The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-10-09
GAS AND EIECTRI,
HISTORY OF 4-11.44.

The heart of many a colored policy
| player was made glad one morning
| when "4-ll-4f' came out in the ''red"
! book-the first ttme since April that
the favorite gig" OF the colored folk
has been drawn, says the $. Louis Re-
! public.
The policy shops were hit exception
| ally hard. IL seems as II the previous
! night had been productive OF dreams
| of the kind that cause the playing Of
what rs usually called the policy gig"
Thousands of dollars were paid To win
ncrs, and every policy shop i'm Chicago
registered losses on the days draw ngs
IN the "lcvee" district In the evening
there was an informal but widespread
celebration OF the momentous occasion.
ColCred men who had won $500 or more
or less on investments not TO exceed 81
o. -, naturally felt that the time was
one for jubilation, and money passed
over the saloon bars at an unusually,
rapid rate. Many decorated themselves
in honor OF their luck. and pedestrians
I'm State and Clark streets could tell by
the ribbons that adorned canes, and by
boutonnieres worn by colored swells
that the famous 4-11-44,' or some 9TH
er popular combination had come out
in the policy books.
1t is singular that on this occasion, as
at previous times, but few white policy
players won in the drawing. The back
ers Of the policy books always dread
the coming out of the gig, because the
colored bettors invariably play IL at
the right time. Ii is not OF record that
on days when the combination is not a
winning one there is any great amount
of money placed on IL. This fact
Strengthens the superstitious tenden-
cles Of the black men.
The "4-11-4f' gig has been famous
since fifteen years ago, when, on Christ
mas night. il came out after having
been played for thousands OF dollars in
every big city in the country. Tradition
has it that a Chicago colored woman
had a dream which She told to friend
with the advice 20 play the numbers 4.
-. "a. In few hours the counsel was |
spread among colored policy PLAYERS |
all over the city. was telegraphed TO !
every part Of the United States and ac- |
cepted with blind faith and marvellous |
ly' lucky results by the majority OF |
those who received it,
Having come INTO prominence in holi- |
day time. the gig is favorite choice in |
holiday seasons but the influence of |
dreams :. Of course. the most potent |
factor In guiding bettors. To dream of
locomotive of a train Of cars. Of
bill-a laundry bill or other account--of |
a horse race or Of several other things
is the signal for tho play Ug OF the |
'l-tI-if gig, or OF other combinations
i'm which the three numbers appear
II Is said that a dream of a colored |
porter in a state street saloon Wednes
day night was the cause OF the heavy
playing In Chieago Of the gig this time: |
and some of the winners are supersti-
tious enough 10 declare that il was tho
cause OF the coming out OF the COM
bination. Policy PLAYERS say II Is drawn
more infrequcntly than any other nom
ulor gig or row. With two drawings
daily In both the red and the green
hooks. four drawings in all 90 is con-
sidered odd that about twice a year on
the average Is the record for the COM
ing out Of the "4-il-f4' in the last ten
or twelve years.