The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-11-21
HOW INDIANS GAMBLE.
The Various Implements Used by Them
in Games of Chance.

The Various Implements Used by Them
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 black-leg will
be fully illustrated by the eNhib ton 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
posing pack and the character of the
devices indicate that they are OF
Spanish origin. Prof. OTIS T. Mason.
the curator of the section of
ethnology, recently received from
Mr.. Romero, Mexican Minister,
several packs of cards of the kind
| known as Barcelona cards such rs 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 eSpddon; the club is verita-
BILE club or bludgeon; the heart is q
heart enclosed in an urn, and the dia-
mond gem or jewel represented as
set in the centre of a disc or brooch of
some kind. The spot cards end with
/ the seyens; the Fights. mines and tens
not being included in the pack. In the
Apache cards the queen is represented
by a female figure, rudely drawn, like
the first effort of a Youthful caricaturist
on a slate The king is represented by
figure of a man, and the jack or
knight by man on horseback.
"Thcse cards were found among the
Indians" sad Professor Mason to 4
Star reporter, "when our exploring
parties first went among them. They
Undoubtedly got them first from the
Spaniards. They play a number of
games with them, some like simple
games that are played with our cards -
''Old maid, 'muggins' and the like and
they had a game also like euchre. Now
they use cards such as we use, which
they have obtained from the settlers
and Others"
Here is a 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 a stick. When a 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 a chance. The man who
makes hit goes into his house, and
gets some article, ike a coat, or some
thing of that kind, which be 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
There is no game played by the
Indians in America, continued the
curator, lin which the mind is brought
to bear upon a problem or has to study
out 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"
..TL;- o.,,,,, Ito. Ill, Il, ,