The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-11-21
FRO.
Something About the Early History of the
Cancels Career in Netc York.
New York Commercial Advertiser.

New York Commercial Advertiser.
'sHave you any idea by whom OF
when the game of faro was inventedP''
asked a reporter of the Commercial
Advertiser a few days ago while talking
with Charlie Dunn, the well known
gambler. The question was asked in
the course of a conversation about gam
ing in general and particularly about
the prevalence of it in this city. Dunn
had previously said that there was more
gambling going on at present within
the precincts of this devoted city than
at any other in its history.
sWell, that is a question:" replied
Dunn, crossing his legs with a grunt of
supreme comfort and lighting another
cigar. Faro, my boy, dates back to
the inventors of almost all the games
that require thought. 1t was invented,
1 have heard, by the Pharoahs after
they had got tired of playing chess and
backgammon and all the other limo
cent little games which brought them
so much enjoyment. But he new in
vention was the ruination of the
Pharaohs, for they gambled so much
that finally the Shepherd Kings went
for them and pulverized them, as
we say nowadays, so faro was
temporarily forgotten. The Piol-
news revived it and it then crossed
w into Italy, where mosaics in the
ruins of Pompeii have been found rep
resenting two players deeply absorbed
in the primitive game. No, I'm not
Joking. / never joke about any such
serious matters as faro. But, honestly,
no one knows when the game was real
ly invented. 1t is n OF those things
which partook of the nature of Topsy
and simply growed.'
1.-THE earliest record we have of the
game is in the thirteenth century, when
It had assumed considerable popularity
in Italy and France. / am inclined to
believe that it is of Italian origin. From
the Italian we get the word 'pariee,
which is used in the game now, and
to let the stake lie and double.
The Italian original is paroli. To make
paroli, as it was originally called, a
player was required to bend one corner
of the preferred card over. 1t was al
ways right to withdraw a bet after the
time when he had won his first stake,
but previously to that he had to let his
money remain. At that time there were
no 'layouts.' Every player had his w
pack and made his bets on the cards
that he himself had turned. When he
he simply showed his card to the
dealer and he was paid. A century ago
no box was used. The dealer dealt
out of his hands, and so ran a great
chance of showing most OF the cards.
The box is a great protection against
the %inquisitive, and it is really the only
protection the player has against
any possible manipulation on the part
of the dealer. If faro was dealt out of
hand as it was in former times, there
be a decided number of shootings
this police-ridden city.
s.It is hard to say when faro was in
PRODUCED into this country. The pro-
liabilities are that it was played in Eng
land long before any n ever dreamed
of colonizing the new world. We know
that it was played in Virginia long be-
fore the revolution. The old planters
were not chary about betting their
slaves on the turn of a card, and had
lone of the Puritan narrow m~indedness
which kept faro out of New England.
The game was played at that time with
a box. The players chose their
cards from their w deck and had am
ole opportunity to manipulate it as they
They got no benefit from a
is, when two cards of a like
denomination were turned up and the
stakes are evenly divided between the
,layer and the bank. They didn't even
nave the advantage of a 'cue-box' to
heck off the cards which had been
lealt. Of course there was rash betting
n consequence, and manipulation was
common on the part of the bank and of
he player, and you may be sure both
ook advantage of their chances to the
pest OF their ability"
Have there been any recent changes
n the gamer"
II should think so. And they all
AVE a tendency to make the game
much fairer than it was originally.
Thirty years ago, l remember that it
vas the rule that if a man put n bet
Iown on the table he was compelled to
a V it there until it had lost or won
Is equivalent. Now he is able to
hange his bets as many times as he
hooses. At that time when a man sat
own at Il faro table he sat down to bet
0 win. Now he can bet either to win
r lose. At that time there wasn't any
uch a thing as a copper; now a man
an copper the ace and bet that it will
,se and still win on a losing card.
hen there is considerable difference in
nc way faro is played in the west. If
man puts his chips at the corner of
ne king heading to the Queen in this d.
ity, the bet takes in the king and the
uece only, but out west such a placing =;
{ chips would mean the king, queen, !
&c and duece. Checks have been used p,
uring the last fifty years. Previous to
le ivory disks which represent so much
.oney, coin was used, and oftentimes
le faro table would be strewn with +,
old and silver as the work went on. !
he first time faro was played publicly ,
New York, was in 1927. 1t increased l
an alarming extent until 1884 before
great fire, when that calamity left
lie city almost without money. The t