Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-07-25
A Star Reporter Makes n Friendly Call
With Irritating Results.
WHERE MEN GO WHO WANT 10 PLAY POLICY
THE FASCINATION OF THE GAME AND ITS
PURSUIT UNDER DIFFICULTIES

/
A STAR reporter, walking along one of the
side streets near the Avenue the other day
| noticed several men coming out from dingy
little store which occupied the lower floor of a
| small frame house, As he came opposite the
| place, two or three more men came out and
went up the street. Some of these men were
white, but the majority were coiored, and none
OF them had the appearance of being very In
dustrious or prosperous citizens. The reporters
curiosity being aroused to know what
| sort of business was attracting SO many
customers in this hot weather, he stopped
and, looking into the dirty window
of cigar boxes that filled the place. that it was q
| cigar store. He concluded to sam pie the stock
OF a dealer who was , evidently doing rushing
| in q small room with a counter at one side and
| the shelves above filled with cigar boxes A
door, which was open, led into O back room
and there was also another entrance into the
room back of the counter. AS the reporter en-.
tered q white man In his shirt sleeves came
from the rear rooIn and, after cycling the strnn.
ger with evident surprise, stepped behind the
counter with manner which seemed to signify
| swell, what do you want?'
In -response to o request for q cigar the man
began tumbling among the boxes on the shelves,
| and after some delay produced box contain
without Saying anything, and while the man
was making change the purchaser looked
around the place to see what was the attraction
IDENTIFY not the cigars, and SO the reporter con.
Guided that there must be something Of inter
est in the back room.
BUT HE GUESSED HE WOULDN'T.
II guess will step into the pool.room," he
ventured to remark in casual way to the man
and then began to walk towards the entrance
Without uttering {. word, the man suddenly
rushed from behind the counter, aud stood con.
fronting the reporter rs he was about to enter
the room. Somehow the reporter lost some OF
his former interest in that back room, and as
| he stepped back a little the man said gruffiy:
"You can't come In here
"Why not?' asked the reporter relieved to
find that the conversation was to be confined
to words only, with none Of the ornamental ap-
pendages that the fist is capable of,
"Thfs IA q private ROOM" replied the man
grimly, land belongs to my family"
why don't you do the square thing and say
that the drawings are over for today said the
reporter, looking the man in the eyes as he
hazarded guess that he had struck policy
A the reporter flew out of the door. followed
by the now thoroughly enraged proprietor he
realized that he had also hazarded his person,
aud as he went on to resume his duties, which
this little episode had interrupted, he could
hear the man remarking in what is known in
that locality as nctghborhood voice upon 1.-THE
injustice OF such insinuations being cast at a
! reputable citizen At the same time he estab-
lished his reputation with the reporter at least
as an artist In plain and fancy swearing to the
| rushed out from all sides to hear the row.
With this incident still fresh in his mind the
reporter happened to meet an old policy writer
who has retired from business, and he related
his experience.
~ have no doubt" was the comment, "that
you We're In policy shop. They are not SO nu-
still exist here and there in the city. As long
as there are colored people here policy will be
cheap that 1t comes within the range of the
smallest pocket. For five cents you can select
three numbers, and If these happen to come out
together in the drawing you get S5, or 81 for
every cent that is invested. It is this golden
possibility that dazzles the eyes of the impecu-
NOUS speculator. Then there arc such devices
known to policy players as
GIGS, SADDLES AND HORSES
by which he covers himself against losses, and
| strengthens the probabilities in his favor. A
man for ten cents buys gig on four numbers.
If three Of the numbers come out in a row then
1t pays him $3.50; but IL all four mum bers come
out then he he gets $40 By, investing another
bers. Then he wins $40 if they all come out.
The flush fellows horse policy they call it;
but the bulk OF the players confine themselves
to the straight game on account of lack of CAPT
tai They buy their favOrite numbers or rows
as they are called, and the numbers constituting
these rows are generally determined by dreams.
The policy player has
GREAT FAITH IN DREAMER
/ remember u colored boy who used to be
famous for bis dreams, and the players were so
anxious that he should have long vivid dreams,
that he was induced to 20 to bed earlycvery night
t'ieci pt vi uctLFty Oh caILSn ana
corn cake. Under these circumstances he gem
| orally dreau1t some terrible things"
THE colored people," he continued "are not
only great policy players, bat they are fond of
going to church, and remember y very singu-
lar circumstance growing out of the coInbina-
ton. 1t seems that one OF the preachers told
the story Of the plaques sent upon Pharaoh
minded the policy players in his congregation
Of policy. They said 1, ,, 4 plays for frogs; 16,
90, 81 for the hail. /. 2. 3, 4, plays for 1ice 8,
5, for flies; IA, u, So, 60 for hail. and 2, Is,
22 for locusts. This, by the way, Is good
Illustration of the way policy takes hold of a
person. Like every game OF chance 1t evokes
in greater or less degree by every
person, and when this Is once aroused it is diff
spcct the ignorant and the educated are alike,
and very often when man Is suffering from
the petty stealings OF u colored servant, who
thus obtains the means Of gratifying his pas
sion for gambling, his favorite son or trusted
friend q hfpon a lnr oI,.