Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1897-01-06
rHE GAME OF CRAPS.
It Originated In Sew orleans over Cen
tury Ago.


tury Ago.
If thero is one game to which tho
Savannah negro Is devoted above all
others, il is craps. City or country,
il Is all alike.
On Sundays the country negroes
gather in little groups in the shade
of the trees, out of sight of the big
house." and play all day long or
until the wages which thoy received
ON Saturday night arc gone. In tho
cities they gather On tho wharvos.
in tho cornors of warehouses or
any favorable spot out of sight Of
the cop and play for any amount
they may possess, from coppers to
dollars
Tho Savannah bootblaoks and
newsboys, like those of any uthor
city, gamble away thoir earnings,
and many eamo is carried ON in
the lanes, tho players often becom-
ing SO interested that they lose all
thought OF tho policeman until that
worthy appears in thoir midst and
nabs n couple of tho players Whito
boys play the gamo too, but negroes
of all ages and sizes "shoot" craps.
Thoro is only ono other gamo which
equals craps in fascination for thom,
and that Is policy, and, as policy il
moro iablo TO be intorfored with by
the police, craps has all tho advan-
tago.
Thoro arc destinations about tho
game peculiarly African. 1t is not
without it's intricaoios. Tho ordina-
ry come seven, come eleven" plan
of tho game is simple enough, hut
thero is IA crowd around tho players,
thoro may bo II half dozon interest
cd IN the game and dozen side bots.
How they manage to kecp tho run
of the game Is a mystery TO tho or.
binary observer, but they do so with
unorring accuracy. Fights ovor crap
games are rare.
The expressions common to tho
gamo arc amusing. New dross for
do baby" eXolaims one. SEQ my
gal Sunday night, exclaims anoth-
or. "De little number two," says
one, as that unluol1y number shows
up. Il eight you, says another,
meaning that he bots that number
will not turn up again before tho
"lucky seven. =" And so il goes.
The city council of Now Orleans
has just passed a law making tho
game of craps illegal. 1t docs not
matter whore it is played, whether
IN tho streets, in tho club or mt
home, craps is specially singled out
as tho most depraved of gambling
games, not to be tolerated anywhere.
Tho game, according TO writer in
Harper's, is of Now Orleans origin
and over 100 years old. Bernard do
/ Marigny, who entertained Louis
| Philippe when he came 10 Louisi-
ana, and VINO stood, 20 years ago, as
/ the head of the creole colony of the
/ state as its wcalthiest and most
prominent citizen-ho was entitled
to call himself marquis in French
was tho invoBtor or father, Of
"craps' and brought 10 in Ligh fa-
vor as the fashionable camb bling oi
the day. Whcn ho laid off bis plan.
tation, just below tho then city oil
New Orlcans-it Is now tho Third
district. but was then the Tauloure
Marigny--und divided 10 up into
lots, he named one Of the principal
streets Craps and explained that
/ he did SO because no bad lost the
money no received from tho lots on
/ that stroot in this favCrit0 gaino OF
his. II remained Craps street until
"a few years ugO. when protest was
raised against such a disrcputable
name for "a very quict and rospecta-
/ blCstTcot especially given TO church
os. Tho Craps Street Methodist
church" sounded particularly bad.
T Aftor Bernard Mariguy death craps
as % gambling game descended in
f the social scalo and was finally mo.
nopolizod mainly by negroes and
street gamiu5.-Sayaunah Eows.