The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-01-31
NEW GAME PLAYED WITH LETTERS.
simple Enough for Children aud Dlnicult
Enough for Graybeards.

A new game. which affords good
deal OF amusement 10 many people.
and also imparts considerable instruc-
ton TO the young in the formation Of
words. is played In the following man
ner. with the letters OF the alphabet:
Half a dozen sets of all the letters of
the alphabet are provided, each letter
on small piece Of pasteboard or wood.
One player then gathers all the letters
before him on the table aud the other
players sit around the table as at
cards. The player who has all the let
tiers then turns them face downward
aud proceeds 10 deal them out. one by
one. TO the others. beginning with the
player sitting ut his right hand aud
continuing around the table in order
As he deals letter ont he turns its
face mp so that all may see il is an m
for instance. The next player gets an
80. suppose. and he quickly sees that
his letter. joined to the N" received
by the first plavee. will form the word
mo-" He announces the fact and
claims the IN" This Is surrendered
TO him and he forms the word mo" on
the table In front Of him. aud must
leave il there undisturbed until some
other player gets a letter which, added
10 the word mo- will form some
other word.
Suppose. for instance. that the third
letter dealt out Is ''w." Then the
owner OF the Wv" may claim the word
mo and adding his Wv" to il make
IL now The fourth letter turned
up may be ~" and the owner of
ht.n. 81. ~. - 10 H..
thinks he will hold on TO his word for
a little while anyway, for the NOW"
aud the ~" don't seem TO make any
thing. Perhaps seven letters follow.
out of which no combination can be
made which will spell correct word,
until some one gets an Is" This let
ter. In connection with now" will
spell SNOW" but IL the lucky owner
of the IS" is sharp enough he will also
claim the ~" from his other rival. and
spell snowy"
The examples given here are sample
words. as they show more clearly TO
young minds how the game may be
played easily, but when number OF
letters have been dealt out the most
skillful spoilers may find scope for
their abilities. aud many are the com
binations which will escape the notice
of all who are gathered around the
table. for a time. until some one dis
covers them. as il by accident. and
then the wonder will be that they were
not seer before.
One player may not claim from an
other any letter or letters which have
been worked up into word without
taking that whole word and using IL
all. though its letters may be entirely
transposed. to make different word.
The range of words may wander over
half dozen languages. IL the PLAYERS
SO agree, and then the game becomes
difficult enough for Boston blue
stocking or n college professor.
The winner OF the game is the player
who has the most complete words
spread oct ON the table in front Of him
when the dealer has turned up the las.
letter he has in his pile. Long words
count no more than short words. and
ii two players "te" they set To work
breaking up their long words into
short ones. and this disposes OF the Tie
nine times out OF ten. For large
number of players large number OF
letters Is. of course. required, but two
people will often play the game for
half an hour before exhausting half
dozen complete alphabeis. - " d.
Tribune.