The evening times., 1896-10-27
CUM SEBBEN, CUM LEBBEN
Craps the Delight of Young Afro
America.
Game Originated In New Orleans
More Than IA Century AgO-Re-
quires Some Skill to Play II.

II there is one game TO whish the Savan-
nah negro is devoted above all Others it is
craps. City or country, 1t is ali alike, says
the Savannah News.
On Sundays the country negroes gather
in little groups IN the shade OF the trees
out Of sgnt of the big house" and play
all day long, or until the wages which they
received on Saturday night are gone. In
the rIJiAS Jusy ga.h-r ou tuc MnarSes. IN
the corners OF warehouses or any favorable
spot out OF sight OF the COP" and play for
any amount they may possess, from coppers
10 dollars.
The Savannah bootblacks and new shoys,
like those Of any other city. gamble away
their earnings, aud many q game is carried
ON in the lanes. the players often becoming
50 Interested tnaJ tncy lose all Thought OF
the policeman until that worthy appears in
their midst and nabs a couple Of players.
White boys play the game, too, bat negroes
OF all al ges and sizes shoot craps. There
is only one other game which equals craps
IN fascination for them, and that is policy,
and as policy is more liable TO be interfercd
With BY the police, craps has all the ad-
vantage.
There are fascinationS about the game pc
culiarly African. 1t is not without its
intriCacies. The ordinary come seven,
come eleven plan Of the game is simple
enough. but ir there is a crowd around the
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. hut they do So with unerriug accu-
racy. Fights over crap games are rare.
The expressions common 10 the game are
amusing. New dress for de baby eN-
claims one. See my gal Sunday night
exclaimS another. De little number ."
says one, rs that unlucky number shows up
Il eight you,' says another, meaning that
he bets that number will not turn up gain
before the lucky seven And 50 it
goes.
The city council Of New Orleans has Just
passed a 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 sin
glei out Is the most Gepra we'd uf 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 en-
tertaiued Louis PHILIPPE, when he came to
Louisiana and who stood seventy years
ago as the head OF the creole colony
OF the State as its wealthicSt and
most prominent Citizcn-hc was entitled
10 call himself marquis in French
was the inventor or father Of ''crapS,' and
hroughtit into high favor rs the fashionable
gambling Of the day.
!
the then city Of New Orlcans-it is now the
Third dist trict, but was then the Fauruurg
Mdrigny-and divided it up into lots he
named one of the principal streets Craps"
and explained that ne did So because he
had lost the money he received from the
lots on that street in this favorite game
of his.
1t remained Craps street until few years
ago, when protest was raised gainst such
a disreput able name for very quiet and re-
spectacle street. especially given to churches.
The Craps Street Methodist Church. sound
ed particularly bad After Bernard Ma
rgny's death craps as a gambling game
descended in the social scale. and was finally
mainly by negroes and street
gamins. Some five or six years ago, how
ever, some Chicagoans who happened to be
on the levec i'll New Orleans were struck hy
the game as offering novelties Ia the iaded
taste of dice-players, and took IL home with
them.
1t crept into favor at once in the West and
Craps now ranges from the Mississippi to
the Pacific, and no well-rcgulated gam
bling house is without a "craps ROOM
But, while it has flourished else where it
has been tabooed in its birthplace. And
now, not content with the ordinary laws
against all gambling games. the council
has declared craps" especially prohibited
and not to be played for money even in
ones back bedroom, with the blinds pulled
down in front.
The 40 per cent discount off all Mems
and Cbidren's clothing at Loeb & Hirsh's,
BIO F street northw est, continues to at
,ract crowds of buyers. The sale began
Monday morning and is now in progress.