Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-17
HISTORY ar CRAPS.
The Game Originated in New Orleans More
Than "a Hundred Years.

HISTORY or CRAPS.
The Game Originated iu New Orleans More
Than n Hundred Years.
If there is one game TO which the Sa
vannah negro is devoted above all others,
it is craps. City or country, 1t is all alike,
says the Savannah News.
On Sundays the country negroes gather
IN little groups in the shade of the trees,
out of sight of the "big house," and play
all day long or until the wages which they
received on Saturday night are gone. In
the cities they gather on the wharves, In
the corners of warehouses, or any favor
able spot out of sight of the cop" and
play for any amount they may possess,
from coppers to dollars.
The Savannah b0otblacks and news
boys. like those of any other city, gamble
away their earnings, and many game is
carried on in the lanes the players often
becoming so interested that they lose all
thought of the policeman until that worthy
appears in their midst and nabs couple
of the players White boys play the game,
too, but negroes Of all ages and sizes
shoot craps. There is only one other
game which equals craps In fascination for
them, and that is policy, and MS policy is
more liable to be interefered with by the
There are Vaccinations about the game
peculiarly African. 1t is not without
its intricacies. The ordinary come seven,
come eleven" plan of the game is simple
enough, but If there Is crowd around the
players there may be a half-doZcn inter
ested in the game and dozen side bets.
How they manage to keep the run of the
game is mystery to the ordinary oh
server, but they do so with unerring ac-
curacy. Fights over crap games are rare.
ThceNpressions common 10 the game are
| amusing. New dress for dc baby" en-
claims one. See my gal Sunday night"
exclaims another. DE little number 80
says one as that unlucky number shows
| up. II eight you," says another, meaning
| that he bets that number will not turn IN
| again before the lucky seven" And so 1t
goes.
The City Council of New Orleans has
| just passed law making the game of
craps Illegal. 1t does not matter where it
is played, whether in the streets, in the
club or at home. craps is specially singled
out as the most depraved of gambling
games, not TO be tolerated anywhere. The
game, according to modern writer, is OF
New Orleans origin and over 100 years
old. Bernard de Marigny, who enter.
| v
| Louisiana, and who stood seventy years
ago as the head of the Creole colony of the
State us its wealthiest and most prominent
citizen-he was entitled to call himself
Marquis in French-was the inventor OF
father of Craps" and brought it into
high favor as the fashionable gambling OF
the day. When he laid off his plantation
just below the then city of New Orleans
it is now the 81 district, but was then the
Faubourg Marigny-and divided it up into
lots, he named one of the principal streets
Craps" and explained that he did Sc
because he had lost the money he re
ceived from the lots on that street in this
favorite game of his.
II remained Craps street until few
years ago, when u protest was raised
against such IL dsreputuble name for
very quiet and respectable street, cspec
tally given to churches. "The Craps Stree
Methodist Church" sounded particular,
bad. After Bernard Mprigny's dealt
craps as gambling game descended in tn,
social scale and was finally monopolizc,
mainly by negroes and street gamins
Some five or six years ago, however, som,
Chiagoans who happened to be on tn
levec in New Orleans, We're struck by thu
game as offering novelties to the Jade,
taste of dice-players and took it hom
with them.
1t crept into favor at once in the Yves
and craps now ranges from the Missis
sippi to the Pacific, and no well-regulate
gambling house is without Il ''craps-room.
But while it has hourished elsewhere
has been taboocd in its birthplace. An
now, not content with the ordinary law
against all gambling games, the Counc
has declared craps" especially prohibite
and not to he played for money even i
ones back bedroom, with the blinds pullc
down in front.