Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-17
now INDIANS GAMBLE
Games OF Chance Among
American S0vaEes.

PLAYING CARDS DERIVED FROM THE SPAN.
IARpS-DICK, JACKSTRAWS AND OTHER MEANS
OF TESTING ONES LUCK-wHAT CAN BE SEEN
IN A CASE AT THE NATIONAL MusEuM.
In one Of the tall cases In the National Muse
UNI are displayed various implements, some of
very rude and primitive workmanship, Illus.
trating the games Of chance played among the
North American Indians. When the compre-
hensive plan of the museum has been fully
carried out the evolution of gambling from its
rudest forms to its highest development in the
intricate ''lay-out'' Of . modern black-leg will
be fully illustrated by the exhibition of the
the EXHIBITS illustrating the games Of the sava-
the Apache Indians These cards are made q
size of the ordinary play ing cards in use in
every whistplaying family. The devices upon
them have been rudely drawn. The numbers
ter of the devices indicate that they are of
Spanish origin. Prof Otis T. Mason, the cura-
e a
several packs Of cards Of the Kind known as
Barcelona cards, such as have been in use
many generations The Apache cards are rude
limitations of the Barcelona cards. There are
four suits. as In our cards-spades, clubs. dia-
espodon the club is q veritable club or bludgeon;
the heart is Q heart enclosed In an urn. and the
The spot cards end with the sevens, the Fights,
mines, and tens not being included In the pack
BY female sure, rudey drawn ike the rst
effort OF youthful caricaturist on q slate. The
king Is represented by figure Of q man, and
these cards were found among the Indians, )"
said Prof. Mason to q STAR reporter, when our
exploring parties first went among them. They
m frr,rpn fhoG Ono ,r5,
They play q number of games with them, some
like simple games that are played with our
had eas aso sKs sa the
use cards such rs we use, which they have OBJ
tanned from the settlers and Others"
lessor pointing to little cube Of bone, having ling
square hole through its center. "This is sus-
pended by an elastic sinew which keeps it bob
with a stick. When man hits it instead of
taking up something from the pawns he de-
posts something on the pile. That gives the
man who makes a hit goes into his house, and
gets some article, like q coat, or something Of
that knd which he throws the heap
mail the man who has made the most points
America" continued the curator ain which the
mind Is brought to bear upon a problem or has
TO study out the moves as in chess or checkers
pected to nave mental x sE AT TIE
are strickly games OF chance"
INDIAN JACKSTRAws.
''This game IL something like the game of
jackstraws," he continued, pointing to a collec-
ton of two dozen or more little round sticks,
scratched. upon it. These little sticks are
shaken up under a mat or hat, and then
dropped to the ground: still concealed by the hat
or mat Then the man, who handles them, the
dealer, takes out one stick at q time, handing
them to the different players in turn. When
the best hand wins. The man who has the
chief takes the best, or most valuable article;
the man who has the next highest takes his
Suppose man ran in a cold deck upon the
tribe, suggested the reporter, "had some extra
"He would probably be put to DEATH" said
sThis game Of jackstraws is played all along
to Sitka." One set of these Indian jackstraws,
from the Queen Charlotte Islands, exhibits very
ingenious workmanship, and has high value
The straws are made Of red cedar, nicely round
them represent different creatures, which
figure in the mythology Of the north west In
dams. The carving has been very neatly done.
Flat casts or moulds have been taken Of these
ny sens o shs@ s
very curious collection OF prints illustrating
the Indian mythology.
PARLoR oUorrs.
"Here IL another game played on the north
west coast" continued Prof Mason, referring to
a collection Of little discs of wood sDo you
know a little game called squales? You place q
little lead cube in the middle Of the table, and
shoot little discs along, the game being, to try to
see who will come nearest the cubes It is
something like quoits. This Indian game is on
the same principle. A mat is arranged with a
the mat, and tries to stop It on the ridge If Il
stops there the next man must try to knock it
OFT. 1t is something like the game Of Duck on
Der Of small fiat pieces Of wood, each marked
and striped differently, the professor continued.
''This Is really game OF dice. You see there
side. A man takes three or four in his hand
and throws them upon the ground or upon q
scatter when they foil. The spots or marks
which are uppermost when they fall count,
This game Is common among the Indians
through New Mexico, Utah, and all through the
great interior BASIN
Heres q game called odd and even" he con-
tinued, referring to two bits of wood sharpened
at The ends. Zone Of these, you see, is marked
differently from the Others. One man takes
them in his hands and holds them behind his
he holds the different pieces These little pegs
here are counters. When the men begin to piay
each has number OF these, and the play is
continued until one has them all, and he is the
"Another interesting way TO count is bymeans
Of these little sharpened sticks you see there In
70 form circle, with one little opening or gate.
The Zunt dice throwers count In this way. Saw
there are forty pegs in the circle One man
throws the dice and counts five. He begins to
count of from the gate five pegs and puts a
stick there. Then the other throws and we
will say makes ten. He begins to count from
the gate in the other direction and marks Off
ten. Then they 60 on around until one mans
counter meets and crosses the other. The man
who Is crossed has to 90 back and begin all over
again. He may on the next throw, though.
cross the other man and send him back to the
starting POINT That Is 9 little intricate and is
getting up In the scale Of gambling"
PUEBLO THIABLE-RIGGERS
"Here. |" he continued, coming to q number of
rudely fashioned hollow wooden cylinders or
cups, els the cup and ball game as piayefi hv
the Pueblo Indians There are four little ems
You see, and you must guess under which one
the ball Is hidden. The balls are made OF ha Eed
clay. It IL q regular thimble-rtg game. cs1sh.
Ing told me that the players used many little
devices or deceits to induce persons to guess the
wrong cup
"This Is . woman's game" The speaker re-
ferred to dat basket IN which were j number
Of halves OF walnuts. "YOu see, the plaver uSes
hickory nuts, walnuts or peach kerneis rhi"H