The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1912-01-26
CARDS TELL STORY
Collector Has Wonderful Assert.
ment of Pasteboards.
Philadelphia Woman Who Has oevot-
ed Twenty Years Of Her Life to
Unique study-Has Paeks
From All Nations.

London.-An American woman who
10 interested in the history Of playing
cards asked the superintendent Of
prints In the British museum not long
ago who was the worlds authority on
cards and card collections.
Il want to consult the best book.
she explained.
The superintendent took q volume
from shelf and gave 1t to her.
This 10 the highest authority" he
said: the author Of this knows more
queer facts about playing cards than
any other living person. She has the
largest collection In the world herself.
And this 10 the best book on the SUD
ject that has ever been written. Inc
author II An American woman.
"'The Devils Picture Books. BY
Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer,,
the American visitor read. But
haven't you anything else? I've read
this, and I wanted to know II there
wasn't another authority I could con-
suit. l am collecting material for
book"
You'll find all there 10 to know
about cards in that one." the man In
sisted. and his questioner sighed.
Il wanted to find out more" she
said. Il know this book by heart
You see. l am Mrs. John King Van
Rensselaer,"
The director gasped. and Mrs. Van
Rensselaer, proceeded to establish her
identity by means Of letter from the
Smithsonian institution in Washing
ton. Then she began to search the
print room of the British museum,
where the card collection IL kept. and
to consult the museums books.
Mrs Van Rensselaer's collection. as
It now stands, IL the most comprehen-
sive and most valuable. as well as the
largest, in the world.
Out OF II she has given to various
American museums their assortments
Of old playing cards.
I am quite sure that every public
collection in America has come out OF
this private collection Of mine." she
said. Il am sure that have gathered
together all the strange and historic
playing cards that are shown In Amer
ica today"
playing cards. you see." Mrs. Van
Rensselaer, went on. may be studied
under three grand divisions. There
are fortune-telling cards. gambling
cards and the various kinds Of educa-
tional cards. Educational cards are
not OF particular interest and gam
bling cards are but the modern adap-
tation of the old fortune-telling cards.
These fortune-telling cards are by far
the most interesting, and It is from
them that one can read strange sto-
ries of the history Of the world and
the customs Of the people.
"Fortune-telling cards are an evolu-
ton of the great Egyptian mysteries.
They were first brought into Phoeni'
cia, Greece and Italy by the Egyptians
or gypsies. know that a great many
people do not believe that the gypsies
are descendants of the old Egyptians,
but do. and my study has confirmed
this belief.
The use of fortune-telling cards
may be traced back to the rites con.
nected with Marduk. In the Bible. and
his son Nebu. In chapter II Of the
book Of Numbers the divine COM
mands are given to consult the cards.
The people believed in the fortune
telling and the oracles. and the for,
tune-telling cards were an important
feature IN their life.