The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-11
WHIST.

huSeicS VIC past Week on MS way DacK
from the Whist Congress at indianapolis.
Mr.. Tormey is also vice. president of the
Owl Drug Company. He presides over
drugs as profession, as it were, and over
whist as pleasure.
He has deep and abiding faith in his
favorite game and in its possibilities. not
only for giving keen and lasting intel
lectual pleasure, but for developing and
strengthening character, memory and all
other good traits in men and women.
Indeed, he has written a paper on the
subject, advocating the introduction Of
whist into the curriculum of colleges for
the beneficial results he feels certain such
a course would bring about in the devel-
opment OF the youthful mind and charac-
ter.
Mr.. Tormy spoke in glowing terms of
his recent trip, which extended beyond
indianapolis. He visited New York, New
Orleans, St. Louis, Minneapolis and a
number of other cities in the East, and
had some great games with the best play
Tormey says, is without doubt the best
living whist player. Mr.. Briggs is cap.
tain of the Minneapolis team, Of which
the members are, besides himself, Messrs.
Bum, Bronson and o. II. Briggs, and
they are the crack team in America. Mr..
Briggs own game is SO simple baby
could play it, yet he follows Cavendish
strictly and Systematically.
N. B. Trist of New Orleans entertained
the delegates for two or three days, and
Mr.. Tormey declared those days were the
cream of his whole trip. Mr.. Trist's
manner is SO delicate, SO refined so gem
tie, that he is almost like woman in
some respects, yet he plays game of
whist that draws one like magnet.
During the same delightful interview,
in answer to the question, "How do you
explain the objection SO many people
make to conventional leads, which is,
that the information they give one S
partner is given at the same time to the
opponents?" Mr.. Tormey replied: ''Such
information gives no more advantage to
opponents than in the games of chess and
checkers, where all is in sight all the
time"
The real game OF whist is not so much
one OF winning points as it is the intellec-
tual pleasure brought about by the men
tai processes that real student and play
err enjoys in drawing differences, making
by systematic and connected sequence
of thoughts and problems that are in
duced by the combinations of cards.
Whist gives the same kind of invigora-
ton, has the same kind of stimulating
influence on the intellect, to him who
really studies its deeper significance, that
the working out OF any mathematical
problem produces. The more one reads
and studies the more tolerant he becomes
to others shortcomings, Just as he real
ICES more and more how little he knows
himself. For the more one studies the
game, the more he is impressed with it's
wonderful range.
"You say the NOR. man PLAYS the
more tolerant he becomes; how about
those alleged good players who make life a
burden to the partner who makes a mis-
play?'
They are not whist players. A whist
player never grumbles at mis- partner-a
player at whist never does anything else !;
they have little knowledge, they don t
stop to think nor draw differences, and
they take it for granted their partner
doesn't either.
whist is essentially game of partner
ship in which the tive hands should be
played as one; if you have certain COM
bination by IA certain play-and that can
tional leads.
He understands your signal or the in
formation you give him, and does all he
can by unlocking, or drawing trumps or
whatever else he can do, to best aid YOU in
establishing your suit. you aid MIN in
the same way, and such 4 game awakans
so absorbing an interest in its gradual un-
folding, and in the successful manipula-
ton OF your united scheme of play that
the mere winning of points fades into
insignificance; and that kind OF a game
holds keen zest that one who has never
tried It's fascination by studying it, can
not conceive of.
How long ago did you begin to realize
its fascination, Mr.. Tormey?'
We'll, it's nearly fifteen years. now, I"
and the genial gentleman chuckled to
himself. Let me tell you about it. One
day between fifteen and sixteen years ago
l was sitting in my section OF a sleeping
car on my way back to California from a
trip east. A gentleman in the opposite
section leaned across the aisle and asked
me if | knew how to play whist? if SO,
couldn't we get up a gamer"
Did know how to play whist? Well,
didn't l! / Thought knew how to play
then good deal better than 1 think 1
know now; Why, of course l played
whist, told him. l had always PLAYED
whist. He got two other men (who
weren't so sure about their ability to play
as | was about mine land we played.
After dinner that night, in the smok-
ing compartment of the car, the gentle
man who had been my partner in the af-
ternoon said:
+" Mr.. Tormey, why don't you study
player
Study whist! well, scorned the
proposition with the lofty scorn of ignc-
rance.
1.-The next year went East on another
business trip. In Boston was invited to
spend an evening at the League Club
rooms and have rubber. The following
day was in the Office of the friend who
had invited me to the CLUB, and he sud-
denly turned and said: 'Tormey, old
man, why don't you study whist?
Again, the same question inside of a
year-the idea, and had played whist all
my lie. What do you mean by study
ing?" said l. What is there to study
about whist? know all the rules / never
trump my partners trick; play second
hand low and third hand high, and that
kind OF thing, what more is there to
know? Have you ever read any whist
books?" said he. whist books, what
whist books?"
why whist authorities Cavendish,
Pole-there are several books" (This
with a fine sarcasm.)
II sat down and thought a minute
Well, by George, if there was anything
more to know was going to know it. and
called one of the office boys, told him to
60 to the biggest book store in town and
get me all the whist literature he could
find.
In aboutIan hour he came back with a
package about two feet square-all books.
looked at 1T, and l looked at him and
said: How muchY He handed me the
bill and what do you suppose the amount
was?-sixty-h dollars! 1 reached down
like man, and pulled three twenties and
five out of my pocket, gave my Califor-
mia address for the library to be shipped
by freight and left
'"Do you know, | count those two mon