Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-06-15
BOYS GAMBLING FOR PENNIES.
The Fascination of Such Games as
'Liner," "Crack" and Scrap"

"Linor." Crack and Scrap"
The lu~xuriance and magniicence Of
tho gambling establishments of Monte
Carlo, Baden and AK have given the
idea that they are the o costly gam
bling houses in the world. This may in
one sense be true, but there Is q building
in this city which cost more than any OF
the gaming establishments of continental
Europe and which is daily used by gam
blers. Players are daily cheated there
by chance out of their last penny literally
and are forced to leave the place without
enough money TO buy a meal.
Where is this great building and who
are the gamblersi you ask. II is the
Federal building, the United States post
office in this city, and the gamblers are
the newsboys all around it, Who has
not seen them?
From early in the morning until il is
too dark to distinguish heads from tails,
between the buttresses Of the postOiice,
along Mail street and all over the side
walk, can be seen knots of these little
street gamblers auxiously trying their
fortune. They have become one of the
Institutions of the city. It is just as
natural that a newsboy should pitch pen
mics as that he should sell papers, and no
one thinks of disturbing him. He has
taken possession of the federal building
presumably with the knowledge of the
officials, and he considers it a trespass on
his rights when a pedestrian pushes his
way through and interrupts his game.
He puts his entire capital into the ven
ture, and many an enthusiastic little
gambler, who never dreamed Of systems
and who never broke a bank, has been
compelled to sleep at night in some IN
comfortable doorway because he lost his
little all at pitching pennies.
To be able TO tell those who are inter-
ested and who do not know all about this
game a reporter hunted up a little chap
the other day who had ''gone broke on
der pavement" and who was anxious to
sell all his knowledge of the game for a
small consideration. There are, accord
ing 10 this boys story, two ways of pitch
ing pennies. The first game is called
Elmer, ~ and it may be played by from
two to eight boys. In this game n line is
chosen and the players stand a certain
distance off and pitch their coppers rs
near as possible to the line, but not over
it. II five are playing they all pitch.
Suppose three Of them put their coppers
across the line and two this side. The
pennies beyond the line are lost and must
be divided between the other two. The
one whose penny lies nearest the line
takes all Of the pennies, shakes them in
his hand and drops them to the pave
ment. The heads belong to him and the
tails to his opponent.
Another and more difficult game is
played and is called crack" 1t is played
Just the same as the elmer game, ex-
cept hat the penny must first be thrown
against the wall and made to rebound to
that part of the pavement where the
chosen crack is situated. This requires
more skill than the other game, and onl,
those who are expert ever attempt it.
Another favorite game of these little
chaps is called ''crap," 1t is played with
a single die and is shaken in the hand,
and the opposite player calls "odd" or
seven" for the number of spots on the
face Of the die.
As superstition is to be found among
all classes of gamblers, it is also TO be
found among the penny pitching news
boys, and it takes some queer shapes.
Not a lad of them who sells papers will
pitch a penny until he has made at least
n sale, and the little fellow with the
box is just as determined and will not
try his fortune until he has had one
''shine." Again, nearly all Of the boys
have their f~avorite pennies, in which
they believe, and they cherish il just rs
foudly as the late John 7. Raymond did
his prolenti0us 1904 dollar, and these
pennies are ort-n the one thing about the
boys that are kept scrupulously clean.
Another, and probably the most peculiar
superstition. is that they believe a woman
brings them bad luck. IL, in playing on
the street, a wnma1 passes before a boy
who is about 10 pitch, and between him
and the crack at which he throws, he
can. If he Fixes, refuse to throw, and the
game is given up and another crack
chosen. Why a woman and not a man
should be chosen as the omen of i'll luck
does not appear, but "Dcy allus bring dc
rocky wild en-. New York World.