens, majors
IN cavalry boots knaves, and the suits
were represented by eagles. shields,
stars and flags. instead 81 the familiar
spots. The union cards were a dead
failure from the start. The novelty
OF the spots was entirely too novel.
IL mixed players up so much that it
totally spoiled the pleasure Of the
gam,.
the origin Of playing cards has
been and still is a disputed point.
Some historians credit it to the
Chinese. who, in spite of the bad
name they enjoy to-day. we're the
parents Of most Of the ingenious and
useful things Of the earth. if
antiquariss 10 not perjure themselves.
BY Others the Hindoos are sustained
a. the creators, and to this day they
play fantastic games with packs which
number niaeiy-slx cards, being eight
suits Of twelve each. The story that
cards were introduced into Europe
for the amusement Of the mad King
Charles ii. OF France, has long since
been disproved. They made their first
appearance toward the end of the
fourteenth century, and were well
known before the demented monarch
was born.
The early Europeans packs had
ifty-six cards. The four extra ones
are cavaliers, whO stood between the
queens and the knaves. There were
also as many Is twenty extra cards.
which had the power the joker in q
modern pack enjoys. Cards in those
days were painted by hand, and the
artists who got them up formed a
special snd prosperous guild. Many Of
the European cards were painted on
ivory. but paper wa. the chief material
employed. The Chinese have always
used paper for their playing CARTS.