The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-18
THE GAME OF WHIST
A Chat With -Cavendish," the
Famous Authority.
ne APPROVES AMERICAN LEADS.
The Cnbloekiag Game ExplaineA-Iho
whist Copgress ~ the
Worlds Fair.

New YORK. June l2--ISpecial Corre.
sponGence. - Nothing has contributed
more % the interest ielt here in the ap-
preaching whist congress at Chicago than
the presence in BROOKLYN and this city Of
Henry Jones. Writing over the signature
OF ''Cavendish." he won his way 70 tho
front as an authority on whist full score
and half years ago, and his books are
now accepted as the leading works upon
the game on both sides Of the Atlantic.
and his writings are quite as we'll known
to whist players in America a. they are in
England.
lie is tritie over 50 years Of age. In
person he is of medium proportions. His
face is strong. He wears full beard. and
the general aspect OF his countenanco
when in reposc inciines - severity. Bus
the shadows disappear when he 10
speaking; has eyes light With . genial
glow. and the lines OF his face break into
kindly smiles. He talks we'll and fiuently.
and is enthusiastic on two subjects whist
and the hearty greeting he has had In
America. Perhaps should put Il in the
other way, and say thar he is enthusiastic
about his welcome and whist. During our
interview l requested 'Cavendish" -
give me short historical sketch Of the
rise and progress Of whist, which he did
rs follows:
whist was first played scien tifically
about LIS by party Of gentlemen, Of
whom Lord Folkestone was one. At tho
Crown coffee house. in Bedford row. Lon-
don. They laid down the following rules:
Lead from the strong suit, study your
partners hand and attend to tho score
The fact that they enunciated these three
important principles of whist is conclu-
sive evidence to the mind of 'Caveudish'
that they had made considerable progress
in the game"
''Some writers on whist" he said when
talking with me. ARE of opinion that the
celebrated Edmond Hoyle as a member
of this body. but this is q mere conjecture.
and comes possibly from the fact that
Hoyie III his short Treatise on the Game
Of Whist published in f7l2. reproduced
the rules Of Lord Folkestone's party and
enlarged on them. His hook won for him
the tile OF the Father OF Whist II was
a marvelously good contribution to the
literature OF the game, and although OF
course ii was written in the infancy OF
whist and Is not now up TO date. stsil IL
contains many rules which discriminating
players follow At the present time. II ran
through numerous editions, and many so
called improved 'Hoyle's' have been pub-
lished since the authors death. the i'm.
provcments consisting mainly III the
addition OF games about which Hoyse him.
self never wrote
Following Hoylc." said Caven dish.
"'Paiae's Maxims we're published in ITO
Though they made but small book, IL
Was an exceedingly good one. 1t echoed
Hoyle's views and contained some addi-
tionai matter, the most remar kable being
the distinction drawn tetween suits Of
three cards and suits of more than three
cards when returning your partners lead.
Paine Was the first writer To point out that
with only two cards of your partners suit
remaining in hand you should return the
higher, but with more than tao cards in
your partners suit You should return the
lowest This holds good save when you
have the winning card: then. of course,
you should return that. Irrespective OF
number. This rule OF play IL now re-
garied as the A Is { Of whist, but IL was
apparently unknown 20 Hoylc. because he
never mentioned il. The next work Of ina-
porfanee on whist was Matthews Advice
10 the Young Whist Player. issued in 1904
While this work still favored the princi-
pies iaid dawn bv the earlier writers IL
was highly original treatise. Some Of