The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-10
ORIGIN OF BRIDGE.
Great Whist Game Is Said to Have
Come From Russia.
saturday Review)

fNeNleN.J
The real origin of bridge is somewhat
shrouded I'm mystery. The game is said
TO have originated in Russia. but there
is no satisfactory proof of this state
ment. 1t was first known under the
title of "biritch, or Russian whist" and
this, no doubt, gave rise to the idea
that IL was OF Russian origin, although,
as matter of fact the word ''biritch,"
is not to be found in any Russian die
| tionary. The game, as we play it, is
far more likely to have been of Levan-
tine origin. IT was certainly played.
very much in its present form, some
| forty years ago, in eastern Europe,
notably in COnstantinople and in
Greece, and if there were any necessity
to assign it to a definite nationality we
should not hesitate 20 award the honor
to Greece.
The prevalent idea that bridge was
unknown in England UP to the time of
its introduction at the Portland club in
1894 is an entirely mistaken one. 1t was
quite unknown in clubland, but there
is indisputable evidence of it's having
been known and regularly played in
private circles for many years prior TO
that date.
1t is stated in the supplement to the
ninth edition of the Encyclopedia Bri-
first introduced into England in the
year 1880. but no information is given
as to who furnished this statement,
or as - what authority, if any, there
] is for It,
| We have received a letter from an
| English gentleman of Greek extraction,
now a resident in London. in which we
are assured that the writer can remen-
/ Der the game of bridge, very much in its
/ present form, being regularly played
| among a colony Of Greeks settled in
| Manchester, of whom his own father
/ was one as far back as the seventies
/ of the last century. The only import
ant point of difference between the
game as it is played now was that the
value of no trumps was 10 points per
| trick instead of u, and that the four
aces in one hand counted so above the
line instead of 100, as at present. Also.
/ the lead of a heart, in answer to a
! double of no trumps by the leader S
partner which is commonly supposed to
have originated in America, was the
! general custom. The short suit con-
vention had not then been heard Of.
| That was probably a purely English
! convention in later days.
! In the year 1886 a small pamphlet
was printed in London, entitled
'Biritch. or Russian Whist" There is
said to be only one copy Of this pamph-
| let i'm existence, and that is in the
! library of the British Museum. IT gives
! a very attenuated description of the
game. with the method of scoring and a
/ few laws as to declaring, passing the
declaration, etc; but again we are
without available information as to who
! framed these laws, or by whose au-
thority they were published AS the
game is there described, the most valu-
! able declaration corresponding TO our
present call of mo trumps," was
/ ''biritch." or playing without trumps,
| and the value of the call was again
10 points per trick instead of H. and
! also four aces in one hand counted so,
not 100. The winners of the rubber
added 40 points to their score, instead
| of 100 points, as in our present game,
| and this extra score was called "conso-
| latiOn."
There can be no doubt that the score
| for no trumps ought to be 10 points per
| trick and not IL, as that is following
The regular upward sequence of the suit
! declarations. .. a. 6. 8, 10, and also. if
! the value of the tricks at no trumps
/ is to be u points, why should the honor
score for aces not be also II points in
! stead of 10? When or why, or how or
| nv whom the change was made is quite
unknown. When the game was first
introduced at the Portland club we
were certainly told that the value of
no trumps was II points per trick. and
/ the error, if error it was, must some
! how have crept in accidentally