Evening journal., 1900-02-13
A MANIA FOR CHANCE
PRIMITIVE PEOPLE Rave = LOVE
FOR GAMBLING.

Indians Seem to Revel in the vari-
Gus Games Of Chance.
Gambling games Of one kind or an
ether form a not lnconsiderable part OF
lie mental life Of all savage people
Who find IN the vagaries Of chance,
aided more or less by Skill. the coca
sional oxhaltation Of mind which all
men demand In one form or another.
Much has been written about games
n chance. especial reference TO their
origin, but this aspect Of the case-the
part which they play in the life Of to-
cay--has been generally overlooked.
indiana. negroes, Cinnamon. have been
hastily classed as inveterate gamblers,
aud such indeed from one point of
view, they are, says the Chicago News.
J,ut there Is something more than this
tn the universal passion for play which
tlaracterlzes all the lower races. with
out being by any means confined to
hem.
The negro, whose whole soul seems
absorbed In the formula, Come seb-
en-" or "Come eleben," In his favorlte
lame Of craps, Is yielding TO the same
impulse which causes the Chinaman
30 spend all his earnings In the never
ending, but to him always fascinating
mysteries Of ran tan" and which
instifies The Mexican, In his own mind,
f0r the loss OF many hours and q few,
not many, dollars In the allurements
monte on the sunny side OF his
dobe shack. The fondness OF many
uslness uen for "Quict little game
f. an exhibition OF the same desire for
mental excitement and change, dider-
Cnt perhaps. IN amount, but not Ia
i,ind, from TINT which holds n little
baud Of Indians around blanket
spread upon the ground for days nc
% time while the chances of the game
ere making one man rich and the 9th
prs poor.
From this point of view the gam
bling games Of the Indians have GER
ilin value aside from the picturesque
ness which Is nearly always an accom-
naninent. All kinds Of games are 70 be
found among them. native as well as
imported, and while the latter are
gradually supplanting the former on
account OF greater convenience. and
perhaps because OF quicker action, the
t-lct aboriginal gnnes are by no
means extinct They can still be found
n Fun swing IN many parts Of the
United States which are n little re-
note from the usually travelled iiues
aud but little changed by contact with
our own civilization.
There Is little doubt that In their ORR
gin many. II not all, Of these games
: were real religious ceremonies. de-
, slgned TO foretcil the future, but they
also played the same part in ancient
mes that they do to-day In supplying
mental stimulus. Some Of the games
, have come down practically unchanged
Inc FORM although how played under
r entirely different conditions from what
hey were originally. Among them
y perhaps. the most striking Is the game
q of moccasin, which 81 ems 20 be I'M
! auestOnably the forerunner Of the
"a little Joker" which every year proves
q % effective at country fairs Ia lurinl
dollars from the pockets OF the I'm
= vary This game was once widely
n distributed among the Indian tribes
, nd Il has been said that II is now eX
4 met: hut it can be seen to-day In III
I 1originai form in any of the out-ly
iug parts Of the Navajo reservation In
4 arizona.
e The paraphenalia Of the game arc
r cry simple and always at hand, con
G. listing merely of a knife or other hare
q uhstanre-a pebble will do-ani the
!. iOccasins Of the players. The game Is
e gsually played at night, although
4 ometimes II extends over several days
lnd I'm its native setting has n weird
l. ness and fascination which the mod
q IN faSir cannot claim. Five persons
|. usually participate. four Of them ac
/. lively, while the NTH acts as a must
finn. hut usually n much larger mum
ser watch the progress of the game
II nd perhaps place a het occasionally.
!. Picture rude shelter Of greer
u l0nghs, roughly circular in form
a placed I'm some thicket. or under The
y overhanging branches Of a large tree
n the centre a blanket Is spread upoI
n no ground. surrounded by fifteen ol
I twenty Indians squatting about IL, o
I. leaning over, intently watching the
IA rlay. Over all the htful glow and pla,
M z light from n huge fire on one side
he cifec IS heightened by weirl
Ia e0ng, which is a constant accompani
M lent Of tire game, and which rises anl
=. ais as tho excitement grows ang
V'anes. reaching. sometimes, such frcn
q ed accents that the casual passerh,
III light easily mistake il for n war song
The players take their places mt tn
az 1nr corners of the blanket. and ar
N lairpd off by couples. Each player con
rihutes one Of his moccasins. and TN
n. winner OF the toss lays them on
n ,lanket upside down. and about sii
N inches apart, with the toes pointing
. Onward. Then, with his left hand h
m lifts each mOccasin in turn and make
% pretence Of putting the knife undo
4, making many passes and using CIV
no cry nrecauiion 10 deceive his opponent
M md the spectators During all the tim
u lhe musician keeps up a continuou
~ drumming which he accompanies wit
M song. Ia the song the others all joil
IN but the opponents Of the player
ia eagerly watch for some slip which vii
M live them a clue as 70 which moccasii
IA the knife or little Joker is conceale
under.
"a When the knife is hidden 20 the sal
in Isfaction Of the player he suddenl
iv ais out "How in q loud voice, an
n. ie singing drops to a low murmu
~ one of his opponents is provided wit
NJ b short stick aud he raises Il threa Ell
ugly over the moccasins. first owe
d, one, then over another. while al col