The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-12-10
THE GAME OF CRAPS.
n Originated In New oricsn. Over . Can
tury Ago.

4
If there is one game to which tb,
Savannah negro Is devoted above nj
others, 1t is craps. City or country
1t is all alike.
On Sundays tho country negroe,
gather in little groups in the shad,
OF the trees, out of sight of the "bip
house." and play oil day long or
until the wages which they received
on Saturday night are gono. In the
cities they gather on tho wharvos.
in tho corners of warehouses or
any favorable spot out of sight of
the cop and play for any amount
they may possess, from coppors to
dollars.
Tho Savannah bootblacks and
newsboys, like those of any other
CITY, gamble away their earnings
and many a game is carried on in
tho lanes, tho players often bocom.
ing 80 Interested that thoy loso all
thought of tho policeman until that
worthy appears in thoir midst and
nabs couple of tho players. White
boys play tho game, too, but negroes
of all ages and sizes shoot" Grams.
There Is only one other game which
equals craps in fascination for thom.
and that is policy, and, as policy is
moro liable To be- intorferod with bv
tho police, craps has all tho advan.
tage.
There arc destinations about the
game peculiarly African. lt is not
without its intricaoics. The ordina.
ry como seven, como clovon" plan
OF tho gamo is simple enough, but
there Is u crowd around tho players.
there may bo u half dozen interest.
cd III tho game and u dozen sido bots
How they manage 10 kccp tho run
of the gamo is mystery To tho or
dinnry observer, but they do So with
uncrring accuracy. Fights over Gran
games are rare.
Tho expressions common To tho |
game arc amusing. "NCw dress for
do baby" oXclaims ono. "Scn my |
gal Sunday night, cXclaims anoth.
or. do littlo number two" saws
one, as that unluoky number shows
up. Il eight YOU" says another,
meaning that ho bots that number
Will not turn up again before tho !
lucky soyen." And SO it goes.
Tho city council of Now Orleans
has just passed n law making tho
gamo of craps illegal. 1t docs not
matter where it is played whether
In tho streets, i'll tho club or at
home, craps is specially singled out
AS tho most depraved of gambling
games, not to be tolerated anywhere.
Tho game, according to u writer In
Harper 4. is of New Orleans origin
and over 100 years old. Bernard do
Marigny, who entertained Louis
Philippe when ho came To Louisi.
ana, and who stood, 20 years ago, as
the head of tho creole colony of the
state as its wcalthiost and most
prominent citiZcn-ho was entitled
10 call himself marquis in French
was tho inventor, or father, of
craps" and brought it in high ia
1or as the fashionable gambling of
tho day. When ho laid off his plan
.ation, just below tho thon city of
New Orleans-it is now tho Third
district, but was thon tho Faubourgl
divided it up into
OTIS, ho named ono of tho principal
streets Craps and explained that
10 did SO because no had lost tho
money ho received from tho lots on
hat street in this favorito gamo of
lis. 1t remained Craps street until
iow years ago, when a protest was
aisod against such u disrcputablc
lamo for worry quiet and rospocta-
10 street especially givon to church
=. Tho Craps Street Methodist
hurch" sounded particularly bad.
Aftor Bernard Marigny s death craps
= u gambling game descended in
ho social scale and was finally mo.