The evening times., 1895-08-29
Fine Collection, Telling Their History,
a the Afln mt a Eair

Fine Collection, Telling Their History,
at the Atlanta Fair.
A fine collection of games will be sent BY
the University of Pennsylvania, depart
ment of archaeology, to the Atlanta Exposi-
ton. 1t consists of specimens Illustrating
the origin and history of chess and playing
cards, collected and arranged by Stewart
Culin, director of the archaeological museum
1t will be shown in the Government building
in connection with the National Museums
exhibit.
Mr.. Cuhn was invited to display his re-
markabe collection by DR.. G. Brown Code,
secretary in charge of the National Museum.
He accepted and sent thirty-four upright
cases and one large table case conta lining
the objects in a carefully arranged series
showing the evolution of the games. They
tell the history of cards and chess, begin
ming with the more primitive forms known
and extending to the present day. Mr.. Culin
discovered clue to the origin of games
among the American Indians.
The pack OF cards is shown to have
originally consisted of a bundle of prac-
teal arrows, marked with the signs of
the world quarters. The shaftanents,
or feathered part of these arrows bear.
ing cosmical marks, were first used in
fortune telling, and from this use the
card games arose. In America the In
diaDs did not get beyond the use Of
carved and painted staves- The Amen-
can case shows the practical arrows OF
the McCloud River Indians of California,
marked with colored ribbons, by which they
were distinguished. Side by side with them
are the gambling sticks of the Haidas OF
vaDcouver's Island, similarly marked with
rings of color, and used like cards in their
gambling even at the present day. In the
adjoining case, devoted to Eastern Asia.
the practice arrows of Korea are shown,
and with them the derived playing cards,
here made of oiled paper, yet bearing.
both on their backs and faces, devices copied
from the cut feathers of the arrow.
With them are Chinese cards with the
same emblems surviving as markers or in
dexes at the end These cards are double
headers, as indeed were the gambling
sticks, carrying back the idea of the COM
mon playing cards with double heads and
index marks TO the most remote antiquity.
The Japanese cards in the same case bear
embiems derived in part from the same
sOuICt, Willie tuc OdioSs
called Gungifa, of which beautiful pack
is shown, are painted in colors to correspond
with the world quarters. A single pack of
the national cards of each of the principal
countries In the world follow, comprising
IN Europe, Germany, France, Spain, Italy.
Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, England
and Russia.
The card series closes with the cards
of the late rebellion and the cards made
for special occasions, down to the pack
with pictures of the Chicago Exposition.
Dr. Goode has added from the historical
relics in the National Museum the cards
with pictures of the Confederate flag,
made in England for sale in the South
during the war.
The chess series begins, like that OF
cards, with the divinatory games OF
primitive people, in which the game orig
mated America is here again conspic-
uous, and with the objectc representing
the first steps in the evolution Of the
game are shown other common things, such
as visiting cards and the folding fan.
which Mr. Cuiin traces with chess to the
marked arrow of the primitive culture. The
historical chess series comprises boards
and men from India, Burmah, the Malay
Peninsula, the Maldive Islands, Korea,
China and japan.