New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-13

Leisure Hours of Immigrants This City Dire Enlightened By Playing
Their National Games of "1fora' and Pale"

Il never could see why he should be called the
sad eyed gloomy faced Italian" said one who IS
interested in foreign quarters and who spends
many of his spare moments delVing into musty
alleys and out of the way corners of this com
T.eT city 4'The mistaken impression is current
that the Italian-at least the poverty stricken,
task ridden Italian of the slums-loOks life
through gray glasses Nothing could be further
from the truth He has his hours of recreation
and he enjoys them in mis- way. He has his
games dignifed, ancient games. handed down
through many generations, some of them from
the days of Caesar. He plays them joyously,
with much noise and no little drinking of YER
S.oUth which he loves for it's bitter twang and
aIeowing effect
The pair had turned out of busy Bleecker-st.
} % equally crowded Macdougal-st- They picked
their way slowly south through hordes of chill
Eren-thousands to the block. it seemed
Look at this fellow, the one with the white
4at7 observed the foreign quarter expert
Anything sad eyed about him."
1t was o'clock in the evening The fellow.
twenty-five years old, perhaps and subway
worker, had finished his days work, gulped
down a supper in which garlic and spaghetti
were equally prominent, dressed In his finest,
and On his way to call upon his in
tended, the brown eyed daughter of Louie. the
bread stick baker, who lives and works in a
basement near where old Mulberry Bend used to
be His coat was under his arm and the pink
shirt open at the neck, for the evening
WARM On one block he Whistled merry strain
from an opera of the homeland While tray
cling the next he hummed softly Neapolitan
folk song he strutted past happy front stoop
groups he extended and received friendly greet
ings from acQuaintances whom he passed He
happy.
Nothing sad eyed about him, is there? he Is
a Neapontan, to whom prolonged gravity LIS
impossible He would be conyuIsed with laugh
fer if a good joke was told while he was on his
way to the electric chair BE would risk his last
cent at mora. and
What is -mora'?" asked the stranger to the
quarter
4 will show you" said the student. leading the
way into a little wine shop which occupied the
ground floor of a dwelling. THE group in the
corner are playing it to see who will pay for the
drinks
The men stood facing each other with right
arms raised, the fists closed. AS they brought
down the arms each shouted number and shot
out several fingers The number shouted rep
resented the guess Of the player 10 the num-
Der OF fingers the opponent would show. For
instance, one player will shout "Five!" and
throw out two fingers. the other shout six"
and throw three fingers The first would win.
for the sum Of the fingers is five and that was
his shout. A whole roomful of Italians will
play the game for stakes small and large, shout
ing and throwing their arms in a manner most
confusing to the stranger. Even the bootblacks
and newsboys devoted TO mora playing
# for pennies or for penalties. the usual one
being swat" the back with a bunch of
newspapers tightly rolled
Il have been told" said the student, that If
two Italians were struggling in the water hold |
ing TO a support which would only sustain the
weight OF one they would resort to mora TO
decide which should retain his hold. The
loser would, they say drop off. even though It
cost him his life. IT is well known that Malta |
bands often use the game to decide who will