The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-01-05
POKER CHIPS.
I'll. implements Used In the Sinful
tame Of "Draw."
A Commodity That has Lost Value In
New York
Since the Decay OF The Game In Gotham.

"Ah, they're drug In tho market
now, especially the hne ivory ones, an OLD
pawnbrOksI said as he ran us myers
among box OF ivory disks aud eyed them
meditatlyely aud sadly
THE time was when, sporting man
got into hard run OF luck aud was short
he could pawn his chips Tor something near
their real value. They were almost at good
IA gold, Bu, now look what piles I've rot
of them, even ,honsh | oiisr them as cheap
as dirt" ,,,,-, T.. ..A,.,.
this conversation was held, through the
grimy wind ws a weak, gray light uttered
Saintiy. ON ihe broad window lodges lay
UNTITLED mass OF anglers reels, inlaid chess
bontds. stTinglrss guitars, keyless hutes,
antique weapons, tawdry vases, ana nn IN
mite variety OF strange oda6 and ends aud
unrelated parts OF thlngs.
Poking up through the dust on the
shelves, like quaint lombslohts Hshs out
of A cemetery OF gruy snow, appeared some
clocks. Two-thirds OF the counter aud OF
the space behind IL was occupied ~ boxer,
bales, bundles, and packages OF things, snd
the rest OF the space was Uttered NJ Win q
hit ,rogrneOus assortment of articles, the
packing up OF which Aoeemed 10 have beeh
abandoned mid way In the work.
All these things were forfeited pledges
and ntnopg theIa stood the old pawn brokori
with shruwd but unkindly face ana n hne
harmony liz grey aud brown tint between
him and his surroundings,
"Do you take IN many chips now rom
unlucky sporis2' ihe reporter asked.
81 don't take anything now. I've gwen
mn INV business, aud nm simply Trying 10
GET my money out oi the sun lett ON my
Ia ds. / wish could get rid of these po-
ker chips" go. ,-,.... ...,...
and faro chips!' ---.
"Atl You never had q good front foai
did YOUR rrioinsd The old man Win looE
ofkstn suspicious. mo, there's no diiier-
spcs. Any chip You can use IN one game
Won can In the DINER. But iaTo IL rather
under "A cloud just row, and there'H no de-
mnud Tor tools Tor that sinful gunel 50 ltt
heal 10 call them poker CHIPS, which you
will observe - tue sign have IN Tho WIN
dow
Moo. OF 'em, | suppose"
"Do eny OF the chips supputed 10 be de''
troy cd by the polce ever hnd their way 10
81 wouldn't tell you II | knew. They
give them to their political friends most
likely"
"What are the chips wortL?'
THAT depends largely on the crcum
stances OF thelY purchase. I've seen blues
cost $50 each But in the ordinary com
merclal way, II sou buy them from the
manufacture new, the composition ones
cost from $2j for plain up TO 500 lot en-
preved ones tor set OF 600, which Includes
500 white, 200 RED and 100 blue. Spliis
markers and copgers you can buy Tor from
AZ. 80 TO So A hundred. The ivory ones are
far more expensive, ranging IN price IRON
800 no to $50, or even 500 hunure1i &c
oordine To sIzs aud the engraving on them
Ofcourse sell all kinds at Il very great re-
L.. t0.af araaa a b. a. q
iyorie that cost originally SIS or $50 . nun
dred. rhnt | will sell tor SIS hundred, ana
ettney show no tLuos oi tho May thuuA
ands won and lost with them. Ivory chips
are liable to become discolofed by age, the
white ones, at leas', aud thea, Of course
sh " decline greatly IN value. Dut shey
are 100 expensive for use nowadays, wheH
ths noIioe are liable to swoop down on tn.
game aud carry them off at any minute
'fhe composition ones are just AS gooi r'
ivory. stacking up quite as accurately, anu
ccs. ing, as have told you, verv much less
can furnish them AZ low as go thoneenu
and perhaps even less. The pnncipai as
mand for chips Is now Tor poker ciuos. a
marty of gentlemen will make up game
Tor the winter season, duringa few night'
Will mt stipulated sums into kitty on
certain hand-'rethes' and above-to buy 9
set Of chips. Ii they get good KITTY
they will want nice ivory CHIPS. bat
man can back up an error oiJudgment IN
game of poker with composition Just a.
we'll A he can In ivory. Now and then ,
snort going out west or south to open /,
game, particularly If it is TO be brace will
come in for a set Of ivory chips for style
but they are rare birds. The dealers, wh'
90 Town east seldom have anything bette
than plain composition. Real iyorA
wou!dn't he safe to deal out in a ten cen
game in New England. lit didn't parall
Wa the players they'd steal it, so the san'
would be out anyway"
Deal boxes?"
ION, there's n stack Of them. They ar
worth nothing now; no cali for them. Gam
bling In New York IL by no means PLAYED
out but it isn't what IL used 10 be-"