Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-08-11
CARD CuRlOS Al HE FAlR.

CARD cURlOs AT THE FAIR.
Som Ancient Packs Connected by His
tory with Many Games.
You reach Anthropology by getting of
the IntramuTal at Forestry. and the
handiest door to enter takes you stralght
TO one of the four complete exhibits, ana
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS one. III Is IN
three large cases. the property OF the
University of Pennsylvania. and its
nature is set forth by great book laid
open III the first case, and purport-
ing to be History Of playing cards. Sc
lected from the collection of Lady Char
lotte Schaff. and published in 1892" The
cases. SAYS the Plttsburg dispatch, contain
copies Of all the notable games known 70
history, and, in fact, the evolution OF the
card from the first known pack. and from
the amusement game 10 the gamblers ana
fOrtune-teller's standby. PalmIstry cards,
chronological charts. and fortune-teller
packs occupy the larger part of the hrst
case. and chIldren's games, such as the
Yacht Race. John Gllpin. District Messen-
ger, Blcycie Race, English Steeplechase,
La Battagia del IS. and Gluco del Ram
way-the two last Italian games snake
quite display in the last case. A regular
dissertation on cards as typical Of the pro-
gress Of civilization. can be made from the
little tabs and slips Of paper which accom-
pany some peculiarly notable display.
CARDS FROM wAYBAcK.
Cards made their way into England
through France. The exact date of their
introduction is not known. bnt they were
believed TO be in use during the reign of
Henry w. 14O5I. Of England. France had
them as early as 1892. and SPAN earlier.
though these early cards were probably
not used for gambling purposes, rs King
Charles v. who prescribed all games or
chance in the following century, does not
mention them. The oldest gambling pack
known dates from the fifteenth century.
The English adopted the names for
the tarot (embem) cards used by
the French such as king. queen, knave, as
well as the suit marks. but monks seem to
have been entirely Of Spanish descent.
The French probably got cards from tho
Italians, aud. judging by the oldest cards
shown, games originally had a religious
Specification. satire. or otherwise. The
old cards were handmade. and copies
of stencils and stiff brushes used by
the artisans. and which are still used
in Florence in the manufacture of cheap
cards, are shown. The Oldest game
shown IA the minchiatt, of Florence
IL was very complicated and comprised
ninety.seven cards containing beside
emblems now used. the ancient. emblems
Of air. fire, water, and earth. and the signs
of tho zodiac. The European and Aslauc
packs-for some Hlndoo, Chinese, and
japanese games are shown--dIifer mate
rally. All the Aslatic PACKS seem TO be
emblcmatic throughout. while every Eu-
ropean PACK Is composed of tarots and
numerals, the tarots being divided as fol-
lows: In Southern Europe cups. money,
swords and clubs are the emblems; In
Central Europe, diamonds, hearts, spades,
and clubs IN Northern Europe, hearts,
bells, leaves, and acorns.
SOME CURIOUS CARD LORE.
The game of tarot is shown In all its
phases IN Germany. France, and Italy. 10
seems to have been one of the earliest
games after minchlatta and TO have been
a sort of Juggling. with the emblems of
creation, Just as the old mysteries or mira
Gle PLAYS, with which, in fact, the game
was contemporaneous. The French and
Italian phases are represented by a
French pack of 1851. in which the num-
hered cards have swords and batons
crossed, straight, and curved on the
numeral cards, while the figure-cards art
les.ly carry their names at the bottom, AZ
Roy, Reyne. Cavalier. and Valet de
Coupe-klug, queen, knight, and knave of
the cup; de denier (of money, despee tOf
the sword, de baston (of clubs. The
pack. as now used in France. has changed
somewhat and corresponds to the old
Florentine mlnCh1attl.
The marks of the suits are the same,
cups. money. clubs aud swords, and each
suit has fourteen cards called atoms.
twenty-One are numbered successfully
from one to tWeuty-Ope. the unnumber
one being called fOu the fOOl designated
mat in playing. the names of the cards
point to q mythical derivation pOpess and
pope, devil, house Of God, the star. sun,
moon. Judgment. earth, wheel OF tor
tune. Emperor. Empress, character, JUS
tice, Temperance. hermit, death-aTegular
astrologer's game-so that 1t Is easy
TO see how the famous witches and
wizards Of the middle ages could weave
your fortune haphazard from the pack.
Tarochino. Bolognese game invented by
Francis Tlbbia, Prince of PisO-Car1lnal5
and Princes seem 10 have bad monopoly
in this lne-belOngs to tue period after
minchiattI and had slXtv-twO cards. OF
which twenty-five were tarots, but the
pack lacked two. three, four, and five OF
each SUIT of numerals.
PACKS WITH A HISTORY.
These old cards are not usually pretty.
but among the plquet and whist displays
is an early French whist pack III which the
figures seem 20 be portraits and show that
the originals are marvels OF water color
art. Among the curIos is the game Of
Geographic" in which each card pos
sesses q tins map of "a country nj the head,
below which is brief synopsis of its eli:
mate. people, etc. India being described
rs "te Plus beau, ie Plus richie Il te p'Us JeiL' g
p1vs DE- Ia trre" A set Of Apache
Arizona playing cards collected by Cap
tam G.. b. Sanford consists of forty
greasy squares of skin painted with en-
blems of the chase aud domestic life by
these primitive but clever artists. Then
there are Indian cards from South Ameri-
can pampas and copies Of the original IN
the National Museum Ma1rid. 4 water
color sheet of reproductions of Mexican
mack of 1853 from the Seville (Spalnj
archives of the Indies seems TO show the
beginning Of the modern picture-card. the
queen. king, and knAye each being
squeezed together and inextricably mixed
up with their Chinese apparel TIL one can
not make out any likeness TO the human
figure IN them.
The Orientais, as usual, have their own
way of making cards. The pretty and POI
etc game OF Hama Karnta flower cards
consists OF a score of tiny Oblongs. ne
whole pack could be hidden IN q lady s
palm. and is loaned bv Mrs. John King
Van Rensselaer,. of New York. The
figures are fruits. flowers, birds. and
fishes. Backgammon, that classic game
hOuored by noveiists and even poets is the
offspring of the idle moments of prince
of the Flowery Kingdom. 1t is very
ancient. its Chinese name being Sheung
lux Ii travelled from CHINA TO Japan,
where 1t got its modern name of Suga-
roku. The twelve COMMITMENTS repre-
sent tho months, and are called me (eyes)
in Japanese, the black and white stones
with which the game Is PLAYED being the
DAYS and nights. The picture sheet re-
presenting the board are works Of art.
A Medical Paradox.
lJudgel
New Secretary Doctor, here's q Mr..
Iopit gaod