New Britain herald., 1928-12-01

AL ulxHt, UP 70 Ce08SuB tlH6 H
o'clock. the birds were played for.
Dice and cards. played by hundreds
In every saloon. decided the ques-
ton of ownership and finally the
lights went out and the happy win
ners. turkeys under their arms.
wendell their way homeward. prob
ably not bothering to figure the cost
OF their winning until q day or two
later. Some Of them knew they had
won. while others only thought 10.
depending entirely upon the individ-
ual capacity for the beer and liquor
Of that day. and the degree of eau
ton exercised as everyone "set 'em
up" In keeping with the treating
practice in vogue.
Policemen Of that period will
never forget the holiday raffles.
Thanksgiving. Christmas and New
Years were the outstanding occas-
ions for the Tipping of the dice for
the big prizes. and year In and year
out the squawking OF the gobblers
and the eloquent arguments of their
winners holding forth under street
lights at every corner along the
way home. comprised the accepted
night carol OF the season.
Chase After Prize Pigs
Ducks, chickens and pigs were also
ratified in the saloons. and many a
veteran patrolman can recall the
chase after fat porkers released by
mischief makers from the custody Of
their winners just as the homeward
journey was started. Up one street
and down another. into back yards
and over fences, sometimes a dozen
or more men went in hot pursuit Of
a frightened pig which had been
won and bought back and won over
again u hundred or more times In a
night. Hardly less comical, from
the viewpoint of all but the victim.
was the joke perpetrated by fasten-
ing the legs and head Of chicken
to a wooden block SO that when
wrapped in paper the bundle had the
appearance of fine pullet. The
owner, If he was not careful. thought
he was carrying home the bird he
had won, (some winners preferring
to have the prize killed., only to
find on opening the bundle that
someone had substituted the decoy
and walked off with the holiday din
ner.
MEN about town in that period
can recall numerous characters
whose personality and little pecul-
iarities probably will never be du
plicated. They seemed to be In a
class by themselves. possessed OF
friendships they would not lose for
money or realty, still rated as poor
according to the appraisal of their
fellows. Some of them were habitues
of the saloon, while others made
their appearance more or less fire.
quontly, but all of them. 1t seemed.
were on hand when the birds were
being played for. Taking their
games seriously, they entered into
the spirit OF the play with nothing
in mind but the desire to win. and
the way they thumped the table as
they sighted an ace in full view as
the swung 1.-THE best trump was
traditional in every saloon.
As practically every saloon had its
champion. SO did each champion
have his temperament. Known TO
all the players were the lucky
men, making up class to whom the
goods cards seemed always to be
dealt, especially at times when the
phize hung on the next hand. In
the dice games, too, some had but
to shake the box and spill out the
"bonos" to drop the best score of the
night, while others were known TO
stand around all night without cont
ing within striking distance OF u
cIeditable mark.