Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-06-06
CHAPTER XIX.

RAVOONAA16 Rtay0 oA0SA ~ O0S
In rest billets he has numerous other
ways Of amusing himself. He Is a
great gambler, but plays for
large stakes. Generally. In each COM
pany, you will find a regular Garfield.
This man banks nearly all the games
Of chance and Is an undisputed author.
ity on the rules Of gambling. When.
ever there is an argument among the
Tommies about some uncertain point
as to whether Houghton is entitled to
Watkins sixpence, the matter is taken
to the recognized authority and his de-
cislon is final.
The two most popular games are
Grown and Anchor" and blouse"
The paraphernalia used in "Crown
and Anchor" consists Of a piece Of can-
vas two feet by three feet. This Is
divided into six equal squares. In these
squares are painted a club, diamond,
heart, spade, crown, and an anchor,
one device to a square. There are
three dice used, each dice marked the
same as the canvas. The banker sets
up his gambling outfit in the corner OF
a billet and starts bally-hooing until q
crowd Of Tommies gathers around;
then the game starts.
The Tommies place bets on the
squares, the crown or anchor being
played the most. The banker then
rolls his three dice and collects or pays
out US the case may be. II you play
the crown and one shows up on the
dice, you get even money, II two show
up, you receive two to one, and II three,
three to II the crown does not ap-
pear and you have bet on 1t, you lose,
and so on. The percentage for the
banker is large If every square Is
played, but II the crowd il partial to.
say two squares, he has to trust to
luck. The banker generally wins.
The game Of blouse" is very popular
also. It takes two men to run It. This
game consists Of numerous squares Of
cardboard containing three rows Of
numbers, five numbers to a row. The
numbers run from a to ninety. Each
card has a different combination.
The French "estaminets' In the vii.
lagos are open from eleven in the morn.
Ing until sne in the afternoon in &C.
cordance with army orders.
After dinner the Tommies congre-
gate at these places to drink French
beer at q penny a glass and play
"House."
As 500 as the estaminet is sufi.
ciently crowded the proprietors Of the
"House" game get busy and, as they
term 1t, form a school," This consists
Of going around and selling cards at
a franc each. II they have ten In the
school. the hackers Of the game de-
duct two francs for their trouble and
the winner gets eight francs.
Then the game starts. Each buyer
places his card before him on the ta'
BILE. first breaking up matches into a.
teen pieces.
One Of the hackers Of the game hal
q small cloth bag In which are ninety
cardboard squares, each with q mum,
Der printed thereon, from one to nine
ty. He raps on the table and erie.
out: Eyes down, my lucky lads"
All noise ceases and every one L. at
tentien.
The croupier places his hand In thu
bag and draws forth a numbered
squire and Immediately calls out thu
number. The man who owns the card
with that particular number on 1t
covers the square with a match. The
one who covers the fifteen numbers OF
his card first shouts. House" The
other hacker Immediately comes ovel
to him and veriies the card by calling
out the numbers thereon to the mar
with the bag. As each number |.
called he picks 1t out Of the one.
picked from the bag and says, Fright
II the count Is right he shouts, "Houst
correct, pay the lucky gentleman. ant
sell him q card for the next school,
The 'lucky gentleman" generally buy,
one unless he has q miser trace II
his veins.
Then another collection IL made.
school formed. and they carry on Will
the game.
The caller-out has many nicknamei
for the numbers such as "Kelly's Eye
for one, Legs Eleven" for eleven
"Clickety.cllck" for sixty.six, or ITO,
Of the house, meaning ninety.
e a-