The herald., 1895-01-06

AArgely into the real and scientific game
OF whist. are soon abandoned by those
who know them, when a few calls for
trumps or other plays are met by an
airy Indifference, a concealed ignorance
OF :hs signals on the part OF the one
playing vis.a-vis for the nonce (they
cannot be called partners in any eense),
who may very likely be talking ami
matedly to somebody at the next
table at the time, and the result is,
that card party whist should be
re-christened in the first place
to Babel. with the understanding
that it is a please like that
other slluriDg game, hearts; or the
more seductive one OF poker.
The continued change of partners in
progressive whiet would be enough in
itself to ruin the playing and demoralize
the game OF AN expert, and when, added
to that, the goal to be reached is prize
OF cut-glase, expensive porcelain, or
sterling silver, to he awarded to the one
who has made the most points in a given
time, it Is no wonder scence is trampled
under foot in the helter-skelter to &C.
cumulate large score.
Los Angeles ia no exception TO the card.
party craze, and her women PLAYERS will
rank in excellence with those OF any
other city. There are several flourish
ing whist clubs here, but instead OF
adopting one authority and set of rules
and abiding by them. instead OF amend.
ing the old copy book motto to read !:
What is worth doing as well as we do
in whist, is worth trying for at its best"
especially as so much valuable time lie
tho ny ha
apparently content themselves with the
doing it we'll" and let it 90 at that.
There are some very expert whist
players here many who are ekilliul and
better than good but more, unfortun-
ately, who, having grappled with the
fundamental principles, atop there. end
with serene Indifference to and pslp-
able ignorance OF wider knowledge of
the game, deserve the unspoken but
deeply felt ire that is aroused in the
breast of their partner, who plays a SUI
perior game and they miss at the came
time the keen zest and intellectual in.
ylgoration that come with thorough
understanding of its subtle possibilities.
and practical use OF its scientific in
tricacies.
There are no better players nor more
serious students Of whist here than Mrs.
James Foord and Mrs. John l.. Merrill.
Mrs Charles Forman also stands in the
front rank. and her daughter, Miss Eloise
Forman, and Mesdames l.. w. Blinn.
John Wigmore. John 7. Jones, her sis-
ter, Mrs. Fleming, Mrs. Judge Mckinley
and Mrs. DIR. W. L. Graves are all sd-
vanced players, as are Mrs. John E.
Platter, Mrs. Earl B. Millar. Mrs.
Jaro Won Schmidt and her
niece, Mrs. Frederick T. Griffith.
while Mesdames Kate B. Taylor, ], b.
Ridgway, L. d. Stimson. Robert j. Wild.
ney. ]. F. Conroy, M. A. Briggs, Hugh
W. Vail. Victoria Harrell and Ozro W.
Childs all play skillfully and with clear
insight into the deeper possibilities of
the game. as do also Mesdames F. X.
Ainsworth, ]. III. F. Peck. ]. T. Sartori.
=. z. Carpenter, Granville MACEDONIAN
William Pridham, William Csswell and
Miss Carrie Van Dyke.
These are by 60 means all of the
women players here whose game ia
above the average in excellence: thew
are some OF the many who know the
important rules and apply them skill-
fully and with intelligence. Few regard
them as scientific players, and thew are
very modest in their pretensions IA IN
excellsnoe, but the fact remaips that
with the practice they have had and
are still having. in Guilt
waiting the memory az to