The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-04

The whist season has fairly opened
Since the Brooklyn congress there has
been little activity in the way OF tour
naments and matches. But there has
been no falling off In the interest in the
game. On the contrary the coming sea-
son promises to be the most successful
in the history Of the American Whist
league.
This column has been suspended since
the congress. The reason is not that
the st. Paul team failed to bring back
the Hamilton trophy. though it is likely
enough that in case Of victory, we
might have used some space in ex-
planning how 1t was done. But ex-
plantations Of defeat are hard to make
and serve no purpose after they are
made. There is little to be said about
the match that st. Paul lost to Ham
ilton in the seni-finals at Brooklyn, ex-
cept that If st. Paul had played a few
tricks stronger-played the game that
it had put up in several matches earlier
in the week, the result might have been
different If Hamilton had played a
trihe weaker game than 1t did, if the
players had kindly dropped few more
tricks than they did, the result might
have been different But st. Paul was
beaten, and beaten by better play, and
the only regrets come from recolleetions
Of missed opportunities and errors OF
judgment that cost tricks. The Ham
ilton boys deserved their victory, and
we can say nothing. If we would, to de-
tract from the glory Of their achieve
ment. 4pG
The New York Whist club team won
the American Whist League challenge
trophy. Foster claims 1t was a great
victory for short-shitism. 1t can be
hardly considered sdch. as the contest
was played under q, system that makes
victory Of little significance, and as
the New Workers played the short-suit
game only semi occasionally Indeed
the members Of the team prefer to call
their game common sense whist.
Messrs. Briggs and Bum, Of the ST.
Paul team, had very good oppor-
tunity of investigating the system
played by the New York team. after
the congress, and con two occasions,
with the assistance of two Chicago
long suffers, played against the "sys-
tenn" as managed by it's best disciples.
The result was in both cases favorable
to the long-suit game. but it is fair to
say that Foster lays these defeats to
the rotten" play Of the Fasteners, and
to their not following the system. This
is one of the chief characteristics Of the
short-suit system: No four men can
be found who will agree as to what Ii
is; If a short-suit lead proves advan-
| tageous, that Is a short-suit hand: II
not, then 1t is q hand for the running
game" or the trump attack" or the
| long-suit game. The Fosterians claim
| this as q great point in favor of their
game; the opportunity for the display
| Of Judgment arises at the opening OF
| the hand, while long -suiters follow the
| books until there Is some development
| In our experience this discretion which
! the opening leader is supposed to ex-
| ercise, is more productive of beautiful
scraps between partners than of beau
| tiful results; the leaders partner, il
| the hand goes wrong, expresses very
poor opinion of the whist ability of the
| leader. and declares that the hand was
| an ideal one for. some other style Oh
| treatment than til at chosen by him. Fol
| instance. q deal was played in one OF
| the games above referred to in which
South, after trumptng North's lead OF
| hearts, had left two small trumps
| five clubs withi ace, queen, and five
diamonds headed by jack According
| to one Of the chiefltenets of the short
suit or common sense, game. the lead
from a tenace must be avoided, and
| South's lead should be a diamond
South did lead diamond and the
| short-suiters lost three or four tricks