The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-11

aboriginal games and win contain detail
ed and illustrated descriptions not only
of the collections in these two institutions,
but practically from all the large museums
in the United States. A small part of the
comparative exhibit upon which the
study is based is now displayed in the Ma
tional Museum.
Games generally" said Mr. Culin, "are
remarkable for their similarity. which ex-
tends practically to Identity, in all parts
of the EARTH in all times and among peo-
pie of the highest and the lowest culture.
Any inference in reference to the contact
of races and migrations must be made
with extreme caution, as we find pretty
much the same games everywhere. The
games of amusement played at the pres
ent day by civilized people are clearly sur
vivals of divinitary rites, this fact be-
ing shown by the position which all games
occupy among the people whom we call
savages. The more complicated games,
such as Playing cards, appear to have di-
rect relations with the divinitary calendar.
And the counting boards, or cables, upon
which pieces of wood are moved as in
backgammon or chess have similar rela-
tions.
THE collection shown at Atlanta, while
occupying great deal of space and ap-
parently diversified in character, merely
represented an attempt to illustrate the
Wv CAoPAAANAAL VI lWO types u games winch
are represented to-day by p.ayng cards
and chess. In the course of these inves-
legations it is shown that in a sense play
ing cards in one form or another are prac-
tically universal and were known to many
of the tribes of the American continent
antedating the discovery. Their most
highly artistic forms occur in the "ganb-
ling sticks" of the Indians of our north
west coast. Those gambling sticks, it
is demonstrated, were derived from ar
row statements marked with the emblems
of place and personality.
The cards of Northeast Asia, such as
are used in Korea, reveal precisely the
same origin as these arrow statements
Chinese cards connect with them. and our
own cards may be regarded as the iegiti-
mate issues Of the same series"
incidentally in the collection a number
of highly artistic packs of playing cards
are exhibited intended 10 illustrate the an
cient and existing cards of the principal
nations. A Persian set among the Oriental
cards Is of strikingly artistic beauty The
card pieces are painted with delicate
miniatures executed upon ground of
gold foil. Curious enough the game play
ed with them is our familiar game of polk
er.
Gen. \. Houtum-Schindler, Of Teheran. in
reply to a letter of inquiry, has furnish
ed the following account of the Persian
Edillts ne game Is tdileQ AS, and is
exactly like poker, but without any fushes
or sequences. There are four players and
each player gets five cards, dealt to the
right. The dealer puts down a stake. The
first player then looks at his cards; IL he
goes he says "di dam" q have seem,
and covers the stake or raises It. If he
does not wish to play he says "Nadi dam"
q have not seen)' and throws down his
cards.
He may also go" without looking at
his cards, that is, in poker parlance,
"straddle," and he says "nadd di dam
mot seeing. I have not seem. The second
player, II he wishes 20 play. must cover
the stakes. and can also raise The third
player and the dealer then act in the
same way, just as in poker, and when
the stakes Of all players are equal and
no one raises any more, the cards are
turned up and the player holding the
best hand wins The stakes. The hands in
order OF their value are three of kind
and a pair, a full" Three, ace, king.
etc Two pairs, aces highest: one pair,
aces highest. When two players have the
same pair or pairs, the other cards de-
eide. For instance, pair OF kings ace,
soldier and some card OF little value.
Blufllng IS a feature Of the game, and is
called Zadam. literally Fire or "a gum"
Backgammon Is one OF the few elassi-
cal games 70 which the present day at
AallHt AZ - tAAfHiftg interesting from
the fact that It Is identical with the llo-
man gaming, dice being cast from a dice
box into a little tower. the Turlccula OF
the classical writer's. In the museum a
backgammon board Is shown from the Ma
lay peninsula which Is used Ia game
Identical with our own. A Syrian specl.
men Is beautifully inlaid with mother-of-
pearl.
Modern ingenuity" said Mr.. culin.
cannot be said TO have risen TO the point
OF inventing "a game. All Rames were IN
vented ages ago. and e h to be questioned
whether a single application for a patent
upon the idea Of a game would be grant
"a In our patent office were the history
Of primitive games fully known and ac-
cesslhie"
Mr.. Culln paid a glowing tribute to Prof.
Mason OF the museum. THE vast wealth
Of material" no said. (which he's been
gathered on the subject Of games. althoueh
stiil inadequate for a demonstration OF
many interesting facts that are suggest
"a By the investigation will reveal the
character OF modern mesum methods In
America. OF which Prof Otis r. Mason
may be juetly regarded as the pioneer"