The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-20

Where They are Not, While Others De-
clare That They Prefer to Play Where
Prizes are Onered--None Cares Whether
Prizes are shu. on by the Legislature
or Not.
No city in the west is more devoted TO
a social game of whist than Wichita
Much of the life of the society in the
city has conferred about the contests in
the various card clubs, most OF them di-
verting themselves with whist As
stimulus. and supposed harmless one.
IL has been the custom, as il is in east
ern cities. TO offer some prize for the
winner. These have never been moth
ing more than a Hastily bound book,
deck of cards, a cigar holder or a
wall ornament.
IL has never been supposed that there
was anything detrimental in these
prizes that the contest was always so
social that il never left any trace OF
enmity. and it would have been ridicu-
ious il IL had.
Now the Kansas legislature steps in
and holding up its hands in holy hor-
ror declares that these prizes are all
wrong. A bill has passed the state
house of representatives and has gone
TO the state senate which is aimed at
the policy shops and the gilded gambl-
ing denS which are said to abound In
Kansas.
But this bill. in it's sweeping scope.
takes in the harmless favors and prizes
of the private whist and eucher party
as well as the church grab-bag.
When the act was up in the house a
Wichita representative, Mr.. Otto Eek
stein. made a fight on the private whist
party prize feature but was unSuccess-
full
If the bill passes in its present form.
and it is believed that il will. the IA
vors at Wichita whist parties will be a
thing of the past. 1t remains to be
seen whether, without the stimulus OF
these favors and prizes, the numerous
whist clubs Will exist. In the minds
of many of the society leaders OF WITCH
! ita they will.
Yesterday the Eagle interviewed sew
eral prominent whist players among
them said they could not see any harm
in prizes, but that the game would be
just as interesting to them without the
favors. They said that they preferred
whist party with favors.
Mrs. a. W. Thomas was called upon.
and asked what she thought of the bill.
She declared that she did not care
WnetNSE IL OF nut
just as soon play without favorS as
with" she said.
| Miss Agnes Lynch said to areporter
| for the Eagle: az have always thought
| that il makes a game more interest
| ing to play for prizes, and have never
seen any possible harm in II.
Mrs. Ed. Vail said she enjoyed game
of whist just as much without favors
| as with.
| Mrs. o. n. Bentley pronounced her.
/ self against the bill point blank. She
said she enjoyed playing for prize
more than not.
| Mrs W. B. Throckmorton declared
| that she did not care anything about
the bill one way or the other and that
she enjoys a game of whist for the
game itself and does not care particu-
| larly whether a prize Is offered or not
Mrs. W. W. Johnson, Jr., agreed with
MISS Agnes Lynch. She would rather
play for the prize as il lent interest &c
the game.
Mrs. w C. Little said that she did
not care anything about the matter as
she had quit playing whist.
Mrs. r. b. Wall would rather play
without prizes and thinks the bill a
good one.