The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-19
Blk TEEN YEARS OF EUOHRE.
Nearly 10000 Games, and One Side
Only 154 Ahead.
From the Chicago Nst0s Record

From the Chicago NstOs Record.
Twenty thousand games of euchre This is
the record of the play of four Chicago gen.
tiemen who have met every Saturday even
ing for sixteen years and engaged in that
game which generally marks the initiation
of every novice into the never-ending mys-
teries of cards. Daniel Westervelt and G.
l.. Root have played against Thomas
Benton James and James Taylor. They
have been urged many times to play whist,
or casino, or pinochle, or seven up, bnt
never for one moment have they swerved
from their devotion to euchre.
To be absolutely correct these four euchrs
players, these two pairs OF faithful ad-
herents to the powers of bowers, reached
their 10, 650th game Of euchre last Satur-
day evening and upon the occasion of the
20, 000th game, which will arrive in the
course of a few months, each Of the players
intends arriving as the scene of play smok-
ing so cent cigar. Except on holidays
and anniversaries, it is said, they are su-
premely Indifferent as TO the quality of the
tobacco they smoke.
Thomas Benton James is q pensioner of
the wholesale house of Marshall Fiald &
Co. He was q general salesman for that
firm and its. predecessors for twenty.slx
years, and about two years ago was placed
upon the retired list with continued pay for
| services rendered. He is a sprightly gentle
man of mature years, which he places at So
! but which his friends usually speak of as
| being somewhere under 100. MIR. James
partner is James Taylor, q congeuisl
companion with a life record of 10 years.
1t is said that James Taylor can indicate by
a graduated system OF pressure upon the
foot of Thomas Benton James whether he
is holding right, left, and ace, 10-spot and
queen, or no trumps at all. Daniel Wester-
Velt is 70 years old. He was a salesman for
Field, Letter d Co., afterward for A. T.
| Stewart q Co.. and finally for Storm G.
Hill, retiring when the latter firm retired.
| G. l., Root is the "boy" Of the quartet He
| is only 63, and is considered rather wild and
| frisky by his companions. Mr.. Root drove
stage between Blue Island and Chicago dur
ing the period between 1880 and l840 and
took no stock whatever in the future of the
city.
Every Saturday night, as regularly as the
week rolls around, these four cronies meet
and play euchre. They shift about, like
sittings Of the supreme court, from one
house to another, but they always sit IN the
same chairs and in the same relative posi-
tions. Almost eight years ago MIR. James
brought to meeting copy of "Cavendish
on Whist for which he came near being
| expelled from the society.
The four players have become 80 attached
! to the simple game of euchre that it is now
! q part of their very natures, and in the six
teen years of tfeir weekly contests only an
occasional case of sickness. to the number of
three or four times in all, have Cancelled
the engagement OF either player. A COM
plete record of the games is kept to show
| which side leads from year to year. At
present Mr. James and his partner are l54
| games ahead of their opponents. At the
| l0,0O0th game they were 1872 games in the
lead, but have been losing for the last two
! years. For psriod Of five years there was
| no material gain on either side.
| All four of these lifetime euchreists are
! gentlemen rather simple in their customs,
disinclined 60 adopt the intricscies OF whist
| or the novelty of cinch, and are IN willing
| 10 conoede that some Saturday night three
of their number will meet &C the appointed
| place, light their cigars, get the cards in
readiness, aud wait for one who will never
deal the cards again.