Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-10-01
MaiIstorm
Kicked Up
By Forty-Five
Irish Aroused by Lack
Of Runyon knowledge
BY DAMON RUNYON

Mr. TUCKER, of The Chicago
~ Herald American, kicked up
a-tcrrlfc mallstorm with his let
Ter 10 as on a card game called
Forty:fNe
The recent KlabiaSh disturb
ance was just a zephyr COM
pared 10 this one, and only the
Atlantic Seaboard has been
heard from We SILVER at the
mere contemplation of the re-
turns from the outlying pre-
cincts.
Mr.. Tucker wrote us asking
Information on Forty-five,
which he remembered seeing his
grandfather play and We passed
the request on to our readers.
Ere the ink on the paper had
dried bold Tom OReilly, the
sports columnist, was under the
wire with p bit Of brow lifting
at our ignorance, and some dope
on the game. and after him by
-t4ttf- amt pnxt-car11c- tttt1cECnn-
muniques adding to the testi-
mony,
1T APPEARS that through Mr..
Tucker we have stumbled
upon one of the best known and
tWost popular Irish pastimeS
that survives IN some parts to
this day, as is indicated by a
telegram from Nito Cogin, who
signs himself secretary Of the
O'Connor 45 Club, with head
quarters at Owney McCoys
Weehawken Tavern. and chal-
lenges any other club in New
York to play match.
Secretary Cogin says the
game is in the book of official
rules as issued by the United
States Card Company, and re-
marks somewhat bitingly that
if We had sought for Informal
tion about the game in Third
avenue above Forty-Second
street in New York or down in
Greenwich Village, instead of
along Broadway, we would have
been enlightened.
Secretary Cogin says 10 com
pare Forty-fiVe with Klab is
akin 10 treason.
Joseph !. German wires that
The greatest Forty-five players
out Of Ireland have lived at Ink
erman at the mort h end Of
WilkeS-Barrc Pa, since the Civil
War. and be adds that real
Forty-fiVe players do not merely
slam the table. as Mr.. Tucker
recalled was the practice Of his
grandparent and his opponents,
but stand up in order TO put
their entire weight behind their
slams. a gesture of triumph, as
we understand it.
JOSEPH A. BARTON Of 429
y East One Hundred-thirty-
fifth street. New York, speaks
of Forty-five as the national
paStime of the Irish.
He says it is called Forty-fve
as the first player 10 gain a.
points is tho winner and that it
is quite a gambling game and
max be PLAYED by as many as
nine al once.
He says he never heard Of
the Knave (Jack) being referred
to as the Duke of Cork. as Mr..
Tucker said was the custom Of
his grandfather hut suggests
that il may have been one of
those pet terms that nearly
every card player has for the
different cards.
Tom OReilly says he is writ
ing home 10 get a report on
that point.
Tom says his father also
called tho Knave "thr mcaneSt
card in the deck" as did Mr..
fuckers grandfather The elder
OReilly told Tom his father. a
County Cavan man. taught him
the game but Tom asserts that
the best Forty-hve player in the
family was his mothers brother,
Tom CoStigan. a famous Sew
York turfman in his day
II was Tom Cosugan who
taught uS 10 play rummy with
two decks at tho old Nolney
Club of hallowed memory,
TOM O'REILLY even rcmem-
bcrS an old song that lifted
in Irish Tg tine Of Jimmy
Organ. "a man of fame. noted
far and near for heatin' the
diWl at Forty~fve and drinkin'
o lager beer -
II seems that poor Jimmy fell
In with some Jersey blokeS who
led him around like n toy" 50
'Tfu1r0V Joined tho Natv Nork