New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-19
AN INDIAN GAMBLING CANE.
THE PUYALLUPs AND NISQUALLIEs PLAYED
"SLA-HAEL" TO DRAW
From The Tacoma Ledger


From The Tacoma Ledger
The social event Of the season for the Puyallun
the NisQually and few White River Indians has
Just passed 1t was the annual gambling and horse.
quaiy reservation. The festivities began Saturday
and lasted until Monday morning. when they
and ON o. r the avs red ndn
day started back to the Puyahup reservation
Thsy bore mo au ns Is vs put a. Hs they
during the gambling they came disastrously near
losing
The sport took place at a gambling-house kept
by Jim DImrood. a Nsquay Indian, and located
in a clearing five acres in extent the right bank
station where the Northern Pacific crosses the
river The game played by the indian; + called
thirty P;,ya nIlI i've White Rlver indians and
thirty Inequalities. the White River Indians playing
WIN the pvySu no ae ns co pun md up py saen
noon that :Jack' skamenke. the leader Of the
Nisqually gamblers stood up and began singing the
low dirgelike song which forms part OF the cere-
mony and then handed the bones to one Of his men,
them. and then holding a bone tightly concealed
in either hand, began swinging them for war;
one. The gambling was in full progress. The scene
was a strange one. well worthy the brush Of
Tor the wild and fantastic The bright wood hrs
were burning In either end or the room. Ten feet
from the walls two rows OF Indian men were kneel-
ing down, facing each other. leaving space Of ea
feet between them. In one row were Puyaliup ana
White River Indians. and In the other were NJ.
qualities In the centre of the kneeling rows q
Puyalnps and skamenke for the Inequalities.
Back OF the kneeing bucks were benches running
the entire length of the room. On these sat ne
Indian women Of the respective tribes, who watched
the varying fortunes OF the players with most intent
interest.
Stuck in the ground in semi-circular form, %
front OF both Lane and Skamenke, were thrl
five small wooden pegs about inches IN engn
and u OF an inch in diameter. These were ,ae
beans" and when one side won the thirty-hve oe'
Suspended from the neck OF each Indian playes.
and hanging in front OF his breast. was a hand.
kerchief. beneath which he deity concealed hn
The bones Mentioned are inches in length and
inch In diameter One Of them IS perfectly
white. the other one has two black rings around
proceeds as follows: The leader OF the side whose
to bring luck. the squaws Joining in this musical
@ effort and the bucks also i they wish ia,s. Two 70
shake the bones. which are grasped by the player:
one In either hand. and both hands are placed
beneath the Handicapped hanging over MS 0 sSa"
from hand 10 hand to confuse those who arg
keenly watching, him from the other side ana
them suddenly drawing them from beneath tne
handkerchief begins swinging them TO the r'sns
and left In front OF him; The leader OF the o.;
his men. whom he thinks may be the more lucky
TO guess which swinging hand contains the wn!s
bone. II the guess Is correct the leader OF 'ss
side which is playing-not guessing-puls one
the beans from the ground In from. OF him. sns
losses II over TO the leader OF the side which AZ
made the correct guess. The bean Is taken M
the winner and stuck In the ground with the oneI
beans belonging to his side The bones are aec
10 be passed TO the guessing side. whose turn
becomes 10 play. 49,.
Providing the guess is incorrect the side nsn ~
II tosses a bean 10 the side playing gag ~
man who has shaken the sticks has the nSn.
shake them again. while his opponents MAJ me-
another guess. Both sets OF bones were soWsTs -
upon by the man at the same time ,s ~
guessed the white of one and missed a, the ,S Ssi'
he won a bean and one pair OF bones, out vs. rs,.
bean upon the other set which was shaken ss
for him 10 make another guess In this maln 1ns
the bones and beans were constantly passuss
back and forth from side 10 another WIN -
varying luck OF the different sides. Sa'u''s'
game ended in draw.