The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-10

played under entirely different condltloils
from what they were originally. Among
them perhaps the most striking Is the
game of moccas sin, which seems 10 De uti-
ques tiouably the forerunner OF the niue
Joker" which every year proves so erect
i've at country fairs in Turing dollars from
The pockets of the unwary. This game
was once widely distributed among the
Indian tribes and it has been Sald that
1t is now extinct; but il can ne seen To-
day in its aboriginal form in any OF the
outlaying parts of the Navajo reservation
in Arizona.
The paraphernala 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 or
the players. The game is usually played at
night, although sometimes il extends
over several days, and in its native set
ting has werdness and fascination which
the modern fakir cannot claim. Five per-
sons usually participate, four of them &C
lively while the fifth acts as musician
but usually a much larger number watch
the progress of the game and perhaps
place a bet occasionally.
Picture a rude shelter Of green boughs,
roughly circular in form, placed in soma
| thicket or under the overhanging branches
of a large tree In the center blanket
| is spread upon the ground, surrounded by
fifteen or twenty Indians, squattiug about
! it. or leaning over, intently watching the
play. over all the fitful glow and play OF
| light from a huge fire on one side. Inc Ell
| feet is heightened by a weird song, which
! is a constant accompaniment of the game,
/ ana Wnicn rises auo fans s.'tliS s-1@-it7
ment grows and wanes, reaching. some
! times. such frenZied accents that the cas-
ual passer-by might easily mistake it for
| war song.
The PLAYERS take their places at the
| four corners of the blanket and are pair
! ed off by couples. Each player contributes
one of his moccasins, and the winner or
| 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 a pretense OF putting the knife
under It, making many passes and using
! every pracaution to deceive his opponents
| and the spectators. During all the time
! the musician keeps up continuous num-
! ming which he accompanies with a song.
! In the song the others all join, but the
| opponents of the players eagerly watch
| for some slip which will give them a
| clue as to which moccasin the knife or
! little Joker is concealed under
When the knife is hidden to the salts
| faction of the player, he suddenly calls
! out "Hor' in a loud voice, and the sing
| ing drops to low murmur. one of his
| opponents is provided with a short stick,
| and he raises II tiIGdleilIlSlS ONti inc
moccasins, first over one, then over an
| other. while all conversation ceases and
| every eve is fixed intenty upon him. The
| int crest becomes more and more intense
as this byplay proceeds until finally the
man with the stick places one end OF 1t
under the moccasin he selects ana turns
IL over. Should the knife be found under
If. he wins. and the former player relin-
ouishes to him the moccasin and knife,
! together with the stakes. 1t is thereupon
his privilege to hide the knife. while his
| orpouent must guess at it's location. This
reversal in position gives the native play
err a much better chance to come out even
on the play than the average fakir who
works the game at country fairs is dis
posed to allow his victim.
| The peculiar traits of the Indian char
acter, especially his pronounced improvi-
dence, is much in evidence in his gam
bling, and II is not uusual for man 10
ride UP with an elaborate outht, horse,
! saddle and silver bride, silver belt
worth $40 or more, strings of silver beads
and coral necklaces, silver buttons on
his moccasns and leggings, etc, the whole
rig worth perhaps $500, and to leave few
hours later, barefooted and carrying mis-
saddle on his back, bereft of buttons
bercelets and everything except his cloth
ing.
The Introduction of American and Span
ish or monte cards has given greater OPP
portunities for play, and has done much to
develop it, The most persistent efforts by
many different agents to break up the
practice have been entirely without effect,
and the average Indian agent now simply
ignores what he cannot control 1t Is not
unusual to see small gambling parties in
sheltered hooks and corners of the agency
buildings playing for the goods and RAJ
tons which have just been issued. The
idea OF obtaining something for nothing
is quite as fascinating to the Indian as
il IS 10 some white men, but among the
former no odium attaches to the gambler.
for oil are gamblers. 1t is only on the
hypothesis that play fills some pronounc-
ed want. some great mental need, that its
universal distribution among the Indians
can be explained