Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-04-04

BISMARCK DAILY TRIBUNE, II
|H0Y ! ON CARD PLAY
History Of an Authority That Is
Often Quoted. 4.
WHIST WAS HIS SPECIALITY.
This Genius Was Born In 1872, Beaar
Writing Scientific Gard Rules at the
Age Of Seventy and Was Powe.
Among Players In His Time.
In no other country has the card
club attained tile prominence as a SO.
sial factor it has in the United States
One manufacturing concern. has list
of more than 100000 social card clubs
and vet this list is. incomplete and
must be made up anew at the begin.
ming of each fall season when the card
clubs gather. It serves to show how.
ever, that there is something doing in
the way of card playing as a social
diversion as the list contains only
clubs in which women and men play
for sociability's sake. j
The clubs are of all sizes and kinds
and from every social stratum. There
are few features common to all of
them. Even the language varies with
each game played WHO Is shy? is
the common expression Of one game,
while Second hand low, partner" and
"I'll make next are heard in others.
When it comes to the settlement of a
dispute. however, all the clubs and the
members thereof, from Maine to Cali
Efornia, drop into common tongue, and
the burden of the argument usually
SINNERS down to ITS according to
Hoyle'' or TITS not according to
Hoyle," as the case may. be.
& Just who Hoyle is and why tits ac-
cording to Hoyle,' probably not one in
a hundred knows. To most American
players, and especially those of the
gentler sex, Hoyle is mysterious be-
ing, existing in some unknown local
ity and In some occult way having au-
thority to decide all points that have
been or can possibly be raised regard
Ing any card game under the sun.
Most of them are surprised when told
that there is no Hoyle and that he
ceased to exist, 10, these many genera
lions. ,;f. Vi +: vi. h. .s=zs +
Edmond Hoyle was power among
card players in his time, else his name
would not have the weight it has CEN
turtles after his death. That he was a
frisky young gentle man seems evident,
since he began his writing OF scientific
card game rules at the tender age OF
seventy, a time when most modern
authors are ready to put the pen aside,
and he ontinued y writing until cut
down in the, flower of his youth and
his .nlnetieth year.
Hoyle was born In 1872, and his first
work, the famous Short Treatise on
the Came of Whist was issued In
1742. 1t was circulated In manuscript
form at "a guinea the copy" and the
authors revenues were. further aug
mented by deciding disputed points at
o guinea decision and by giving
whist lessons at a guinea q lesson.
The demand for his manuscript
treatise almost Immediately became
SO great that it was found necessary
to issue it in printed form. The first
printed edition was issued in g1742.
There is but one known existing copy
Of this edition, and that is preserved in
the Bodleian library at Oxford.
The book shows that he was care
less editor, but possessed vigorous
style Of writing and much originality.
He was indeed the first to write sci
entifically on whist or on any card
game, 5 s.5 .....
Guineas, however, were probably as
scarce among the laity in those days
as now, and as a consequence Of the
high price Of his book and the difficulty
of securing copies of it there quickly
appeared a number of piracies. These
We're mostly copies of his later editions,
but there is still In existence a pirated
copy Of the first edition, this copy be.
ing preserved in the library of a play.
ing card company in Cincinnati. In
this volume the gentleman responsi.
BILE for the steal naively defends him.
self as follows:
myself. as you very well know. am
one of those unfortunate Beings that. be.
ing possessed of pretty handsome For.
tune and having a great deal Of idle
Time upon their Hands, constantly spend
q little Portion Of 1t in Gaming. The
Game Of Whist is that which take mos,
Delight in and until OF late fancied nv.
self all along q pretty good Master 81 IL
But, to my vexatfon, 1t Is not long since
lost a considerable Sum OF Money one
Night at It, and yet could not perceive
that the Cards run extraordinary cross
against me: SO that could not but con.
clude was beat by superior Skill. This
put me upon enQuirfng into the Cause
for I was very far from imputinR I,1y
Misfortune to unfair Play; and at last
found that there was q Treatise on the
i - r .