The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05
PERSONAL AND SOCIETY
INVENTION OF A NEW SOCIAL GAME
CALLED PROSPECTING"
Method for Rating Young Men-Fad
for "a Swimming POOl-A
Fair Colonel.

The hostess for a small company is not
infrequently at loss for novelty through
which merry spirit may abide with the
guests while under her roof. Oftentimes
when the conversation Tags a slight diver
tisement sets lively chatter going, leads
TO more congenial relation all around and
whites away more pleasantly the season
for which the visitors are gathered. Some
hostesses, with admirable foresight, pre-
pare for these conversational GIBBS, and are
ready with a new game, guessing contest
or diversion. The possibilities in the way
of novelty seem almost limitless. The
Floral Love Tale" consequences, -
rhyming features and identifying proper
names by suggestion are few among
host. The life of new game is not very
long, for novelty is the charm of most or
them. In this search for something new,
something at least little different from
others, a young lady in Indianapolis has
devised a game for her friends of her own
sex. She does not think it would be I'M
appreciated in a company of ladies and
gentlemen, but to obtain best results she
believes it should be limited to a party of
young women. 1t would not be successful
among an exclusive company of young
men, as such a gathering would have little
ernoon tea.
Young women are always interested in
young men 1t is q divine right. And on
this hinges the success of the game, which
has been chrstened prospecting" a name
that may appear a trifie far-fetched, though
not wholly inapposite particularly in these
days of the gold fever. 1t gives a young
woman excellent opportunity to rate a
young mans points. strong or weak, and
the final result of the game is frequently
surprising, in that every one recognizes
how we'll it conforms to public estimate of
each particular young man.
AS in the game of consequences, pencils
and broad slips of paper are distributed
among the young women in the company.
Gathered in circle each writes on her
slip the names Of seven young men who
are common acquaintances of those pres
emit. Each slip must contain the same
names, arranged in the same order The
hostess usually calls for names from her
guests, and when a name is approved by
ali 1t goes down on the slip. Seven names
are chosen, and no more. for seven is the
mystical number, and about it hover many
favorS of fortune. After the names are
placed in a column on the slip, to the left
Of the paper seven narrow columns are
ruled opposite them, much after the fash
ion Of baseball score as it appears in the
newspapers each day. At the top of each
column a virtue as it is called, is set
out. Thus the first column becomes the
one for disposition, the second for man
~ beauty, the third for intellect" the
fourth for wealth." the fifth for health -
the sixth for character" and the seventh
for his prospects," and each column is
SO headed. When the slips are prepared
and the game is ready to begin each slip is
Identical
Each young woman begins to rate the
seven young men in the tirst column. that
of disposition" She judges them as she
knows them Opposite the name of the
one whom she believes to be the most ami
able and Of the best manners she marks
the figure l. scoring the second best as 2,
and so on, till the least desirable young
man, from that point of view, is scored
Z. After every one has filled this column
the slips of paper are passed on, each one
handing her slip to the neighbor to her left.
Then the scoring for the second column,
manly beauty" is taken up. 1t is done
IN precisely the same manner as described
for the first column After the second col
umn is completed the slips pass on again.
the change being made after each column
is filed. In this way no one slip is filled
by the same person, each column, or each
virtue, on a slip being scored by diff
ferent judge. When the seven columns
are filled, addition is made straight across
the page so that a total is opposite the
name of each young man. The smaller
the total the more favored the young man.
Then the hostess adds up the totals for
each man on the seven slips, and, in con-
clusiOn, there are seven grand totals The
name having the smallest grand total is
that of the young man to whom the palm
is awarded, and the Others are rated &C.
cordingly.
In one Nuisance the youth who "panned''
out so well (since the game is called pros
pectingO was sent small souvenir, with
the mysterious message that he was so
favored because he was found to be a
nugget. When slip is completed to
further illustrate the game, it will appear
thus: