The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-03-13
-A--- NERPY INDIAN G G1MESTERS.
The Puyallups Played the Black Rivers to
 Finish at the Sing Game.

l hHlnibn ab tne SlnB NhIne. | IFrom the San Francisco Examther.l Tacoma, Feb. 3.--Captain Jack had
 to walk from the Puyallup reservation
 way over to the Black river reservation.
 He had nothing with him except his
 clothes and his temper, both of which
 were very much worn, from the results
 of the most protracted sing gamble"
 that has been held for a generation.
 The "sing gamble" is the great con-
 test between two tribes of the Puget sound Indians for the trophies of the year, and for such blankets, wearing apparel, vehicles. and horses as can be
 spared to be used for stakes, and some-
 times more than should be spared. This
 year the pot at the beginning of the
 gamble consisted of twelve Winchester
 rifles of the latest pattern, eleven sound
 horses, seven buggies, one hundred
 blankets, forty-three shawls. an un-
 counted pile of mats. clothing for men and women, some badly worn and some
 in good condition, but mostly worn, and S49 in money
 This year the sing gamble" was held in the barn of Jake Tai-ugh, commonly known as Charley Jacobs, whose place is four miles from Tacoma. Jake is one of the most prosperous and respected of the Puyallup Indians. He owns 120 acres of grass land back from the mud flats at the head of Commencement bay, and forty acres of valley land un- der cultivation. He has comfortable house, and, more than that, a big barn. just the place for the convention of the gamesters of the rival tribes.
 At the beginning of the sing gamble" sixty-seven old men and women. many of them wrinkled many of them gray headed, gathered at Jake's big barn, which had been cleared of all hay, grain and other stores. On the ground which serves as a floor were laid two mats woven from straw and weeds and flags. Each of these mats was three feet wide and six feet long. Between the mats was the space of about three feet. Around these squatted the serious gamblers of the ancient races, many of them wearing brilliant colored blankets, others arrayed in combination costumes picked up at the reservation or in the town.
 As a necessary preparation to the game, the drummers, one for each tribe, took position in front of their drums, made of horse hide drawn over a stout frame two feet square and six inches deep. Beating heavily on these drums with sticks the sound Is similar to that from bass drum, save that it Is more sonorous, and is readily heard dis f.,VA 1F Io1c Aet4 4b,I T I,., trs the Indians begin their chants or walls, the men shouting "Hi-ah, hi-ah, hi-ah," and the women moaning an ac- compartment between the shouts of their braves sounding something like this: "Mm-uh, mm-uh, mm-uh"
 The players gather around the mats, seven being permitted on each side. One mat is for the Puyalups, the other for the Black Rivers. The dealer for each side sits at the head of his mat, lingering deftly ten wooden chips about two inches in diameter and quarter of an inch thick. Nine of these are of the same color, but the tenth Is different in color, though similar in shape and di- mansions. The shuffier handles the chips rapidly, like an experienced faro dealer playing to big board. He trans fers them from one hand to another, hides them under a pile of shavings made from the cedar bark growing close to the sap, resembling much the product called excelsior. He divides the chips into two piles of five each, and each pile under the shavings. he waves his hand for ward and backward, crosswise, and | over and over, making passes like the | of a three-card monte | dealer. The drum keeps up it's con- stant beat, the Indians at the mats and | those looking on with interest clap their | hands and stamp and chant in time to | the drum
 Now is the time for the Indian assign | ed to guess to point to one of the two | piles. The game Is entirely one of | chance, there being no possible means | for the closest observer to detect in | which pile the dealer places the odd-col- | pred chip. It is the custom of the game, | however for the guessman to ponder For some time before deciding which | pile to select. This adds interest and excitement to the speculation. Finally | ne decides, and with his finger points 70 one of the piles. The dealer rolls the chips across the mat to the further end. If the guess is right the side for which he guesser is acting scores one point. f the guess Is wrong the side to which he dealer belong scores point, and the ,ther side takes the innings; that is to iay, the deal.
 When the Puyallups have the deal he Puyallup orchestra performs upon he Puyallup drum. When the Black