The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1896-04-07
ONLY THE OLD DESIGNS SELL.
Card Players superstitious About the Backs
of Their Cards.

of Their Cards.
People nowadays are not general
Iy superstitious; they do not believe
In signs and omens and portentous
forewarnings of good and evil. o.
casionally one meets an individual
who avoids beginning an undertake
ing on Friday or is careful about his
or her posi- ton when first viewing
the new moon, but the majority, by
far, are prosaio realists and prone
to fly full in the face of time honor
cd traditions. Be that as it may,
however, the praotioed card player,
individually and collectively, be-
ieves that luck will desert him if
he essays to play with cards whose
illuminated backs are designed 9TH
or than the peculiar pattern to which
he has been accustomed. A card
manufacturer, in.the business for a
quarter of century, observes that
whether tho buyers come from the
Pacific slop, or the Mexican bor-
ders, the Ell Dorado of the pork pack
ers or the sober trade centers of the
east, all are alike in demanding o
certain long familiar style of back
for their local trade.
Admirable, admirable, artistic
land unobtrusive, but it would be
money thrown away for me to buy
it, !" said San Francisco representa-
tive in reference to new design.
1.-THE California players are used to
this angel back, as they call it lin
reality you will observe that one of
the angels is goat), and would not
think of beginning game with any
other sort of cards. Why, in the
well established clubs out there you
will see a veteran player pull out
pack of angel backs from his pock-
ct, using them in preference to those
having the club design"
"Same thing in Kansas City,"
said another buyer. 1.-The fellows
like the lily back there, and it's no
use trying to introduce any other
kind. I've sold polo designs, foot
ball, yachting, floral and what not.
People put them on 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 forid,
high colored designs to be found all
through Germany and Austria, OBJ
served one of the proprietors, pull
ing out look of samples. "Some
of them are really beautiful as mini
atures or floral pieces. Go into the
taverns and assembly rooms where
the card devotees are really enjoy
ing themselves, and you II find only
the most sober, conventional backs
in use. Those with the beautiful
maids and garlanded oxen are rele-
gated to the background.
SIS there anything in card design
ing for an aspiring artist?" asked a
bystander.
well, 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 new conception which
will introduce their usual symbol
and colors. We would pay possibly
500 for design of that kind. In
addition we may purchase perhaps
20 original designs during the year,
most of which become drug in the
market. It's a poor business for a
designer. Only yesterday we had a
most artistic pattern offered, small
and apparently practical, something
in butterflies and buttercups and all
that, really charming, but we don't
want it. Nobody wants 1t. New
York Tribune.