The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-13
In LOCAL WHIST CIRCLES,
A Chat With the Lovers of the
Silent Game.
San francisco Experts Go to Indian
apolis.
r. n. Tormey gu Whtst-CaliforniA May
Have tho NextWhist Congross
whist Hands Anniyzed,


P. J. Tormey and Mrs. Krebs. the Sac.
ramento experts. on their way to the
semi-ennual meeting of the American
Whist league at Indianapolis.
Mr.. Tormey is the bsst known of the
California whist masters; he is direc-
tor of the American WHIST league and
father of the Pacific Whist association.
As an instructor in this noble game he
has no superior.
A reception was rendered to MIR. Tor
msy and Mira Krobs by Mr.. and Mrs.
Foord at the Hotel Melross on Thursday
evening. The invited guests wsre: Mr..
and Mrs. DsOsmp, Mrs. Krebs, Miss
Mccullough, Mr.. Tormey and Mr.
Miller.
Whist was of courest he order of the
evening, and some interesting rubbers
were played. To conclude the evenings
amusemente rubber OF 20 boards OF
team whist was contested BY Messrs.
Tormey and Miller, Miss DsCAmp and
Miss Mccullough against Messrs. De
Camp and Foord and Mrs. Krebs and
Miller. The rubber was very inter-
throughout, but was finally won by tho
first-nemed plave rs by q single point.
The proposition of forming local
whist club here under the auspices of
the Pacific Whist association received
the warmest approval 4from these pres
ect. aud it was determined to hold an
organization meeting on Mr.. Tormey's
return from the east.
WHAT LOS ANG ELEs LACKS.
Mr.. Tormey on Thursday afternoon
said:
II am in Los Angeles on . business
aud pleasure trip while on my way to
New Orleans; there l expect to meet
Mr. Trist. OF the American lead fame,
and in company with him and other
southern whist players, proceed to the
eemi-annual meet of the American
league at indianapolis.
But l cannot tell you anything about
whist until have expressed my delight
in the perfect climate and wonderful
beauty of Southern California at this
season of the year when the rest OF the
world Ia so somber and diasgreeable. In
my business relations l have Travelled
the United States pretty thoroughly and
at all seasons, but have yet spot to
growth of the city Is wonderful. I was
here when it wae only village Of ado
bes. l was here daring that chaotic
period that has gone down In history %
the great boom, and l. AN. now here
when that spasmodic action has resolved
itself into permanent growth beyond
the realization OF the widest dreams of
those feverish times, and l expect to be
here when the gates OF commerce and
trade shall have opened the way to the
most hourishing aud most favored spot
west OF the great divide"
Mr.. Tormey was growing still more
eeoqusnt over the trsnscendent beau
ties of this fair southland when he WAS
reminded that the purport of the con-
versation was about whist.
"Ah. eyes," he continued, whist
seems to be the one theme on which
Los Angeles is not keeping abreast OF
the trend of modern scientific enlight-
msnt aud thia is chiefly owing to
the fact that the whist players do not
give the time study necessary to attain
proficiency at this monarch OF scien-
tifc games. 1t is as impossible to play
whist properly without positive
knowledge of the necessary leads as ii is
to spell without q knowledge OF the
alphabet or to learn astronomy without
looking through telescope.
There is certain class OF players
in this city, you will find them, in large
majority, who will not believe that 1t is
necessary to acquire any special knowl-
edge of the game in order to play whist
intelligently; they know that king
will take a queen or an ace q jack, and
that they imagine it is playing whist.
AN EeoTIsT's LESSON.
ITO understand the egotistical igno-
rance OF this class, have only to refer
to my own early experience with the
game; l had played game from Ban
gor to st. Augustine and from Newport
to Los Angeles that 1 imagined was
what and furthermore, in my own esti-
nation there was only one whist player
in America who was thoroughly CONVEX
can't with the style of play necessary
| for success at this most fascinating
game, and that person was P. J. Tormey.
had heard OF Cavendish and Pole, but
had never consulted either authority in
regard to proper whist play. This mon
umental ignorance continued until ons
evening in the fremont hotel, Boston.
There was invited to play rubber with
a brother OF the author, Edward Bella
my. During the progress Of the game
| noticed that, although nothing what.
ever WAS said, my style OF play did not
suit the other participants in the game.
Finally, after playing o hand that re.
suited very disastrously to myself and
partner, / asked, as the cards were
being ehuffled for new deal. what card
I should have led from q certain suit.
Mr.. Bsllamy promptly replied:
THE king"
1t atyuck me at once as peculiar that
he should know so well the proper play
and | be so ignorant OF it. A few judic-
ious questions during the completion o.
ths game set me to thinking more deep
ly about what than | had ever done
before. Might there not be- something
in knowledge of leads?' l reasoned,
and the result was that l purch e sed
some Of the leading works on the game
and few weeks atady taught me how
ignorant | really was. have otter
wished einoe that might know as much
about whist as imagined did before
played that rubber in the fremont
hotel.
WHIST IN THE COLLEGES.
II am strong advocate OF the intro
duction OF whist into our educationa
Institutions. / hold that this langu age
of whist is more beautiful, more ecisn.
tific and more useful to the studen
than any OF the mummified langusge
taught in our academies and universe
ties. Tho fad OF universal lanauag,