The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-26
INDIAN GAMBLERS.
Tho More Primitive tho People the Creates
Their Love for Games OF Chance.

From tie Scien,ctto american.
Gambling games Of ono kind or another form
a not uncomfortable part Of the mental life Of al
savage peoples who iind in the vagaries of chance.
aided more or less by skill. the occasional ex-
haltation Of mind which all men demand in ono
form another.
Much has been written about games Of chance
with especial reference TO their origin. but this
asucct Of tho case part which they play III
the life Of ,o-day-has been generally overlooked.
Indians. negroes. Cinnamon. have been hastily
cIaSscd as invcterate gamblers, and such indes
from point Of view, they are. says the Chicago
NsuS But there is something more than this
in the universal passion for play which char
actcrizes all the lower races, without being by
The negro. whose whole soul seems absorbed
in the formula Come sebcn. "or Come slebcn
in his favorite game Of craps, Is yielding TO tie
spend all his earnings In the never ending, but
to him and w Which h1 ssssn Of %
own mind. for the loss Of many hours and a fc,:,
II mt Sn sd. 81 his ' saS
ness 81 many business men for agiet ht,'e
Is az eaheG OF Ss, the snns cfSs DR.
haps, in amount, but not IL kind, from that which
holds a little band Of Indians aronie blank.
tie chances Of the game aTs making one nan
rich and the others poor.
81 the Indians have a certain value aside from
the pcturesqucncss which Is nearly always TN
ACCOMPANIMENT All klnus vi RhlntS dIV W 70
found among them. native as we'll as imported.
and while the latter are gradually suppianuiE
the On N S srS tSe
aboriginal games are bE no means "a met Tnsy
from the usually travelled lines, and but iftilo
changed by contact with our own civilization.
There is little doubt that in their origin many.
II not all oi these games were real religious ceIe-
monies. designed 10 iorctcll the future but they
also played the same part in ancient times hat
do tp.lay SuDUlylnR n mental SumullE..
Some ~ the games have come down practically
unchanged In form, although now played un1er
originally, Among them perhaps the most str'k-
ing ~ the game OF moccasin. which seems 10 b.
which every year proves NO ctiecuvc at country
fairs in Turing dollars from the pockets 81 the w,
AMONG the Indian tribes and it has been said that
IL is now cKunct but II can b. seen to-day in liS
aboriginal form In any OF the outlying parts oil
the Navajo reservation in Arizona
The paraphernalia Of the game are very simple
! and always at hand, consisting merely OF knife
or other hard substance "a pebble will do--and
the moccasins Of the players The game Is usually
played al night although sometimes II extends
| over several days, and in its native setting has
| u wcrdncss and fascination which the modern
| fakir cannot claim. Five persons usually PM
iicipatr four Of them ACTIVELY, while the NTH acts
| her watch the progress Of the game and perhaps
place q bit OCCASIONALLY
circular in form, placed in some thicket, or under
| the overhanging branches of large tree. In
| surrounded by fifteen or twenty Indians, squat
ting about IT, or leaning over, intsntly watch
Of OK sS rom huge al fire ss on one SIDE The
| feet is heightened by a weird song, which r.
AND h on snf and
| reaching. sometimes, such frcnZied accents
that the casual passer'by might easily mistake
The players lake their places at the four cor
ners Of the blanket and are paired oil by couples
and the winner Of the toss lays them on a blanket
! upside down. and about six inches apart, with
| the toes pointing forward Then. with his left
hand he lifts each moccasin in turn and makes
| q prctenco Of putting the knife under II, NAL
ing many passes and uslng every pIecaation
During all the time the musician keeps up
continuous drumming, which he accompanies
watch Tor s SSp' slip which viii them
as to which moccasin tho knife or little
When the knife is hidden to the sAts,ce!qn
loud voice, and the singing drops to a low muir.
mur. One OF his opponents Is provided with
a. short stick and he raises ihIeatsnlnsiy oyer
| while all CONVERSATION cceases and eye,y eye Is
| fixed contently upon him. The interest be-
proceeds until finally the. man with the stick
places end Of it under the moccasin he selects
under 1t, he wins, and the former player re-
iinqIishes 70 him The moGcasins and knife,
pSyese 70 hide T the knife While R his @
must guess at its location This reversal in
position gives the nat We player a much better
| chance 10 come out even ON the play than The
| average fakir who works the game at count ~
| fairs is dispos ed 90 allow his victim.
| The peculiar traits Of the Indian character
! especially his pronounced improyidence IL much
in evidence In his gambling. and 1t is not unusual
| for man 10 ride up with an elaborate OUTFIT
horse. saddle and silver bride, silver belt worth
| $40 or more strings Of silver beads and corai
necklaces silver buttons On his mossasins End
and 20 leave a few hours later. bartfoOted and
carrying his saddle on his back, bcrcft Of buttons
| bracelets and everything except his clothing,
| The introduction of American and Spanish OF
| monte cards has given greater opportunities for
play, and has done much TO develop it, Tho
most persistent efforts by many different agents
II break up the practice have been entirely with
| ont effect, and the average Indian agent now
simply ignores what he cannot control IL Ia not n.
usual to see small gambling parties in sheltered
| hooks and corners OF the agency buildings, play
| ing for the goods and ratiOns which have 10 ~
| been issued. The idea Of obtaining something
| for nothing is quite AZ fascinating to the Indian
as 1t is 10 some white men, but among the former
| no odium attaches 20 the gambler for all gam
blers II is only on the hypothesis that play Al
some pronounced want, some great mental mood,
thai IN Is.stla.xs