Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-22
SHE'LL GAMES ORIGIN.
1t is Asserted 1t Was Invented in
China Centuries Ago.

1t is Asserted 1t Was Invented In
China Centuries Ago.
From tie New York Sun.
1T is a curious thing" said professor of
the chronological department Of a western
college at one Of our city clubs the other
night. ito trace the origin of some of our
gambling games. I was much surprised a
few summers ago. while tramping through
the forests in the northwest on a shoot
ing and fishing trip, to find the real home of
the shell and pea game. We stayed a few
days with the Indians OF the Sac and Fox
tribe. and were invited one evening to enter
a little game of real cards. Some of our
party had scooped the Indians of nearly all
| their ready money, in the white mans pro-
verbally better play when one of the tribe
thought to redeem the honor of his people
by calling our attention to what he called
the moccasin and ball game. 1t was a curl
Gus modification of the old shell and pea
game. and was played by shutting some
baked clay balls about the size of hickory
nuts under overturned moccasins.
THE natural clumsiness Of the moccasinS
made us inclined to bite at the game. but
really 1t resulted in the same disastrous
results as with the neat little shells In the
land of the merry-go-round and race track.
L was rather astonished to hear the Indians
say that the game had been known in their
tribe for over 200 years. and had originated
some little wooden cups that did good serv-
ice for the trim shells, and with some Dor
rowed peas showed the Indians how his
pale-faced brothers did practically the same
trick, which, of course, was new to them.
l am quite convinced that the shell and pea
game Is a Yankee Improvement on the Sacs
and Foxes moccasin and clay ball game"
THAT explanation Is ali very well for the
pioneer west" said an eastern professor.
but the explanation won't suit the eff
fete east. 1t might pass muster were 1t not
for the fact that In my work in archaeol-
ogy in Rome last winter l had this very
matter of gambling games thrust persist
emily under my very nose. and l found the
game of the golden cups played in ancient
Rome was the modern shell and pea game.
1t was copied by them from the effete
Greeks. and was almost Identical with the
to-many- of neutrality-suspicious. with the
shell and pea game Of degenerate days.
Probably in the light of your chronological
Indian discoveries. the French JeSuftS, car
rying French and Roman seeds of vice in
the folds of their garments. In the forms
of pastimes of recreation and skill, showed
your Sacs and Foxes this little game some
time in the sixteenth century, and the
subtle but improvident Indian used his
moccasin and the little balls Of earth. which
could always be obtained wherever he
might camp / suppose the Jesuit game of
recreation in time ceased to be known as
harmless as Indian after Indian was fleeced
of his few belongings.
Even your explanation does not cover
the ground. in fact. does not go back far
enough" said a well-known retired East
Indian importer. The little shell and pea
game Is really Indian in origin. but it is
East Indian. Several years ago, while I
was in north India. saw the shell and pea
game played In the street. 1 thought as
the first speaker tonight said, that the game
was American in origin. but came from the
clever wits of the shrewd Yankee at the
race track. instead of among Indians. 1t
seems the Indians never really realized the
tricks vale as a means of gambling. 1t is
a very old form of amusement among the
East Indian nation, and is really of Chinese
origin.
"A very interesting fact about the mat
ter" said the importer. with a twinkle in
his eye, .is that as matter of pure sport
i showed some boys the gaming propensi-
ties of the American people by describing
our manner of using the little shells 1t de-
lighted and amused them very much, and
since then 1 am informed that the game is
very popular with the fakirs who practice
gambling in that city. 1t is known the
American game So. gentlemen, having
been born in St. Louis, you will see that
pioneer westerner did give points not only
to the effete east, but to the really very
effete east"