The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-02
ONLY THE OLD DESIGNS SELL.
Card Players SuperstitiOus About the
Backs of Their Cards.
From the New YORK Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
People nowadays are not generally SUI
perstitious, they do not believe in signs
and omens and portentous forewarnings
of good and evil. Occasionally one meets
an individual who avoids beginning an I'M
dertaking on Friday or is careful about
his or her position when first viewing the
new moon; but the majority by far are
prosaic realists and prone to fly full in
the face of time honored traditions. Be
that as it may however the practiced
card player, Individually and collectively
believes that luck will desert him if he
essays to play with cards whose illumi-
mated backs are designed other than the
customed. A card manufacturer, in the
business for quarter of a century, OBJ
the Pacific slope or the Mexican borders
the Eldorado of the pork packers, or the
sober trade centers of the east, all are
alike in demanding certain long familiar
style of back for their local trade.
Admirable, admirable. artistic and I'M
obtrusive; but 1t would be money thrown
away for me to buy it, said a San Fran
cisco representative in reference to a new
design. ''The California players are used
to this angel back as they call it Gn
reality you will observe that one of the
angels is a goat, and would not think OF
beginning a game with any other sort of
cards. Why, in the well-establshed clubs
out there you will see a veteran PLAYER
pull out pack of angel backs from his
having the club design"
Same thing in Kansas City" said an
other buyer. The fellows like the lily
back there, and it's no use trying to in
troduce any other kind. I've sold polo de-
signs, football, yachting, floral and what
not. People put them or the center table
as objects of interest, but when those who
play in earnest sit down for a rubber they
call for the lily backs
ITS curious about these fiorid. high
Germany and Austria observed one of
the proprietors, pulling out a book of
samples Some of them are really beau
into the taverns and mbly-rooms
where the card devotees are really en-
joying themselves and you'll find only the
most sober, conventional backs in use
Those with the beautiful maids and gar
landed OK are relegated to the back
ground"
rs there anything in card designing for
We'll, no." was the answer 1.-THE
sticking to old favorites is a deep-rooted
obstacle to his success. Now and again
wealthy club gives an order for a new
conception which will introduce their
usual symbols and colors. We would pay
possibly 500 for a design of that kind. In
addition, we may purchase perhaps twen-
ty original designs during the year, most
of which become a drug in the market
It's poor business for designer. Only
ytSleEudy We HdQ u iliOSA dIllSllC pat
tern offered, small and apparently practi-
cal, something in butterflies and butter
cups and all that, really charming but
we don't want it. Nobody wants it,"
What are those odd-looking stamps in
sheets as you get them at the postof-
fice?'
"Oh. we have to buy those from the
government; cents for each pack we
put on the market. They used to be 5
cents. The tax does not pay the govern
ment for collecting it at the present
rate, though there are many more cards
THE bottom has fallen out of the play
ing-card business" continued the manu-
facturer. I'VE l(Hve run the factory these
two years merely to keep the employees
together Our machinery is so perfect
that it pays us better to make the full
number Of packs than to reduce the num-
Der. We have boxes piled up with fine
goods which We hope to realize on some
day. though the prospect is dismal at
present Too much competition and vari-
Gus other conditions are the causes of the
trouble, but one has to keep going. If
you stop you are run over or lost sight
of altogether"
Mr.. Brown-What was that noise in the