The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
25O,OOO,OO POKER CHIPS
THE hNNULE PRODUCT or m
UNITED STATES FL CTORIEs.

Sent to Every Enrt 0t tne NIwtltEed world,
Except Europe, which Makes 1ts Own
Mnrkers-An Increase OF the he.
mand since Reform Came 20 This CITY.
Enough poker chips are manufactured in the
United states every year to make n stack over
sixty miles high IL placed one on top Of the
other. II laid edge to edge they would extend
along the entire length OF the Erie Canal on the
towpath and back again, with a sufficient num-
Der over to stock a hundred high-playing gam
bling houses. This is only the annual product.
What the total number of chips in this country
is no man can tell.
For years the novelty and specially companies
have been turning out the chips, and, taking
into consideration the lasting qualities of the
disks, one may estimate Conservatives that
there are many more than $50, 900. 900 Of these
tokens that are used to represent the coin in
games OF chance.
In itself the poker chip is a harmless thing.
1t neither walks. talks, nor hears. II is simply
an object of ivory, bone. celluloid. or compost.
ton. rs the wealth or taste of the owner die
tates, but when backed by humanity It takes to
itself all the attributes Of man. 1t then can
walk or run with a speed that puts to blush the
best PAGES of a thoroughbred. II Is made to
talk. the same as money. 1t can see a raise or
call a pot. In fact. II becomes endowed with
more senses than half the owners or winners,
for, with rare exceptions, 1t never goes broke.
AZ pDANA imp ~ =" IOIs III
though 1t is money in disguise, the identity lie 30
we'll concealed that to bet q blue bone is an easy
matter. while to lay out q SIS bill is another con-
dition that might stagger a man. 1t will be a
surprise to reformers and those who believe
that the world, and especially that part inhab-
tied by United States citizens, is putting off the
evils of Monte Carlo. to learn that at a conser.
vativc estimate there are held In this land
enough chips to give to every inhabitant one
rad nne hlue and tuo ubita npoa Tbia ,.la,
lation is made on the basis of the last census,
and is merely put out as a suggestion to the men
and women who are looking for something to
reform. 1t Is worth mentioning. too. that since
so many gambling houses have been shut up
and saloon games suppressed. the demand for
chips has increased so fast that the manufac-
turers have hard work TO turn out enough to fill
the orders.
Where. when. or how the poker chip orig
mated is a mystery. The name OF the genius
who discovered it was easier to lose a colored
bit OF metal or bone than to part with n portion
OF the universal circulating medium Is lost to
history. but his wisdom is still recognized and
his example followed. The poker chip industry
is not AN adjunct or a side line to a manufactur-
ing establishment, but a business that is recog-
nized ms legitimate, productive. and profitable.
The gambling instinct must be natural to
Americans. for they have made possible the
poker chip factory. One firm in Newark says
that an order was received this year for %, OO0.-
900 chips from a New YORK jobbing house. and
that extreme impotence was manifested when
a reply. was sent stating that time was needed.
to HI the order. Then came another order for
5000, 600. to be got out as soon as the original
order was filled. To the average mind the Units
included in u million are just SO many ciphers.
mineral is no fuTther tax " on '"f tbs single im
agination. But here is u comparison that
Un be useful in estimating the bulk Of poker
chips were piled to the height of $50 feet. or as
high as Trinity Church spire. they would cover
would be hidden beneath the shadow of the
pile Of poker chips i all those in the world
great structure. The Pennsylvania Railroad
e tF"GG' be from sover ssrSs With CITY, II. s6,n. pi', 81
%ni's;, and 'Go' b f%s'a II # s 3 boy S"d OF II y Tsss;
the chip factories and live to be 100 years old.
counting steadily ten hours every day. he would
In any one year at the present rate OF produc-
ton. The COMPARISONS might be continued in
unIi.ni,ea.. IN t It's own qa Hn ' Mei pq Il !, c nbIu are
tous. II is all about. yet unseen; but its inhu-
ence Is felt in trade and social life.
Tho chip is one of the simplest things to make
imasinable. Ivory chips have had their day;
price for r" these oa" Articles 1nfs when hsn the Msi su Pst pss ' dc
as well. The time was when old school gam
6lers played ed, with square, onlong; and octagonal
his fortune on the circular chip. and cares not
whether IT be expensive or cheap. as long as the
make poker chips is as easy as the childlike
pastitne OF making mud pies, and the process Is
The Prince Of Wales is the possessor of a largo
sst Of real ivory ch%cks, each adorned with the
the "baccarat suit" showed. Robert Hunter
hundreds, OF dollars, But the great majority OF
card gamblers use CHRIS Of cheaper materials.
inches in diameter, and one-eighth OF an inch
thick, and there IS seldom n call for any other
size than this. 1t Is not too large to be handled
conveniently, ana II can be seen readily whom
1t rolls on the floor. Down in Kentucky, how:
drinking whiskey by PLAYING poker. the chips
are all bigger. so that a man can make no mis-
pie arieht wiitthoin ~ takiur bbT Is see .h eT s'he OF ms
nent's cards.
Where do all the chips go? That is a cues
ton that the manufacturers cannot answer.
They know that the demand is greater than the
supply, but as TO the ultimate disposition Of the
handles millions Of the articles said that the or
ders came from all parts Of the country. %particu-
chips mostly from the big department stores. In
side the family tobacco jar and tho plug of
chewing" and the gradual waste is accounted
with many thousands annually. but where
greater care is taken it is difficult to understand
why the demand continues.
South America is one of the largest consum-
ers of chips. The people of the republics there
urally as a hnrnacle takes TO a ships bottom.
Mexico uses an ENORMOUS quantity, usually of
all OK penslNs variety. mo MeNlCAns are fond
of ornament. and their faro and poker chips are
bright with gold and silver. inlaid In rich de-
signs. The lumbcrmen OF Canada call for thou
sands OF the cheap kinds. and. in fact, every civ
ilized and semi-ciyilized nation outside OF Eu-
rope uses the American-made article.
The process OF manufacture is interesting be-
cause of Its simplicity. The compOsition.and
each firm has its own formula for this, which ia
kent secret-is mixed and dyed and then passed
between stone rollers, from which 1t comes in a
sheet about half an inch In thickness. These
sheets are cut into squares OF about eight inches
and allowed 10 harden. Afterwardt these squares
are put on heated plates and softened 10 the
Of dough. The wOrkmen cut them
narrow strips and lay the strips across the
face of n heavy steel die. which is now subjected
tO Il pressure OF 80. 600 pounds. After a minute
under this heavy weight, the die is opened and
the chips fall out. Girls put them on a polish
Ing wheel with wonderful %rapidity. and then
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