Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-11-09
UJsrORY oF4-iI-4s.
a Coiored Woman IN chicago Once Had n
Dream.

a Coiored Woman IA chicago Once Had n
Dream.
st. Louis Republic-
The heart of many colored policy
player was made glad yesterday morn"
ing whom oil Id" came out in the
"red'' book--tho first timo since April
that the favorite gig OF the colored
folk has been drawn.
The policy shops were hit ex-
ceptionally hard. 1t seems as il the
previous night had been productive of
ing of what is usually called the
"policy gig.'' Thousands of dollars
were paid to winners, and every rolicy
shop in Chicago registered losses on
the days drawings.
a In the "levee'' district in tho even
ing there was an informal hut WIDE
spread celebration Of the momentous
occasion. Colored men who had won
5000 or more or less on Investments not
to exceed 81 or 50, naturally felt that
the time was one for iubilation, and
money passed over saloon bars at an
unusually rapid rate. Many decorated
themselves in honor of their luck, and
pedestrians in State and Clark streets
could tell by the ribbons that adorned
canes, and by the boutonnieres worn
by colored swells that the famous
"4-11-44," or some other 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 hackers of the policy books always
| dread the coming out of the gig, be-
| cause the colored bettors invariably
play it at the right time. 1t is not OF
record that on days when the com
bination is not winning one there is
any great amount of money placed OIL
it. This fact strengthens the supersti
tious tendencies of the. black men.
Tho "4-11 Ia" gig has been famou:
since 15 years ago, when. on Christmas
night, it came out after il had beer
played for thousands of dollars in over,
big city IN the country. Tradition ha
it that Chicago colored woman hat
dream which she told to friend
with the advice to play the number
A, IL, IA. In few hours the counse
was spread among colored policy player
all over the city, was te,egraphed t.
every part of the United States, ant
accepted with blind faith and mar
velously lucky results by the majorit.
of those who received it.
Having come into prominence II
holiday time. the gig is favorit
choice in holiday seasons, but the in
fuence of dreams is, of course, tn
most potent factor in guiding bettors
To dream of locomotive, of train c
cars, of q bill-a laundry bill or an
other account--of horse race or {
, several other things is the signal fo
, the playing Of the ''4-11-44" gig, c
of other combinations in which th
, three numbers appear.
, 1t is said that dream of a colore
, porter in State street saloon Wednes
day night was the cause of the heav
! playing in Chicago of the gig thi
| time; and some of the winners al
superstitlous enough to declare that
/ | was the cause of the coming out of til
j combination. Policy players say it
drawn more infrequently than any oth'
3 popular gig or row. With two draw
3 ings daily in both the red and tt
green books, four drawings in all, it
considered odd that about twice a yei
g on the average is the record for Il
= coming out of the ''4-11-44" in tt
last 10 or IL years.