Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-12-30
lure OF CHECKERS.
A Game That Has Been Played
For Twenty Centuries.
LONG KNOWN AS "DRAUGHTS."


In Their Writings, and Many Relics
Of Il Have Been unearthed From the
Tombs Of Ancient Egypt.
In the messengers room Of big i'll
dustrial plant two boys lowered medl-
tatively over checkerbOard OF red and
black squares and moved their men
from square to square with much pre-
meditation. An old man CHANGED that
way and, lured by the contest, stopped
and looked on. Taking the liberties or
the rights that his years warranted, he
suggested a move and was soon alb
SOrbed in the game. Another man
came by and stopped. and soon there
was a group around the silent and in
tent contestants. The lure Of check
ers was upon them.
This game in slightly modified forms
has exercised its fascination upon the
human race for centuries that cannot
be counted. Checkers" is a new name
for an ancient game. To English
speaking people it was long known as
.'draughts," aad in all the languages
Of civilized men it has name. There
are variations in the way OF playing
it, but it is the familiar checkers Of our
time just the same.
So many things come to light out Of
the ancient tombs Of Egypt that 1t
strikes the modern man as remarka
bic how many articles they buried
with men in those dim. long gone ages,
but out of tombs at least twenty cen
turtles old explorers, excavators and
tomb breakers have brought forth
i,ieceS of checkerboards and the disks
which for some reason are called
men" And as such things have been
found in tombs that were sealed TWEEN
ty centuries ago 1t is possible that
some time in very much older tombs
explorers may find relics Of checkers.
In the British museum one of the
exhibits in the Egyptian collection is
board anG men OF the ancient game
which came out of one of those ancient
tombs. Some Of the oldest OF the mu-
raj decorations of ancient Egypt de-
pict players engaged at draughts, or
whatever the ancient Egyptians may
have called the game.
Classic references may be found to
draugLts. Plato mentioned it and
writes that it was the invention OF al
Egyptian whom he called Hermes Iris
megistUs, but where and how Plato got
the information are not clear. 1t is
very easy to say that such and such
Il man invented such and such game.
but close investigation usually proves
that lie hit Oh some adaptation or vari-
alton Of very much older game.
Tracing the genesis Of 4 game of
skill or chance usually leads the in
vestioator 100 far back in the miSts Of
the past to he sure that he has found
the correct answer.
This game is also mentioned by
Homer. and he records the observa-
ton that it was played during the pc
Rod with which the Odyssey" deals.
There is little doubt that the Greeks
played the game and that at a later
period the Romans played variant
of it, which they called ''latrunculi."
1t was early played through north
ern Europe and was played there at
such Il remote period that it was said
to have been one of the few things
which were not introduced in that re-
:iOn by the Romans.
| 1t was one Of the most popular games
in Europe during the sixteenth CEN
fury. In the Library of Congress are
several old books treating of the game
Samuel Johnson once wrote preface
to book on the game Of draughts
which one William Payne had com
posed at the expense Of much time and
effort.
Students of checkers and very old
players of the game recall the names
Of Anderson. an Englishman, and Wyl-
lie. the herd laddie.' who We're ia
nous checker players about half
century ago. Wyllie travelled all over
the world playing contests with local
checker experts and enthusiasts. Mar
tens. an English player and two Amer
leans, Yates and Barker. succeeded to
the fame Of Anderson and Wylle.-
Washington Star.