Morning journal and courier., 1893-07-17
SIXTEEN YEARS OF KUoauK.
Nearly 20, ,ooo Games and one side on
 lyI5I Ahead. .a. ~a,E., ,z, NJ

From Inc Chicago New Record, Twenty thousand games of euchrei Tbis
 is the record of the play of four Chicago gentlemen who have met every Saturday evening for sixteen years and engaged in that game which generally mark the initi- alton of every novice into the neyer-enGing mysteries of cArds Daniel westerrelt and c. L. Root have played sgainst Thomas Benton James and James Taylor. They have been urged many times 10 play whist, or casino, or pinoohle, or seven, but never for one moment have they swerved from their devotion 10 suohEe-
 To be absolutely correct. these four euchre players, these two pairs of faithful adherents to the powers of bowers, reached their ls, e59th game of euChre last Saturday evening, and upon the occAsi0n of the %, 000.h game, which will arrive in ;he course of few months, each of the players in- tends arriving at the scene of the play smoking fifty-oent cigar. Except on holi- days or anniversaries, it is said, they are supremely indifferent AE 10 the quality ot the tobacco they burn.
 Thomas Benton James is 6 peus!onsr of h1C A0AEt AA AAAEAA4A AAtAA G Co. He was a general sAlesmAn for that
 firm and Its predecessors for twenty siI years, and about two yesIs ago was placed upon the retired list with continual pay for services rendered. He is a sprightly gem tlemAn of mature years, which he places At 6e, but which his friends speak of es being somewhere under 100. Mr. Janes' partner is James Taylor, 6 congenlsl companion
 with a life record of 70 years. It is said
 .k.. T. E.-.1E |
 ated system of pressure upon the foot of Thomas Benton James whether he is holding right, left and ace, ten spot and queen, or no trumps st all. Daniel Wes- tervelt Is 78 years old. He was & salesman for Field, Letter & O., sfterwATd for A IT. Stewart & O., and finally for Storm X Hill, retiring when the latter retired. c. l.. Root is the "boy" of the quartet. He is only 53 and is considered rather wild and frlsky by his com pAnions. MT. Root drove
 stage between Blue island and Chicago dur
 ing the period between 1880 and iS40, and
 took no stock whstsyer In the future of the
 city.
 Every Saturday night, ,As regularly as the
 week rolls around, these four crnnies meet
 and play euchre. They shift about, like
 sittings of the Supreme court, from one house to another, but they always sit in the game chairs and in the Game relative positions. Almost eight years SEQ MT.
 James brought to a meeting 8 copy of ''CA- | vendish on Whist" for which he came
 near being expelled from the society. The four players have become co At-
 tached to the simple game of euohre that
 1t is now part of their very natures, and In the sixteen years of their weekly con- | tests only an occasional case of sickness, to | the number of three or four times in all, has cancelled the engagement of either player. A complete record of the games Is kept to chow which side leads from year to year. At present MT. James and his partner are l54 games ahead of their oppo-
 nents At the 1O,000th game they were | I92 games in the lead, but have been losing | for the last two years. For period of | five years there was no material gain for | either side.
 All four of these lifetime euchre!sts are gentlemen rather simple h their customs. | disinclined to adopt the intricsoies of whist
 or the novelty to cinoh, and are unwilling | to concede that some Saturday night three of their number will meet at the appointed | place, light their cigars, get the cards In readiness and wait for one who will never | deal the cards again.