The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-12-17
HOW INDIANS eAMRLE.
The Various Implements Used by Then
4 In Games of Chance.

@s~ f1OW INDIANS GAMBLE
The Various Implements Used by Them
aes In Games of Chance.
In one of the tall cases in the Nation.
al Museum are displayed various i'm
plements, some of very rude and prim-
tive workmanship, illustrating the
games of chance played among the
North American Indians. When the
comprehensive plan of the museum has
been fully carried out, the evolution of
gambling from its rudest forms to its
highest development in the intricate
layout " of modern blaek-leg will
be fully illustrated by the exhibition of
the implements used. Among the most
curious of the exhibits illustrating the
games Of the savages are packs of play
ing cards collected among the Apache
Indians. These cards are made of dried
skins or parchment, and are about the
size of the ordinary playing cards in use
in every whist-playing family. The de-
vices upon them have been rudely
drawn. The numbers of the cards COM
posinga pack and the character of tine
devices, indicate that they are of
Spanish origin. Prof. Otis t. Mason,
the curator of the section of
ethnology. recently received from
Mr., Romero, Mexicans Minister,
several packs of cards of the kind
known as Barcelona cards. such as have
been in use among the Spaniards and
the Mexicans for many generations.
The Apache cards are rude limitations
of the Barcelona cards. There, are four
suits, as in our cards spades, clubs,
diamonds and hearts The spade is a
sword or espadon; the club is verita-
Bile club or bludgeon; the heart is
heart enclosed in an urn, and the dia-,
mend q gem or jewel represented as
set in the centre of disc or brooch of
some kind. The spot cards end with
| the sevens; the eights, mines and tens
not being included in the pack. In the
| Apache cards the queen is represented
by q female figure, rudely drawn, like
the first effort of youthful caricaturist
| on slate. The king is represented by
figure of man, and the jack or
knight by man on horseback.
These cards were found among the
Indians sad Professor Mason to a
Star reporter, when our exploring
parties first went among them. They
! undoubtedly got them first from the
Spaniards. They play number of
| games with them, some like simple
games that are played with our cards
old maid, 'muggins' and the like, and
they had game also like euchre. Now
/ they use cards such as we use, which
they have obtained from the settlers
and others - S.
Here is curious game remarked
the professor pointing to little cube of
bone having square hole through its
centre. ''This is suspended by an
elastic sinew which keeps it bobbing up
and down" The game is to strike it
with stick. When man hits it, in
stead of taking UP something from the
pawns he deposits something on the
pile. That gives the younger or less
expert player chance. The man who
makes hit goes into his house, and
gets some article, like coat, or some
thing ofthat kind. which he throws up
on the heap composing the pawn or
stakes. This goes on, until finally the
man who has made the most points
takes all. a y
There is no game played by the
| Indians in America - continued the
curator, ''in which the mind is brought
to bear upon problem or has to study
tsput the moves as in chess or checkers.
There is no game in which the player
is expected to have mental skill. All
the games are strictly games of
chance.H
This game is something ike the
game of iack-straws," he continued,
pointing to collection of two dozen or
more little round sticks, each having q
distinguished figure carved orscratched
upon it. ''fhese little sticks are
shaken UP Under a mat or hat and
then dropped to the gtotlnd. still con-
| realed by the hat or mat. Then the
man who handles them. the dealer,
takes out one stick at time, handing
them to the different players in turn.
4 When they have all been dealt out, the
man who has the best hand wins. The
man who has the chief takes the best
or mostyaluable article; the'man who
has the next highest takes his choice
next, and so on. y Washington Star.