The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-24

1t was not long, however, before cards be-
came popular in all parts OF America In
some localities it was quite the fashion to
send out invitations on the backs Of PLAYING
cards. An American family sill preserves
playing cards containing king of clubs on
the back of which, under the date OF 1903,
an invitation is extended by Sir Jeffrey Am
herst to one of the fair damsels Of his day.
A nine OF hearts on which Napoleon had
written some English sentences during his
captivity is also preserved The visiting
card probably had its origin in the custom
of writing on the backs Of playing cards
While it Is easy to ascertain howIplaying
cards first appeared in civilized America,
their use among the Indian tribes cannot
clearly be traced. Many Of the tribes of
Southeastern Alaska and Queen Charlotte's
islands employ gambling sticks Some Of
, these sticks are beautifully carved with
figures OF men, animals and birds, and
smirched with black or red paint. They
certainly did not come from tho Spaniards
or the early immigrants who settled on the
eastern coast of America, but they do bear
slight resemblance 10 the cards of Asia,
and the connection between the early In
dian tribes and that country is thus claimed
by some enthusiastic ethnologists. The
cards used by the Apache Indians plainly
show their Spanish origin. The Apaches
make their cards Of deerskin and paint them
red ana blue.
In reviewing the cards Of different coun-
tries Japan should be mentioned as having
the daintiest and most original designs
The symbols that the Japanese have adopted
are unique and bear no resem Ol9nce to those
OF other nations. japanese cards are much
smaller than those used in other lands, and
on the back black paper is pasted and neatly
folded over the face so as to form a narrow
frame for the picture The pack contains
fOrtV- nina cards d1uiHaH n tUa 20 ito
OF four each, with an extra card with a
plain white face which is used as a ''joker"
The twelve months Of the year are repre-
sented by flowers or other appropriate en-
blems.
The Persians also used tiny playing cards,
consisting of layers Of pasteboard closely
pressed together, and SO copiouslY covered
with paint and varnish as to resemble wood.
One OF the court cards is a female figure
seated on chair, holding child in her lap.
The king Is accompanied by the queen. An
other card shows hunter dFa wing his knife
across the throat of some animal. A cavalier
mounted on horse, on the back Of which
Is perched a tiger, forms a unique figure.
All the cards are beautifully embellished in
gold and colors
OF the claims of all countries to the origin
OF the playing card those of India are un-
doubleday the most valid. II cards owe
their origin to chess, as seems to be pretty
we'll substantiated, then India gave birth to
cards. One of the most reliable authorities
who maintains that cards came to England
from India is Abel de Remusat, who gave
his views on the subject In Journal Asiati-
que in 1922. He says that, like chess, cards
were known to the Arabians and Saracens
in the beginning of the twelfth century.
The old custom Of having the backs OF cards
checkered is pointed to as an evidence that
1t was a symbol Of the chess board on which
the game was formerly played.