Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-06-12
GAMBLING ON THE PUGET SOUND.

| ino yearly Ioufnam6nE. Dr sing
gamble, enjoyed by the Puget Sound
Indians of the Puyallup and Blacl,
River reservations, is for the trophies
of the year. and such wearing apparel,
vehicles and horses as can be spared
This year the annual jack pot comprised
dozen fine. new Winchester rifles. 10
horses, 12 buggies. 400 blankets, SO
shawls, and, aside from other COLA.
teral, 500 in hard cash.
The "sing gamble" of the Puget
Sound Indians has become feature
of the year in the extreme Northwest
and is often witnessed by hundreds of
people 1t is generally held in the
barn of Jake Taiugh, who is considered
wealthy as the goods of the red men
go, and lives near Tacoma. Jake is
not only well-to do and highly re-
spected among his fellows. but has
developed into sport of the finest
water.
AT the beginning of the gamble
about seventy five aged Indians and
squaws gather at Jake's barn, the
ground or floor of which is cleared for
the game. On this ground are then
laid several huge straw and weed mats
three to SIX feet. Between the mats is
three feet space. Around this space
are gathered those who 'get their
money in the pot. -
On either of the two reservations is
corps of drummers. AS the drums
beat the wall of the Indians. "hi-ah-
hi-ah- hi ah" begins. while the squaws
moan dreary refrain. Seven players
are permitted on each side. One mat
is for the Puyallups. the other for the
Black Rivers. The dealer for each side
sits lingering ten wooden chips. Nine
of these are of the same color, but the
tenth is of different color. The chips
are transferred from one hand to an
other and then hidden under pile of
shaviDgs. Then he divides the chips
into two piles of five each and conceals
each pile under the shavings. He
then waves his hand forward and back
ward like three-card monte dealer.
The drum keeps up its tattoo and the
Indians at the mats, as well as specta-
with the drums
One Indian then guesses in which pile
the oddly colored chip is. If the
guess be right the side for which tle
Indian guesses scores point, which is
Tailed. If wrong the dealers side
scores and the other side takes the deal.
The drums belonging to the side that
wins play while that transient delight
lasts. but so soon as fortune changes
the drums Of the other side begin.
The guesser does not release his place
until he has lost three times, and the
dealer continues with the chips until
three winning guesses are sc ored
against him. The score is 60 points.
kept with go sticks, each about five
inches long and three-quarters of an
inch in diameter.
These are laid upon board five feet
long. AS one side wins point the
stick is moved to one end of the board.
When it loses the stick goes back to
the other end. When all the 60 have
moved to one end the game is over and
one tribe is "broke.' The session
lasts for month at time. 1t was
a sorry sight to see many of the Puy-
allups padding home in their canoes
through the cold weather and with the
scantiest clothing. both men and
women. For wonder gambling in
the Puget Sound country is in it's de-
cadence generally. The younger In
dians are not falling much to the folly,
and in 1895 may see the last sing
gamble" ever celebrated by these
tribes Cincinnati Enquirer.