The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-01-11
MIN HB0UF FLOWN.

that you never did, unless you are a
new hand at card playing. Clobby
house is comparatively new game.
1t is governed by no arbitrary set or
rules. The players make the rules TO
suit themselves. Two or more sit
down at a table, and man VINO mas
never heard of the game is selected 10
, keep the score. ,..-.-
He protests that he has never
heard of the game. The players kick
one another under the table, and in
sist that it is very simple matter TO
keep score. All the scorer is required
to do is to put down the figures as
they are called out. At length he
consents.
The play begins. One man throws
down the tray OF diamonds and 1t is
taken with a six. The man with the
six calls out ten. So the play goes on.
Gradually the figures increase in size.
One makes ten thousand, another a
million, third ten million. The
man with the chalk is rapidly cover
ing the table with figures.
viii the game never end?
1t never ends until the scorer
catches the drift of alfairs-he then
orders the cigars.
But, says an uncomprehending one,
where does the point of the game
come in?
The game hasn't the shadow of a
point. The alleged players simply
keep the scorer figuring until he, by
sheer natural wit, begins to discover
that the affair is a huge joke gotten
up for his benefit.
1t usually costs a dollar or two to
discover the true inwardness Of
clobby house, but | give you the Sc
,cret in this mornings FREE TRADER
for two cents.
Where did the expression, "a schoOn-
er," as applied to large glass of beer,
originate?
Down on the Bowery, New York,
where McGinty was discovered. L was
told the story by an old eX-Sailor. A
half dozen sailors were drinking, when
the bartender produced huge glasses.
The bar was wet. The glasses fairly
tlOated across to the hands OF the Jolly
tarS.
AHA" said one, there comes a
schooner floating across the bar"
Such was the christening of the
schooner" But it is growing UNI
fashionable. The natty Bohemian
glasses, holding teacupful of beer,
are the 60 at the swell resorts. The
schooner" has been banished to the
less pretentiOus saloons, where the
"growler" still holds its old-time popu-
larity.
What is ''grOwler?'
1t is bucket: a tin bucket. Yet it
may be a pitcher or a tin dish.
McGinty has been in Ottawa for
several days.
Who is McGinty?
Why does every smart Aleck you
meet insist upon telling you that ''he
is down at the Court House looking
for YOU" or give you some other APP
parently innocent information, and
when you naturally ask "WhO?" why
does he shout in tiendiSh glee,
"McGinty?"
McGinty was a sport. His full
name was supposed to be Dan Nc
Ginty. A song-wrter met him one
night, while stolling upon the BoWery,
New York, and, in jocular way,
asked him who he was?
"McGinty," said the sport.
"Where did you come from?"
UllC DoUJDIll vi UlC Spd'
They had a laugh and drink. The
song-writer went home and composed
a ballad entitled, "Down Went Nc
Ginty." He says he wrote it in tif-
teen minutes. Perhaps he did. He
represented McGinty as an unfortu-
nate MISUNDERSTANDING so.
The ballad opens with description
of McGinty, who is represented as a
sort of Bowery dude. He has partner
named Kelly. Kelly and he go out
on a toot. They encounter a four
story building in process Of cOnStruc-
ton. Kelly bets McGinty that he
can carry him to the top of the build
ing, using ladder. MCGnty takes
the bet.
McGinty mounts Kelly'S back. and
Kelly proceeds to climb. When near
the top, McGinty sees that he will
lose the bet. and. releasing his hold,
drops to the ground. Then comes the
chorus:
Down went McGinty to the bottom of
the wall,
OF course he won his five,
But he was more dead than alive,
With arms and legs and nose broke in
the fall,
Dressed in his best suit of clothes"
X
The second verse describes MCGinty
as having been discharged from the
hospital. where his injuries had been
attended to. and finding that his wife
had bestowed an heir upon him. He
is wild with delight and walks down
the street upon his heels, with his
head in the air. Unlucky McGinty.
4 yawning coal hole receives him.
Then the chorus describes how he
went down"
The last verse finds him released
from Jail. where he had been placed
for an alleged attempt to rob the coal
cellar into which he had fallen. He
discovers that, while he was inCarcer-
ated, his wife has flown with another
man. taking his heir with her. He is
not swimmer, so he drops into the
ocean. Then comes the chorus
Down went McGinty to the bottom
of the sea,
He must be very wet,
For HOY b1Nnn't ppf IN; m vet