The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1897-10-16
"CRAFS."
Geme Was Introduced in New Or
- leans Society 100 Years Ago.

Usme was lntrOdVced In new .Or.
leans Society 100 Years Ago.
Savannah (Ga.) News: If there is one
game to which the Savannah negro is
devoted above all others it is craps. City
or country, it is all alike. On Sunday
the country negroes gather in little
groups in the shade of trees, out of sight
of the 'big house, and play all day
long, or until the wages which they re-
ceived on Saturday night are gone. In
the cities they gather on the wharves,
in the corners of warehouses, or any
favorable spot out of sight of the ''cop,'
and play for any amount they may pos
sess from coppers to dollars.
The Savannah bootblacks and news
boys like those of any other city, gamble
away their earnings, and many a game
is carried on in the lanes. the players
often becoming SO interested that they
lose all thought of the policeman until
that worthy appears in their midst and
nabs couple of the players. White boys
play the game, too, but negroes of all
sizes and ages "shoot" craps There is
only one other game which equals craps
in fascination for them, and that is pol
icy, and, as policy is more liable to be
interfcred with by the police, craps has
all the advantage.
There are destinations about the game
peculiarly African. 1t is not without it's
intricacies; the ordinary "come seven
come eleven" plan of the game is simple
enough, but there is crowd around the
players, and there may be a half dozen
interested in the game and a dozen side
bets. How they manage to keep the run
of the game is mystery to the ordinary
observer, but they do so with unerring
accuracy. Fights over rap games are
rare.
The expressions common to the game
exclaims one. "See my gal Sunday
night exclaims another. :De little
number two,' says one as the unlucky
number shows up. It eight you,' says
another, meaning that he bets that num-
ber will not turn up before the lucky
seven" And so it goes.
The city council Of New Orleans has
just passed a law making the game of
craps illegal. It does not matter where
is is played, whether in the streets, in
the club or at home, craps is specially
singled out as the most depraved of gam
bling games, not to be tolerated any
Where. The game, according to a writer
i'll Harper's, is of New Orleans origin,
and over one huadred years Old. Bernard
de Marigny, who entertained Louis Phil
lipe when he cane 20 Loui ;aria, and who
stood seventy years ago at the head of
the creole colony of the state as it's most
wealthy and prominent citiZen-he was
entitled to call himself marquis in Fran ;e
was the inventor, Or father, of "craps,'
and brought it in high favor as the fash
ionable gambling of the day. When ne
laid off his plantation, just below the
then city Of New Orleans-it is now the
Third district. but was then the Faubourg
Marigny md divided it up into lots, he
named one of the principal streets
"Craps,' and explained that he did so
because ne had lost The money he re-
ceived from the lots on that street in this
favorite game Of his. 1t ,en tined Craps
street until 2 cew years rgo, when a pro-
test raised against
utable name for a very quiet and respect
able street, especially given to churches.
After Bern ard Macigny's death craps as
gambling game descended in the social
scale, and vas finally rno1opolized main.
ly by negroes and street gamins.