The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-10
John T. Mitchell

10 pAoObACdlAy lAc IdJu6r OF duplicate
whist. The first game of duplicate that
we have any record of was played in Lon
don in 1857 by two teams of four, as we
call them now. Matthias Boyce ONO
gur'), Henry Jones ('Cavendish"), Daniel
Jones, brother of ''Cavendish, rand Edward
Wilson comprising one team, Messrs.
lizard, Bullock, Chinery and Lewis the
other. 1t took Mr.. Mitchell several years
10 awaken interest in the duplicate game,
but it must make his heart thump when
he realizes the thousands of minister's that
sing his praises.
G. D. ?. Hamilton Says Silence
Discreet people prefer to do one thing at
time and do it well. The best whist
players know that they cannot do any,
thing but play whist while playing whist.
They find that all their faculties are taxed
to the utmost on reading what the cards
have to say. The best whist and silence
are inse parable. Silence is in harmony
with the dignity and intellectual scope of
the American game of long whist, where
all the cards are played and the play is for
mental recreation.
Credit to Whom Whist Credit Is
Due.
There is no man in the whist world that
we owe more to than General A. w. Dray-
son. The whist writers for the past
twenty years, or right up to date seem to
be afraid to tell the truth--if they know it
or afraid it will cause their star to lose
little OF its brilliancy CD if they say
General Drayson suggested this or that.
Several years ago we suggested to "Caven-
dish" that he write whist book for be-
ginners, and to put into this book not
only tables of leads, but tables of second
and third hand play. AT that time such
an idea never appeared in print. Three
years later this idea was put into book
in this country as new idea. Major
: General Drayson, about forty years ago,
invented method of finding the distance
of objects for artillery practice, but the
system was rejected by the British Gov
eminent as a useless fad" Fifteen years
after an individual connected with the
Government "a gentleman with "pull')
rediscovered exactly the same thing and
called it range finding" i was at once
accepted and the individual was well re-
warded. Finding the distance was
termed grange finding" it was most vaIu-
able. When "Cavendish" first reviewed
Drayson's practical Whist in the Field
he rather ridiculed the idea of what Dray-
son called the 'antepenultimate" Fourth
best) from six, and when Mr.. Trist named
the play fourth best, it was said by "Cav-
endish" to be great discovery. 1t is
easy to follow and improve, but not quite
/ so easy to originate.
| The whist-players of America are in
debted to General Drayson for this much
that we know of: First, alteration OF laws
and adopted by the American Whist
League, with due credit to Drayson; Sec
ond, "Uhange your suit to trumps," in
stead of calling for trumps, with its i'm
portant results; third, the more free use
of trumps (pase Ill, Practical WHISKY;
fourth, calling for trumps in the original
lead fifth, the reverse discard; sixth, the
lead of the Fourth best' from suits not
headed by high cards in sequence. This
| much we know originated with General
Drayson, and the whist editor of The CALL
| will always try to give credit to whom
credit is due.
No Whist Clubs in Connecticut.
Law 81 OF the Primitive Judicial Code,
which existed IN this State during the
time of the first settlers and their imme-
diate descendants, commonly called the
blue Laws of Connecticut" reads as
follows:
mo one shall read common prayer,
keep Christmas OF Saints day, make
mince pies, dance, play whist or play on
any instrument of music, except the drum,
the trumpet and the jewsharp."'
Whist Don'ts in Pamphlet Form
Free.
The whist don'ts that were published in
the whist columns of this paper August Is
have at last come from the printers hands
in pamphlet form. This little volume is
published by the Owl Drug Company and
will be sent to all lovers of the game
throughout the world free of charge.
Don't hesitate to order this little book on
account of the cost. The publishers
81 70 Ia OH 70 mr. tba