The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-07
A NEW GAME.
How Young Ladies Employ Their Intervals
In the Interests of Roller Skating.

in the Interests of Roller Skating.
Pittsburg Times.
You see, said the young fellow, 'the girls in
the East End have devised new game, and its
mighty interesting, too. You know they have
their little SETS and meet at the houses in the
got tired of the ordinary diversions and sug-
gested there should be an investigation of the
price-marks of the stores where they buy their
gimp and gew- gaws. The idea took at once, and
do you know those girls have pretty well worked
up the marks in half the prominent houses in
the city, and won't rest in peace until all Of
them are interpreted. That's what those three
girls were talking about so fast. They had been
assigned by their set to certain trimming stores
anc they'll make their report at little party to
be given tonight Pretty nearly all the girls will
have some experience to tell about, and you just
bet that when real quick -wtted lass spins her
story of the incidents of the search it's worth
| listening to- Oh there's fun in it, | tell you,
and the store people will have to get up some
new wrinkle if they don't want their customers
to know as quick rs they do themselves the cost
of articles they have on sale"
Further inquiry developed that one 'set" of
| young ladies had succeeded week ago in ar
irving within two letters of the mark of one of
| the most extensive dealers in trimmings, and
| were on hot scent on the others with expecta-
ton OF being prepared to tell all about the word
or phrase employed, in time for the next convo-
| cation of their club.
The system in general use among retailers is
| to adopt word or term, each merchant making
| his own selection, which shall contain ten I'M
repeated letters to correspond with the numerals.
| Thus, for instance, the word
3 s 8 ! SIS
The cost of an article has been usually marked
on it, the salesman knowing what to add; but
this plan is losing in popularity, and is beng re-
placed by the better method of marking the
selling price; Employing the key.word Anchor
ties, an article marked, say "a. l. o." would in
| dlcate 81. 75 Some merchants have both cost
and selling rates marked, in which case the two
are separated by line, the cost being on top
and the selling price under. Humorousy in
clined individuals not unfrequently get up key
word or term which would make customers
smile were they aware OF the contrast between
the mystical COST marks and that from which
they are derived No little ingenuity is
displayed in the selection, but after the
essential of ten unrepeated letters there
is nothing wanting but simple photography
that the foot of the spoilers in the statesmen class
may have no inducement whatever to go wrong
The tittat-toe cost-mark is the only one known
which does not employ the alphabet 1t may
be unde rstood by drawing the ordinary tit-tat-
toe game diagram, and marking the figures, be-
ginning at the upper left-hand space, thence to
the right, and repeat until the nine spaces are
hlled. In this device is substituted for the
'naught" To express say SO by the tit-tat-
toe, the hieroglyphic would be L. with the hori-
zontal part run directly opposite from normal; a
square and an l. set wrong end up, good deal
like the small boys sketch, in his school books,
under which he places the caution, Don't steel
this book mi oanest friend for feer the gallus
will be your end" 1t will be observed that these
characters represent the parts of the tit tattoo
diagram in which the numerals /, s. occur in
this system. as heretofore explained.