Telegram-herald., 1889-08-01
PLAYING CARDS.
som-th,nE About Their Antiquity, Tbefs
Orlein aud Ancient Ises.

someth,nE About Their Antiquity, Tbefs
Origin aud Ancient Uses.
1t has been claimed by some historians
that playing cards were Invented by tie
French in tho fourteenth century or later,
and that they were designed as gaming
cards In the nrst place.
Nothing co.ld be farther from tie truth
man this account of their origin and pur-
poses The facts are. that the WEI known
deck q modern playing cards was invented
ages and ages ago by the Egyptians, or o.ss
by some previously existing nation, perhaps
the people Of lost Atlantis.
At any rate. they were IN Use by the
Egyptian priests. "a abundant evidence
shows. and further, ihcY were regarded as
& sacred emblem, or rather aa eub ubicr1s q
time and Astronomical ccm 0iuatious of TIE
solar system
The religion of the Egyptians WAS pure.
Astronomical one, and The sacred cards wcrs
constructed with perfect mathematical ref
erence 20 the sacred Astronomical mysfe-
ries aud calculations in occsltsm O. tie
msri
The Ifty-twO cards corrcepoD1cd 70 The
weeks in q year. The twelve court cards
ruled the twelve houses of the Xoo &C, and
CORES pended 10 tie months 10 . year
Tho four salts represented the four sea
sons, thus: Hearts. tho spring: Ciuos, sum-
mer; Diamonds, fall. and Spades. winter.
Tie suits also stood Tor many o.hcr matters
connected wlth occult symbolism.
Every aspect Of The p.anots had 'ts en-
blenat.c caro-. Every day rs ruling card
The black cares represented darkness, ths
red ones oav ght
- was predicted blythe Nari cf Ervrt
that TO matter what changes should cone
20 peoples and dvnastics throughout "a
coming tiuc. these sacred enb-cuIs shcril
never be added % CT taken from. bit should
90 On forever Bat they also rrreictc8
that they would be trampied under foot -
corning nations ano become ty-svord snd
a ar-prosch in high places.
Itis most s.nglll ar fact and ono shat the
su1crstiiors mirhtTefard with wonder and
awe that tie T. bcr q ti-4s sinF14sr con-
bination has never been changed rotwith-
standing that hundreds q inventors sDd
manufacturers both IN this country and iD
Europe have rrFsate6ly tired 70 iutro5uce
p5cls q cards wilL more or Jess number q
caros p The dcck
They have tried a. -. -. and 81 ss wei
80 other plrtof. Even TIE attempt n
sdd one card called joker has rot met
with mvch success. and tee people VIII nat
where only paft q the deck is Dsc5
But ihis joker 90 called has = reason,
after al. 1or RS part a. e1istercs TIE
Egyptians rrckoneo bet "a DAYS y TIE
yeEr ia early times. REGARDING the God oav
e. waste tine" They figured that tbe
cards 10 PACK, 81. multiplied hy the
planets, made tie days in year.
They knew nothing aboVt Venus and
Neptune. bLt regarded toe sDr and uoor 20
pauefs which m ede ID tbs seren Tie
last 6sT n the yesr has NJ ''ruIir g card. -
unless the .cErr be used. as each ca-d
ruled bgt seven tr1es in each year acoorJ-
irc 20 fhe Ma Jlls seren va teI0 as n
very sacred y n 1er, being ore quarter n
IT, l1nar c.-cr and was ca 20 ihs per-
frrf tire H j. tae always occupied . prom
irert r.sce Fl rr r.ous sru' bc ism. az vel
as fbe ro - wr.cn las v-sTs beer uro-ri
nerf a. rrrresentrF t~e.v. Governors.
- 7es. prlesfs. councillors. die-isiss str
= taese had t0sr oriF.B evidently 81
sstrorrmr
It s claimed - Tastern nceulHsts saf
stu1r1fs r. ancient lore thaf errn ~ ais
cay tee reuorT ard know 70 ~ the uvs-
tic properties 70 rtrfs has beer preserved
t1d rarce1 fr~r frru one A. arcttsr fr3
sfrt scored fras ~ gaf srss. torc bsr
vts tts sacrsa aud Ioet ~or1 O. snc.ert
r~st sm wl has Dser sn O. - =
sea~r. through ages
We ~c tls rcr5 - iostr VT - e~ey
bs reslcreci a0t brwoK