Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-06-05
.f.ll-44.

out in the CoviDgton, KY, drawings On Sat
urday morning. This number is very
popular one with the colored people. The
numbers came out in this order 4, IL, %
"a, 40, IL, "A, 55, 60, 65, &c, and rs. The
amount won on 4.11-44 is not known, but it
is understood to be very heavy. 1t is moi
generally known that policy. playing the
country over is regulated by two daily
drawings. One takes place in Covington
KY, and the other in Denver, Col. Each is
legalized by grant from the legislatures ol
the respective States In Covingtop, in q
big storeroom on Scott street, the Kentucky
drawing is publicly held every morning at
II O'Clock. A large wheel stands on plat
form in the rear, and the place is OF access
10 the public generally. The routine is
gone through with every day with the ut.
most regularity. Seventy eight numbers,
| each in small tin tube, are placed in 8
large glass wheel A blindfoded boy draws
out thirteen OF these tubes, one after the
| other, each number being registered as it is
called off. Also, as each figure is read it is
telegraphed to the officers in the various
cities. The numbers, as they come out in
regular rotation, are posted on large
blackboard, exposed to public view.
The Colorado drawing takes place under
similar circumstances in the afternoon. For
tunes have been made by the managers of
the scheme, and SO enormous arc the odds
offered that to the unthinking tie induce
ment to invest is almost irresistible.
Generally three numbers, or what is tech
nically called q fiat gig,n are played. If
the player wins, it pays 1877 for 1, or dime
ipUQltpd N hrinuG q nr S1S IN Than If
the player should by chance name only two
numbers of the three, he saves his money.
This is called saddle" There are O
number of combinations and ways of betting
in some of which even money can be won
and others in which the odds run up into
the thousands. 1t would be possible at the
scheme to win with 500 the value of an en-
tire city if the player named the first FIVE
numbers in the order they we're taken from
the wheel. This is termed Jack" and,
of course, has never been called.
Policy players are the most superstitious
gamblers in the world. They rely on
dreams to great extent, and often On the
most trivial circumstances. The passing of
wagon with q license number will direct
their play for weeks. If they should hap
pen to count the persons they meet in
going given distance they are sure to pin
their faith to that number. In fact, any
event in which they can give a numerical
value will influence and direct their play
against the wheel.
So general and long-timed is the scheme
that every combination of three numbers
has name. For instance, there is the "wet-
day gig"-711.27-which is played on q
rainy day. Some time back those numbers
came out on day when it was raining,
and ever since have been played By the
superstitious.
Another is the ''poor mans gig"-S-1S-2S
which probably gets its name from the
fact that the eight cards on faro lay. out
are universally known among gamblers as
the "poor mans friend" Instances could
be multiplied. but the above serve to suffi-
ciently illustrate. Of all of them, however,
the washerWoman's gig-4-11.44-has al.
ways been considered the most popular and
universally recognized. It's origin is said to
be as follows "Some twenty-five years ago
q poor colored woman down in Mississippi
had dream in which she saw the numbers
Ali a on her washboard. The next day
she collected what money she could, sold all
her possessions, and planked every cent on
the three numbers at policy. They came
out, and she won enough to make herself
and relatives independent for life. The
fact remains that the three numbers are the
luckiest in policy. players estimation, and
in the average colored PERSONS mind, hold q
supremacy only approached by the vaga-
res of voodou uperstition.-Baltimor
american.