A Marking-board designed for use in Playing an Improved Game.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Marking-board designed for use in Playing an Improved Game.
I, FREDERIC SANDEMAN DE MATTOS, of 24 Burton Crescent, in the County of
London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved marking-board and has for its object to
provide for the playing of an improved game in which the numbers gained by
throwing dice, spinning teetotums or in other ways depending either upon chance
or skill, are marked upon a course or path depicted upon a board and divided into
spaces in some of which there are directions that determine or influence the result
of the game as hereinafter set forth.
My improved marking-board is to be used with discs or counters distinguished
by difference of colour or in any other convenient manner, or with other suitable
markers.
On this board there is painted, printed or otherwise produced a course or path
which extends around from near one edge of the board and gradually approaches
the centre thereof. This course or path is divided by transverse lines into a large
number of spaces, some of which are left blank whilst others contain words
indicative of certain qualities, characteristics, actions or sentiments, with or without
certain rules or directions for accelerating or retarding the progress of the
individual players who happen, in the playing of the game, to reach these particular
spaces. In these spaces or divisions there may be also pictures illustrative of the
various qualities, characteristics, actions or sentiments indicated by the words
contained in the said spaces respectively.
The improved game is based upon the idea of a competition in courtship or a
race to the altar, the player who first reaches the altar, which is represented by
the last or innermost space in the said course or path on the board, being regarded
as the winner of the game. I therefore term the improved game "the path to
matrimony."
Each player in turn, after throwing the dice, spinning the teetotum or otherwise
gaining a number, marks this number on the board by placing his counter or
marker in the space or division of the said course or path corresponding to such
number or in such other space or division as may be determined by the directions
contained in the space or division corresponding to the said number. In his next
turn, the player again moves his counter forward according to the number he has
gained, or further forward, or backward, as the case may be, according to
directions contained in the space or division corresponding to the number he has
gained, and so on. The progress from the starting point to the altar is, as will be
seen, accelerated or retarded according to which spaces or divisions are reached by
the individual players as hereinafter more fully explained, and much amusement is
caused by the effect of the various rules or directions upon the progress and result
of the game, these rules or directions being made to correspond to the vicissitudes
of fortune in love affairs.
In the accompanying drawing 1 have shown a plan of a marking-board made in
accordance with my said invention, which board has the course or path arranged
in the form of a volute, the inner end of the said course or path terminating
in a heart-shaped space containing the words "the altar," together with a suitable
illustration.
For use with my improved marking-board I generally provide a top, teetotum
or die which can be spun or thrown and which is so marked with numerals,
preferably the numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4, that when it comes to rest one or other of

page_text: the numerals thereon will be on the uppermost side. Moreover I provide a
number of differently coloured discs or counters one of which is to be used by each
person playing.
In describing the use of my improved marking-board as shown in the drawing, I
will assume that two persons are engaged in the game.
The first one to play must spin the top or teetotum or throw the die and
ascertain the number le so obtains, which I will assume to be 3. He thereupon
refers to the third space or division of the course or path on the board, in which
he finds the word "meeting" and the direction "leads to acquaintance," on
referring to the eleventh space or division marked "acquaintance," he finds the
direction "leads to paying attention," and he is therefore to go on to the division
marked " paying attention which is the seventeenth division. This division
having no further direction, the player must place his disc or counter therein and
wait until the other player has taken his turn at the game.
The second player now spins the top or teetotum or throws the die, and I will
assume that he obtains the number 4. The fourth space or division being a blank
division containing no directions, he places his disc or counter therein, and the first
player again spins the top or teetotum or throws the die, and, assuming that he
again obtains the number 3, he is entitled to place his disc or counter upon the
twentieth division, that is to say, upon the blank division three spaces from or in
advance of the seventeenth or <
paying attention" division, upon which his disc or
counter was previously left.
The second player now plays again, and, assuming that he obtains the number 1,
this would entitle him to place his disc or counter in the fifth division marked
"salute; " but this division contains the direction "leads to smiles" and therefore
the disc or counter of the second player is placed on the thirteenth division marked
"smiles." The first player now plays again and I will assume he obtains the
number 3 which brings him to the twenty-third division marked "poverty," but, as
this division contains the direction "leads to objection," he is compelled to go back
and to place his disc or counter in the ninth division marked "objection." Should
either player at any time obtain a number which would bring him to the seventh
division or to the last division but one, he must, according to the directions, begin
again from the starting point or zero.
The play is continued alternately until one of the players succeeds in getting
his disc or counter into the central division marked "the altar." The person
whose disc or counter first reaches that division is the winner of the game.
Any number of persons may engage in the game, each person being provided
with a disc or counter marked or coloured in some distinguishing manner.
It will be understood from the foregoing description that, when the number
gained by any player would entitle him to place his disc or counter in a space or
division of the course or path containing no directions, he is to place it in that
division. If, however, the number gained brings him to a division containing a
direction he must follow this direction, and if the divisiou to which he is thus
directed contains a further direction, he must follow that direction also, and so on
until he is cither put back to zero or reaches a division containing no direction.
In using my improved board the numbers to be marked may be gained by means
of various well-known and suitable games, the number of points gained or made
by the individual player in each turn or round of the game, determining the
position in which the discs or counters of the several players are to be placed on
the board as above explained.
It is obvious that I can, if desired, somewhat vary the arrangement of the
divisions of the course or path, without departing from the nature of my invention.
For instance I can increase the number of the divisions and the number of
references back to earlier divisions so as to prolong the game and make it more
difficult to reach the final or winning division. Moreover I can use different
pictures and somewhat different directions, whilst maintaining the general system
of the game as above described.

page_text: I sometimes make the board in two parts connected in any suitable manner so
as to form a hinge-joint, so that the board, when folded, will occupy a comparatively
small space and can, with the top, teetotum or die and a suitable number of discs
or counters, be placed in a box or other suitable receptacle for sale.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is―
A marking-board for playing the improved game above described, having
impressed or otherwise produced thereon a course or path divided into spaces some
of which contain the words or directions with or without the illustrations, as, and
for the purposes, above specified.
Dated the 27th day of May 1893.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., .
Agents for the Applicant.