The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-08
GAME OF "CERVERA'S FLEET
RoMPING SPORT, TO BE PLAYED
WITH NATIONAL SPIRIT.
Miser's Grab-bag, Gathering Potatoes
and New Version of the Popular
Klondike.

To play this amusing game requires
basket of potatoes, some large and
some small, just as one might expect
to find them. They are then laid in
line about a foot apart across the floor.
One person at a time kneels and walks
along on his or her knees, and tries
with teaspoon to gather up the pota-
toes again and put them in the basket.
This is far more difficult than it ap-
pears, and often the most ludicrous ac-
cidents arrive. The others follow in
turn, and timekeeper has kept ac-
count of the length of time each has
spent trying to pick up the potatoes.
The one who gathers them in the
shortest time wins a prize.
The miser's grab-bag is another
Iaughable game. There may be a bag
or large vase filled with peanuts, and
each player is TO hand a slip of paper.
signed with his or her name, to the
keeper of the grab-bag, and on it write
the number of nuts he expects to Sc
cure. Then he or she may plunge the
right hand down among the nuts, and
grasp all he can and bring them out.
The number-and it is generally disap-
po1ntlngly small-is counted, and writ
ten down, beside the number expected.
After all have done their best, the slips
are read, and the one having the great
est difference between what he did get
and what he thought he would get,
loses; and the one whose guess was
nearest right, wins. The hole in the
bag, and the neck of the vase, where
one is used, should be small
A very up-to-date game is called
Cervera's fleet. When there are
enough persons present to play it, it
Nx-hi 70
One corner of the room is fenced off
by chairs, and inside this are the
ships forming Cervera's fleet Each
player should have the name of the
ship he represents pinned to his breast
In the other part of the room the ships
belonging to the American fleet are
roaming around, keeping a watchfuI
eye upon the imprisoned craft in san
uago bay. There should be another
row of chairs closing another corner Of
the room, and this is labeled Havana
1t is the object of each ship in Ger
vera's fleet to escape from Santiago
bay and reach Hava--a, and that Of the
American navy to Eevent them
Exact historical record is not to be
expected, so each American ship that is
caught by hands outstretched from
Santiago, has to go in there as pris-
oner of war, and each Spanish ship
caught during one of its sorties toward
Havana, is kept prisoner of war. but it
is generally expected that the Spanish
ships suffer complete defeat. When
the ships are all captured the whole
company falls in line and marches to
Hail Columbia or some other patri-
otto air. A game of this kind can be
varied as much as is desired, and there
are always clever persons in q company
to suggest interesting changes.
A rather more ambitious game is
called Klondike. This is very suitable
for birthday, Valentine day. or Eas-
ter party. A lot of ribbon is procured,
and to each is tied a little gift. The
ribbon is hidden with a gift in a
large pile of sawdust, which is heaped
up in the middle of the room on q
sheet. Each player then receives a ia
blespOOn. and all kneeI around the pile
and begin to dig for sold. When he or
she has found the end of a ribbon, the
spoon is dropped and the ribbon held
on TO until the leader asks if they
have all reached pay dirt" If they all
answer Yes" they are told to pull,
and the ribbon unwinds, and the little
gift is brought forth. Some of the
gifts are cOmical, but none should be
expensive.
It is a pretty and amusing game.
This same plan could be carried out by
having a few articles of some value,
and others of trifling cost. scattered
unfortunately through the sawduSt
or sand-without ribbons. The whole
surface of the mine is then marked off
into sections and each section sold to
q miner for 10 cents, the amount going
to a church or charity, each miner to
have all he finds with a tablespoon in
his section. The finds are often very
amusing. as men getting small dolls,
and ladies finding cigarette-holders or