The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-03-17
PROGRESSIVE IIUCHTsE,
At Is PROMISED ~ Moro Popular Season
This Winter Than Ever.

progressive cuchre promises to be more
popular than ever. and hundreds of par
ties are organizing to play in many
parts of the country Its fascination is
independent of that which. to some per-
sons. belongs to ordinary cuchrc, and
consists in the briskness and range of the
competition, as well as in the mcrri-
mcnt and physical activity which it in
variably provokos. In order TO give a
just idea of the game let us describe a
particular instance in which it was
played with success, not because this in
stance is iii any respect remarkable, but
because being II fair average one, it will
represent many others The host or
hostess, then, standing in the drawing
room in the presence of, say twelve, sin
teen or twenty ladies and gentlemen
who have been invited for the evening,
holds in one hand 4 number of pieces of
pastcboard to be drawn succossyely by
the ladies. and in tho other hand sim
liar number to he drawn by the gentle
men. Suppose the number of players is
sixteen, or f0u" ut each one of the four
small tables, which have been placed
diagonally across the room, and on
each of which has been laid u card re-
presenting one of four gcomctrcal fg-
ures, say square, 4 circle, II paralclo-
gram, or an Octagon. Each of these
cards has two duplicates. which, after
being cut in two, are held for distribu-
ton in the hands of the host or hostess.
The ladies proceed to select each picco
from eight pieces held out TO them, tho
gentlemen select in like manner from
another eight held out to them, and the
fun begins by their attempting to match
the pieces so selected. A gentleman,
for instance, who has drawn half o
square, goes around to find the lady
who has drawn II similar pattern, and
Who, when found, becomes his partner
that particular table on which lies a
.Varc. In like manner. two other
players are selected for the same table,
making the usual cuchrc party of four.
The table on which lies circle obtains
its sittcrs in Il similar way. rs do also
the tables on which are lying respective
ly the parallclogram and the octagon.
The table nearest the front door is said
to be at the head of the row, and the
corresponding one ut the other end of
the room is said to be at the foot The
players being thus seated four at
table. one of those at the head table
strikes bell, and the game begins.
Everybody plays rs fast rs she or
he can, and the excitement is great un-
til the sound of tho bell announces that
couple ut the head table have finished
their game. Immediately all the other
players stop playing, and tho winners
at each table change places and take
the table next above them, tho ultimate
object bcing to get ut the head table.
The losing couple ut the head table 90
down to the foot, and at every table tho
partners change, 80 that your partner
in the previous round becomes your enc
my in the round now beginning.
Tho delightful haste and confusion
caused by this sudden change and cner-
gctic effort to advance are accompanied
by much laughter, and the spirit Of
competition is soon in full swing The
couple ut the head who have won a
game take from 4 small box containing
waters in the shape of red stars, one of
the stars and stick it to their card to in
dicatc the fact OF their triumph. Tho
moro stars any player has on his card
the more success he has won But the
couple who lose at the lowest table of
all are compelled to indicate their dis
grace by alliXinG TO their card half of
little red paper seal like that adjoining
signatures in legal documents The
more Of these waters or seals any couple
has the greater is their ill-rcputc.
The game continues in this way until
the time previously chosen by the host
or hostess has expired. This time is
usually two hours or two hours and n
half, when the final reckoning is taken
and the prizes awarded To the lady
and gentleman who have won the most
points prize apiece Is awarded, and
this may be of any description {, cost.
although good taste seems TO dictate
that its pccuniary value be not large.
10 the lady and gentleman, on tho
other hand, who have lost tho most
while sitting at the lowest table, and on
number of half-scals. mock prize
apiece is awarded, consisting, say, of p
cheap doll Enthusiastically dressed, or other
ludricous exponent of unsuccessful effort.
The presentation of these prizes is often
accompanied by humorous speeches, in
which the real or affected merits OF the
successful OF unsuccessful prayers are
dilatcd upon in scrio-comic fashion; and
when the persons selected to make the
speeches of presentation is apt for the
tuSh, tlc lnCTflnlcIJ often becomes nlIl-
rious. Supper is then served, and dane
ing may follow, or tho game may be re-
ncwcd. Most young people, however.
prefer to close the evening with some
fresh sport.
To any person who has never played
progressive cuchre. the pitch of excite
mcnt to which even our grandmother
and grandfathcrs often succeed in Gle
waiting themselves would be almost past
belief, but everybody at all familiar with
this festive game knows that the physi-
cal activity and the buoyancy of spirit
created by its requirements are unequal
cd even by blind-man' 's-bluif. The in
tellectual conditions under which pro-
grcssive euchrc attains its happiest con-
summation are of high order also.
Euchrc, like checkers, is an intellectual
game If played in the right way. 1t isa
mistake to suppose that whist or chess
has n monopoly of the intellectual Gle
ment There is as much difference in
the methods of players of ordinary
euchrc as in those of the players of ordi-
nary checkers; and when, to the usual
Al n