"^i t^;A} i^i^.^ ::>^.K/fc ■4flP4Sm^\ .^ .Mi< r i^,rt.t:v«55 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Shelf ^-^b UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. '?.^' ., -*-- TN . '^C -"-'■i^.y^-. S?: [\v).^f;"!r' ^-\ xN 1/^1 ^tvi^ik)4K^ J .■■^i ~^}ifm.- a :'\!'y^t WW"-. T-- ."Jk^:- _^^.r^V^- /-•/^ ;#$;^^:MV(iir "^v^lrK' ¥^: rt r^,. \ t p#l\:4>^o-^ " * — ^j/^'*** --«^ i>\ li Will-- I I lill "^l*^ Whist Sketches. REVIEW AND SKETCHES -OF THE- First American Whist Congress, Held in Milwaukee, April, 1891. Personal of distinguished players. Biographies of "Cavendish " and Trist. Reminiscences of James Clay, etc., etc. •BYC. S. K:i^^^ i AM 0,0 IR'^'' '' ^ THE FREE PRESS PUBLISHING HOUSE, Easton, Pa. 1892. GcV \^:\6 Copyright, 1891, BY C. 8. BOUTOHER. All Rights Reserved. i(j^-m. Of: &V TO EUGENE S. ELLIOTT, AND HIS Fellow Members of the Mihvaukee Whist Club, To whom the Origin of THE FIRST AMERICAN WHIST CONGRESS, And the Formal ion of THE AMERICAN WHIST LEAGUE, Are Due, IS FRATERNALLY DEDICATED. Easton, Pa., 1891. C. S. B. INTRODUCTION. Whist Sketches in book form are in recognition of requests for Free Presses in which they first appeared that far outran the supply. No claim is made for them. They are but the chroniclings of the fiends at their virgin Congress, with some running commentary. The new matter prepared for Part Second, of the Clubs in attendance upon the Congress, the personal of their members, the sketch of Mr. Trist, about whom too little has been known, that of Mr. Henry Jones, " Cavendish," with the reminiscences of that keystone in the solid arch of the game, the late James Clay, may have more than a passing interest for the whist world. The writer thanks the friends who kindly sent him data of their Clubs, Mr. C. D. P. Hamilton for his efficient aid, " Cavendish " for his good will to American whist players, shown by his voluntary contribution of the paper on " Whist Contrasts," and Mr. Jones and Mr. Trist for their portraits, which, through their faithful reproduction in the " Sketches," enables the fraternity of whist fiends to see these cranks of high degree just as they are. CONTENTS. I. Introductory — The Need of a Congress — The Whist Prac- tice of American Clubs — The Enterprise of the Mil- waukee Club — Eugene S. Elliott. . . .5 II. The Easton Whist Cranks trip — The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad — The B. & O. Snapper (Limited) — Chicago and the American Field — The Great Chicago and North Western— Some Wild West Whist on the C. & N. W. R. R. — Milwaukee and the Schlitz Hotel— What Mil- waukee Herbs are. . . . . .9 III. The Gathering of the fiends— The Rev. Judge Gilson's De- cision — Preliminary Whist Skirmishes — Dick Allen and the Longer Easton Whist Fiend — Dick First Encounters Boston Meditation— Dick's Fourth-Best Principle — The Opening of the Congress — President Paine's Address of Welcome — The Ladies' Athenoeum— Mr. Kimball, of Pliiladelphia, Scores His First Point. . . .14 Vlll CONTENTS. IV. The Great Tilt of Milwaukee Against All America — The Individualities of the Maelstrom — Kimball, of Philadel- phia, Scores Another Point — Summary of the Killed, Crippled and Missing — The Moral of the Encounter. . 18 V. The Contest for the Streeter Prize Medal — The Foster Sys- tem of Duplicate— Three Clubs Tie— The Saw Off— Paine, as Dummy, Wins It, but is Not in it — The Prize Goes to the Hamilton Club, Philadelphia — The Kalama- zoo Duplicate Trays. . . . . .27 VI. Proceedings of the Second Day's Congress — Interesting Let- ter from Nicholas Browse Trist — " Cavendish's" System Recommended. . . . . . . 31 VII. A Duplicate Contest Between Milwaukee and Easton — Per- sonnel of President Singleton Paine and H. L. Smith — A Close Tussel, and Easton Wins. . , .36 VIII. Communication from the Distinguished Authority, "Caven- dish "--His Views on King Leads and Four Trump Signal— " Cavendish's " Methods with the Whist World— R. A, Gurley, of Denver, Enters an Appearance — He is . Probably the Originator of the Four Trump Signal. . 40 CONTENTS. IX IX. Mr. Foster, of New York, sends us a hand played between Ueschappelles' Favorite Partner, Rheinart, and His Partner, Wight, and the Easton Delegates — An Inter- esting study. . . . . . .45 The Interest taken by Authorities in Free Press Criticism — Mr. Gurley, of Denver, Takes the Floor — He is the Father of the Four Trump Signal — He Gives its History, and, naturally. Tries to See some Virtue in his "Kid" — Mr. Schwarz Says his Say on the Fad— He Agrees with the Free Press. . . . . . .53 XL Tlie Dr. Forrest Trophy to be Played for at the Next Con- gress — Miss Theresa West on the Bibliography of Whist — League Credential Cards— Committee on Permanent League Organization — Code of Laws Adopted- by the Congress — Opinions of the Laws. . . .61 XII. Duplicate After the Orndorff System — Messrs. Jenkins, Hamilton, Fiske and Parry, of the Visitors, against Paine, Hall, Northrop and Comstock, of the Milwaukee Club— The Visitors Win. . . . .06 XIII. Banquet at the Plankington House — Two Hundred Whist Fiends Assembled — Speeches by Presidents Paine and X CONTENTS. Elliott, Dr. Borland, Commissioner Safford, the Irrepres- sible Rocky Mountain Gurley, Captain Walton, W. W. Wight, R. F. Foster, and the Rev. Judge Gilson. . 70 XIV. Closing Proceedings of the Congress — Commissioner Saf- ford's Resolution on Stakes — Permanent Organization of the League — Election of Trist and •* Cavendish " as Honorary Members — Resolutions of Respect to the Milwaukee Club, President Elliott, Stenographer Good- win and Secretary R. F. Foster — Adjournment. . 74 XV. After the Adjournment — The City of Milwaukee — Its Homes and Industries — Pabst's great Brewing Plant — No Fiends in Sight but Presidents Elliott and Paine. . . 78 Cavendish's Latest : American Leads Simplified — Some- thing for Whist Players to Read. . . .82 PART SECOND. I. NICHOLAS BROWSE TRIST. Sketch of his Life and Whist Career — His Little Squad of Good Players, L. A. BriDgier, his Brother, N. P. Trist, W. J. Hare and J. M. Kennedy — Hjs Association with " Cavendish " — The American Leads Episode — Trist's Club — Its Tournament Play — The Origin of Duplicate Whist — First Played in America by Trist Ten Years Ago— By " Cavendish " Thirty -Four Years Ago — " Cav- endish's " Record of it — Trist Defines a First Rank Player — One of Trist's End Plays — The New Orleans Chess, Checker and Whist Club — Trist's Whist Associ- ates — Trist's Personality and an Estimate of his Whist Temperament and aptitudes. . . . .89 H. MILWAUKEE WHIST CLUB. Sketch of the Club by " Singleton "—Sketches of Eugene S. Elliott, John Rheinart, Judge Gilson, Sam. M. Green, Henry C. Payne, George W. Chandler, Leslie Ryan, W. W. Thayer and the Late George W. Hall. . . 102 Xll CONTENTS. III. NARRAGANSETT WHIST CLUB. Sketch of tl^e Club — Its Civil Service Members and who they are — Sketches of Walter H. Barney, James A. George, Geo. H. Sturdy, Geo. H. Shepley, and G. W. Parker. 116 IV. THE DENVER CLUB. Denver — The Type of its Representative Men — The Denver Club — Sketch of its President, Henry R. Wolcott — His Influence to Promote Better Whist — Messrs. Jerome, Denman, Bissell, Sullivan, Cherry, C. D. Gurley and the Irrepressible R. A. Gurley. . . .125 V. THE HAMILTON CLUB. Its Origin — Its Handsome New Club House — Membership — Its Tournament Team — List of Some of its Strong Players — The Whist Hand in which Each Player held Thirteen Cards of a Suit — Its Doings at the Congress. 129 VL WORCESTER AND EASTON. The Commonwealth Club, of Worcester, ^Nlass. — Its Mem- bership, Laws, and Record of Contests — Fines for Deviations from the Order for the Original Lead — Thos. CONTENTS. Xlll C. Orndorff. The Pomfret Club, of Easton, Pa.— Its Rules, and Method of Duplicate — Its Delegates in the Milwaukee "Cyclone." . . . .133 VII. GROUP OF EASTERN CLUBS. The Washington, D. C, Clubs; The Bicycle, The Chess, Checker and Whist, and the Columbia Athletic Clubs — The Owl Club, of St. Albans, Vt.— Sketch of A. G. Safeord~The Cherry Diamond Whist Club— The Man- hattan Whist Club— The Albany Club. . .137 VIII. CHICAGO CLUBS. Englewood and Chicago Whist Clubs — Theodore Schwarz — The Wahpanseh Club— H. B. Herr— The Park Club Whist Association— The P. D. Q. Whist Club—List of its Members — The Illinois Club — The American Whist Club— The Ashland Club— The Chicago Duplicate Whist Club— The Evanston Whist Club— The Hyde Park Whist Club— The Kenwood Whist Club— The Oak Park Whist Club— The University Club. . . .142 IX. MINNESOTA CLUBS. Sketches of the Minneapolis Chess, Checker and Whist Club, and of the St. Paul Whist Club — The Union League Club, of Minneapolis. . . . .147 XIV CONTENTS. X. A GROUP OF WESTERN CLUBS. The Wausau Club— The Oshkosh Whist Club— The Detroit Whist Club— The Indianapolis Whist Club— The Wau- kesha Club— The Hillsdale Whist Club— The Commer- cial Club, of Dubuque. .... 152 XI. A TRIST APPENDIX. Additional of Trist and his Quartette, Kennedy, Hare and Briugier — Four Experts who have Visited his Club : W. J. Whaley, of Charleston, S. C, R. A. Gurley, of Denver, Lieutenant Niles, U. S. A., and John Rheiuart, of Milwaukee — The Late Richard A. Proctor's Whist Traits — The Chess Champions, Steinitz and Zukertort's Whist — Steinitz Plays Seven Games of Chess and a Game of Whist, Blindfolded, at One Time. . . 156 XII. "CAVENDISH." Biography of Henry Jones, " Cavendish " — His College Days — As an M. D. — His Literary Life — His Whist Life— Founding the "Little School"— Dr. Pole and James Clay — As a Writer on Whist — First Edition of " Cavendish "—The Portland Club. . . .160 CONTENTS. XV XIII. WHIST CONTRASTS. A Suggestion for Teachers of Whist, an Original Paper Pre- pared for ♦' Whist Sketches " by " Cavendish." . 163 XIV. JAMES CLAY. Incidents in his Whist Life— Anecdotes— His Whist Practice and Customs. Prepared for "Whist Sketches" by a Member of his Family. . ^ ^ 268 XV. AMERICAN LEADS. The System Adopted by the Congress, formulated by "Cavendish "in his 19th Edition— The Differences in the "Cavendish "and the " G. W. P." Leads Pointed ^"*- • . . . .171 Whist Outfits. ^«. . 174 ILLUSTRATIONS Reproduced from. Original Photographs by the Pennsyl- vania Engraving Co., 114 to 120 South Seventh Street, Philadelphia, Fkontispieoe — Group : Dennis Sullivan, A. A. Denman, James A. Cherry, C. D. Gurley, R. A. Gurley, H. R. Wolcott, J. L. Jerome, J. B. Bissell, Denver, Colorado. — R. F. Foster, New York.— W. P. Stewart, Detroit, Mich.— A. G. Safford, Washington, D. C. — Walter H. Barney, Providence, R. I. — Theodore Schwarz, Chicago. — Henry Jones, "Cavendish," London, England. — N. B. Trist, New Orleans. — C. A. Chapin, Eugene S. Elliott, Cassius M. Paine, Milwaukee, Wis. — E. Price Townsend, Philadelphia.— C. S. Boutcher, C. D. P. Hamilton, Easton, Pa. Nicholas Browse Trist. . . . . .89 Eugene S. Elliott. ..... 105 Henry Jones, " Cavendish." .... 161 PART FIRST. I. Introductory — The Need of a Congress — The Whist Prac- tice of American Clubs — The Enterprise of the Mil- waukee Club — Eugene 8. Elliott. C|^HE desire has long existed, coupled with more or less ^J desultory endeavor, to bring about a better acquaint- ance between the whist organizations of the United States, with such interchange of opinions, as would result in uniting the scattered whist forces into a broth- erhood, and of harmonizing the discrepant systems of play, and of laws, into a system upon which the repre- sentative whist authorities should agree as the best system and the best code of laws to reach this most de- sirable end of uniformity. The whist practice of the American clubs has been at sea, so far as uniformity is concerned, differing as widely in system as in rules for play and penalties. In count, honors have become practically obsolete, but five points, seven points, continuous count, trebles, doubles and sin- gles, turning the trump from the live pack or cutting it from the dead pack, or announcing one suit for trump during a sitting, have all had their respectable following. The difference in system of play has been as pronounced. Among players of rank, those who follow the English custom of playing for a stake, prefer the English five point game, with or without honors, and play the hands out or not as the case may be. Another body of players of rank place most stress upon utilizing all of the 6 WHIST SKETCHES. resources of the hands. Hence they prefer that seven points shall constitute the game, and that the continuous record of the points shall be scored. Those who play for a consideration, care not how quickly a game is through ; the other class care not how prolonged it is, so that the hands are played out, and properly. It is evident upon the face, which class of players cares most for the royal game for its own sake. Though whist is not a gambling game (or rather, there are a few Ameri- can games that far out-trump it for that purpose) and though the stakes put on it be insignificant, the practice unquestionably detracts from the quality of play. This rank of players generally follows some conven- tional line of play — either Cavendish's earlier system, or his later adoptions, or the American practice of Trist, Pettes, Ames or others of their type. The foundation, or mapping out the play of their hands is based upon conventional system. The other class of players, or the rank and file, play all sorts of whist — old style, new style and mixed styles. They have little respect for conventions, and generally adapt their play to their own hands. Their game is a miscellaneous scramble for tricks with master cards, and their ideal, a rutf. After tlie smoke of battle of the aces and kings has cleared, their minor cards are either help- less, or but factors of chance. Doubtless this affords them amusement, and they fancy they are playing whist. The consolidation of whist forces into a union, and the adoption of a uniform system and code of laws, will un- questionably exert a powerful influence for a higher WHIST SKETCHES. 7 order of play than now exists, not only in the clubs, but with the miscellaneous nuiltitude, who cannot escape the leaven that flows from organized sources. To the enterprise of the West — and especially to the City of Milwaukee — the whist world of America is in- debted for the accomplishment of this union, which marks a most important stage in the history of whist. The Milwaukee Whist Club was organized in 1875, and has seventy-three active members. As a body they number more strong players than any whist club in the West. Their contests of record with the clubs of twelve Western cities cover a period of ten years, in which series they have lost but two sittings, their total winning score being 2,840 points and their losing score but 52 points. They earned their right to be classed as the leading whist club of the West, not upon any theoreti- cal base, but by battle and victory. The idea of a National W^hist Congress brewed with these broad-minded Milwaukeeans for a year (their other great brew being Pabt's.) The club was indefatigable in its purpose of bringing the subject before the clubs of the country, and interest- ing I hem in it. Enough encouragement was met with for them to announce that the "First American W^hist Congress" would assemble in Milwaukee April 14-17, 1891. To Eugene S. Elliott, the head of a leading law firm of the city, more than to any other one man its accom- plishment was due. He was unremitting in his personal efforts, and in his correspoiitience with clubs, to stimulate 8 WHIST SKETCHES. interest in the Congress. He would not accept denial, or doubt, but labored to remove all obstacles that arose. These were generally in the line of indifference or skep- ticism, and how effectually he eliminated these elements was shown by the representation at the Congress. His generous club asked nothing but the presence of their whist brethren. They were their guests, and right royally they entertained them. They spared neither endeavor nor expense, they dropped all other business, so they could devote their entire time to making the delegates visit interesting. For their Congress they se- cured one of the handsomest buildings in the city, the Ladies' Athenaeum, whether for money or love we can- not say, but we should say for love, if the beauty and worth of their ladies count; but may be these sagacious women hold that to be too insubstantial a return for their beautiful quarters. Their Athenaeum is one of the features of the city. It is owned exclusively by a guild of ladies, and is managed by them. It is not strictly a club house, but it is comfortably and luxuriously ap- pointed throughout, from its kitchen to its parlors, reception rooms and library, and to its auditoriums, of which there are two. It is always open to members, but its main line of use to them is for holding meetings of ladies' societies, and as a place for balls or receptions by individual members, instead of at their homes. It is our purpose to write a general sketch and review of the First American Whist Congress, and this, in a cursory way, is introductory to it. 11. The Easton Whist Grinks' trip — The Baltimore rndorff and Stewart, the former of Worcester and the latter of Detroit, 29. You see it is easy to account for this little matter of 11 points. Stewart was reserving his strength for the individual contest, and Orndorff's duplicate whist sys- tem was nearest his heart. Had the doctor not been thinking of chicken salad and quail on toast, and who he would corral for his toast victims, he probably wouldn't have trumped Belcher's ace — but 11 is enough. 20 WHIST SKETCHES. CoDistock and Chandler, 87 ; Briggs and Briggs, of Minneapolis, 48. It will take this blooming pair of purple lilacs from Minneapolis the rest of their natural lives to account for this result. The tricks that the B's didnH score " were frightful to see/' and the Milwaukee pair counted faster than a Minneapolis census enumerator. (Referred to St. Paul.) Chandler wanted to go faster, but Comstock said : "No, let's keep the score under 300." Thayer and Northrop, 81 ; Safford, of Washington^ and Barney, of Providence, R. I., 59. This is nothing. What else can y(>u expect when you hitch up a Rhode Island Yankee and an Inter- State Commission Attorney, if Thayer hadn't missed Northrop's trump signal — but Thayer says he saw it and refrained from answering out of purely humane motives. Hall and Elliott, 52; Smith and Lodge, of Albany* N. Y., 48. Chairman Elliott had no business to ask Smith right out blunt what a " composite picture was" — to spring it on him like a Johnstown flood ! It was a very cool procedure, and if Elliott didn't know what a " couiposite picture" was, how did he expect Smith to know? This is about the only rude thing Elliott did. Lodge swears this is the reason they got worsted. Hall insists that the excuse lacks relevancy, as Elliott shot the interroga- tory at Smith on Thursday. Streeter and Hopkins, 67 ; Hall and Stevens, of Uni- versity Club, Chicago, 65. . WHIST SKETCHES. 21 It tvas expected that Chicago would get there — she generally does. Hopkins says that Streeter's mind was on that magnificent Townsend medal ; hence, the nar- row margin. Hard and Josslyn, 62; Fisk and Waller, of Uni- versity Club, Chicago, 51. It could hardly be expected that the University Club should get everything. This is a first-class excuse for these 11 points. Hickok and Atwell, 65 ; Young and Reed, 46. Young gives as an excuse for this that he couldn't read his partner's play. Nash and Merrill, 60 ; Rowlson and Burnham, of Hillsdale, Mich., 35. This is only a little matter of 25 points. Hillsdale is probably used to this — they don't try to explain it. Crossraan and Patterson, 36 ; Herr and Pickering, Wahpanseh, of Chicago, 53. Wahpanseh got there. This is probably why Herr objected to having his photograph taken unless he had a day or two's time to fix up. He is a modest fellow — so Pickering says. He was noted for this trait when he filled the chair of civil engineering in Lehigh Uni- versity, Bethlehem. Dewey and Bryden, 38 ; Kimball and Walton, of the Hamilton Club, Philadelphia, 39. This Hamiltonian pair of thoroughbreds trotted well together and came in a nose ahead — won by one they came. Kimball says that it was his finesse that did it. 22 WHIST SKETCHES. and he is going to teach it to Townsend and EHison before they go to Milwaukee again. Ryan and Tweedy, 38 ; Schwarz and Kirk, of the Englewood Club, Chicago, 60. Nothing mean about the city of Chicago. She will take in Milwaukee the next time she '^ extends.'' Pirie and Swan, 53 ; Holden and Hammondj of the Illinois Club, Chicago, 61. They told us in Chicago that Hammond said : " Hold on, the play is too swan-like.'' If ^'Ham." really said this, it was equivalent to taking an unfair advantage, for how could Pirie and Swan play whist after a pun like this? Bass and Keats, 51 ; Sheldon and Walker, of Chi- cago, 48. As this only adds the odd three to the 267, it's not worth talking about. Delaney and Graves, 52; French and Walker, of Chicago, 29. Walker, when questioned, said solemnly that it was a very grave affair ; so much so that French didn't play his usual game. There might be some truth in this. Rheinart and Wight, 62 ; Hamilton and Boutcher, of Easton, 29. Did you ever step on quicksand, fancying it was firm earth ? Ever lay your hand on the teeth of a corn sheller, or get caught in a thunder storm without your lightning rod ? Ever in a detatchment of Grant's regu- lars on a reconnoisance and get swooped upon by Gen. Moseby's guerrillas ? We shall be happy to give any WHIST SKETCHES. 23 skeptic letters and let him feel the corn sheller of Geu. Moseby Rheinart's and Wight's guerrilla tactics. Payne and Hopkins, 86 ; Luce and Shumway, of Chicago, 77. Shuraway said that it gave him a pain the way Hop- kins hopped around from one suit to another. Luce ventured to remark that some way or another they were 9 points to the bad. Mann and Greene, 59 ; Heron and Anderson, of Indianapolis Whist Club, 52. Heron said they had a green man against them and should win. Anderson was heard to remark the next day that had Heron's head been as long as his legs he would not have presumed so much. Swain and Sanderson, 57 ; Boyd and Bates, of Wau- kesha, Wis., 31. Some said that Boyd bet Bates that " apt alliteration's artful aid " would stand them in good stead. But pains- taking Paine caught on and met the B's with S's, which accounts for this little matter of 26. Kurtz and !Nunnemacher, 32; Comminger and Cat- tersoM, of Indianapolis, 69. This was due to a misunderstanding. Kurtz and Nunnemacher thought that Paine and Elliott wanted the Milwaukee boys to be easy — part of the courtesy and hospitality of the club. But it seems that these two were one of the very few pairs who paid any atten- tion to orders. Smith and Paine, 92 ; Gurley and Cherry, of the Denver Whist Club, 58. 24 WHIST SKETCHES. Gurley told us Saturday night, in Chicago, in the cafe of the Grand Pacific — while we were waiting for a lemonade — in his emphatic Rocky Mountain style, that it was " Raw Bald headed Luck." Cherry — who, by the way, asked for " one " — was reticent, but he did say later on in the night that Gurley had prompted Safford to offer that resolution on betting, and he winked sug- gestiv^ely. Just imagine if this had been for a nickel a point — 58 from 92 leaves — but anybody can see that betting " is contrary to good morals." This child like and bland Paine and "Intaglio" make a smooth pair and will come the " Pa and Uncle George " on you any time. Farnham and Moore, 41 ; Bates and Lewis, of Indianapolis, 43. This is one of the few oases in the vast desert of defeats. It might have been more the other way if Farnham had unblocked. Vilas and McGregor, 52 ; Cushman and Smitli, of Boston, 54. This tickled Cushman more than all the big bills he will sell in a month. Brigham and Miller, 71 ; Richards, of Dubuque, and Everard, of Kalamazoo, 45. This broke the Dubuquean's heart, and the '^subsequent proceedings" had no interest for B. L. R. Everard's countenance betokened that he would like a shot at this pair with his duplicate trays. Moody and Atkins, 52 ; Sholl and Cherrill, of Car- thage, 27. WHIST SKETCHES. 25 Cherrill said it made him moody the way Atkins shirked the conventionalities, but he always found when depositors were short in liis bank, the more they were short, and the more they explained, the less convincing they were. So he thought talents of the " silent kind," like Dudu's, discreeter, and he'd charge the 25 points up to the shady side of profit and loss without ado. SUMMARY. Tables 26 Milwaukee made in points 1,525 Visitors " " 1,258 Milwaukee Club won by.. 267 Milwaukee pairs who won 18 Visiting pairs 8 The general explanation for this roasting is, "it was luck." But don't lay such flattering unction to your soul. Recollect there were 26 tables, and that play lasted for three hours. Just put this on your bulletin board : '' The 52 Milwaukee players played might heady whist," and put the work " luck " in your pipe and smoke it. Some were disposed to attribute results to guerrilla versus regular tactics, but they should remem- ber there is as much difference in the strength of guer- rilla as in regular conventions — for instance, General Moseby Rheinart's. Their own Western poet, " Iron- quill," writes a cyclonic fable, from which, with a little paraphrasing, can be drawn quite an applicable Mil- waukcean moral : 26 WHIST SKETCHES. Once a Kansas zephyr strayed Where a brass-eyed bird-pup played^ And that foolish canine bayed At that zephyr in a gay, Semi-idiotic way, Then that zephyr, in about Half a jiflfy, took that pup. Tipped him over wrong-side up. Then it turned him inside out, And it calmly journeyed thence, With a barn and string of fence. When communities turn loose Social forces that produce The disorders of a gale Act upon the well-known law ; Face the breeze, but close your jaw, It's a rule that will not fail. If you bay it in a gay. Self-sufficient sort of way. It will land you, without doubt, Upside down and inside out. V. The Contest for the Streeter Prize Medal— The Foster System of Duplicate— Three Clubs Tie—The Saw Off— Paine, as Dummy, Wins It, hut is Not in It-^ The Prize Goes to the Hamilton Club, Philadelphia— ^ The Kalamazoo Duplicate Trays. #N Wednesday afternoon the contest for the prize medal, worth §200, offered by Mr. A. Streeter, of the Milwaukee Club, for the best individual score, took place. It was our opinion then as it is now, and it was also the opinion of the Committee on Matches of which Mr. Orndorff, of Worcester, an expert on dupli- cate whist matters, and Captain Walton, of the Hamil- ton Club, of Philadelphia, who was Chairman, were mem[)ers, that there can be no method devised by which a fair test of the individual strength of so many con- testants may be compared. This is particularly true of a contest of such magni- tude when the play can last but a few hours. It was thought by many that this match should not take place and that Mr. Streeter be asked to offer his beautiful trophy to competing pairs or to teams of four. Time however, was pressing, and the committee finally de- cided that it had no option in the matter, and that it must decide upon some system. Several svstems were suggested, but that of Mr. Foster^s invention seemed to be the only one which in any measure met the require- 28 WHIST SKETCHES. mentsofthe case, the committee trusting that by this plan an approximate estimate of the individual rank of the participants might be obtained. We believe that a contest or tournament under Mr. Foster's system lasting several days between players, the weakest of whom play fair whist, would result in bunching the strongest at the top, and that a very fair grade of all the players, as to their relative rank, could be obtained. By Mr. Foster's system the greatest number of points made by any pair in any hand establishes the standard of the possibilities of this hand. To illustrate this, A B, two players of ordinary force, play a hand against two very weak opponents, C D, and through the weak play, or bad blunders, or both, of D, A B score all tliirteen tricks, or 7 by cards. The score sheet shows A B, 13; C D, 0. The score sheet travels with this hand, and this hand is played by every other pair against pair. Now, suppose that this hand and score sheet come to a table at which four fine players are sitting. The hand is played in the best manner possible by all, no trick having been lost, and C D score the odd card. This entry is now placed upon the score sheet A B, 6 ; C D, 7. Here you see '' A B No. 2 " have lost 7 tricks as against '^ A B No. 1," and "CD No. 2 '' liave gained 7 tricks over «' C D No. 1." In the A B's the ordinary players have an advantage of 7 tricks over the fine pair of players. Now if '^ A B No. 2 " could meet "CD No. 1 '' they might have a chance of squaring up the score, but in this particular instance *' A B No. 2 " did not have " C WHIST SKETCHES. 29 D No. 1 " for adversaries, unless they happened to be in their set of eight, as you only changed places and partners with the players at your own table and the table next to you. The fault was more due to the lack of time, to thoroughly test the system, and the players, than to the system, as Mr. Foster pointed out. Over sixty took j)art in the contest and 576 hands were played. After three hours' play the result showed that Mr. E. P. Townsend, of the Hamilton Club, Mr. W. P. Stewart, of the Detroit Club, and C. D. P. Ham- ilton, of the Pomfret Club, had tied for the trophy, each having lost according to the plan of reckoning 10 tricks. How to decide this " three cornered " result was a puzzler. Mr. Streeter finally suggested that a fourth man be taken in to make up the table, and then each of the three "champions " play an equal number ot hands with the fourth man as partner. This seemed to be the best way out of the difficulty and was unanimously agreed to. Mr. C. M. Paine, the President of the Milwaukee Club, was the choice of all three. Mr. Paine '' not to be in it," except as the make up." The final struggle came off Friday morning and afternoon, ending a little after 7 in the evening. Ihling Bros, and Everard's duplicate whist system, known as the Kalamazoo method, was adopted for this contest. The final result was in the nature of a joke, for when the scores were added up, it was found that the '^ make- up," Mr. Paine, had the highest score, and had, conse- quently, played the best whist — at least he had 8 points 30 WHIST SKETCHES. more to his credit than the next highest — Mr. Town- send, but, as Mr. Paine was " not in it," the trophy was handed to Mr. Townsend. Mr. Paine is not a vain man, and he unconsciously blushed at the splendid compli- ment the final score paid him, for he was indeed " in it " with a vengeance after all. The duplicate trays, or tablets, referred to, obviate the mechanical objections to duplicate whist, and render it simple and practicable. The trays are binders' boards about ten inches square, covered with cloth. The face of them have stars and indices to mark the dealer and leader, with rubber bands to hold each hand after it is played. The backs are numbered, so that in the over- play the trays can be mixed or shuffled without any risk of confusing the hands or record. For a single table these trays are very convenient, and with their aid the game progresses with as much facility as the ordi- nary game. When two or more tables use them, the explanations that accompany tiiem for this purpose are easily understood. When we come across any discovery in the interests of whist, it gives us pleasure to recog- nize and recommend it. And these trays are as much of an advance upon the clumsy and tedious ways in vogue of preserving hands as forks were upon fingers. We indorse them as indispensable for clubs, and equally so for home players, who will find pleasure in duplicate whist thus simplified. They are made by Ihling Brothers and Everard, Kalamazoo, Mich., and cost, with set of counters, and score cards, $5 per set of sixteen trays. VI. Proceedings of the Second Day^s Congress — Interesting Letter from Nicholas Browse Trist — " Cavendishes " System Recommended. 'he second clay's session of the Whist Congress con- vened at 10 a. m., April 15. The number of dele- gates was nearly double that of the first day, and the hall was well filled. A resolution was adopted that no club shall hereafter be represented in the Congress, except by one of its own members. The spirit of the rule is that a club cannot be represented by proxy, and that a member of two or more clubs can represent but one designated club. Nicholas Browse Trist, of Orleans, is one of the most prominent names in the whist world. He was one of the men that every delegate expected to meet at Mil- waukee, and it was a source of genuine disappointment to everyone wdien it was learned that this distinguished authority was unable to be present. The following letter from him, which was read by United States Commissioner Safford, of Washington, D. C, was some compensation : To the President and Members of the First American Whist Congress : Gentlemen : Circumstances not under my control, having deprived me of the pleasure of taking part in the Whist Congress, I venture to express by letter my 32 WHIST SKETCHES. opinion on two questions, which, I understand, will be submitted to you for consideration. First in importance is the matter of recommending or adopting a text book to be the standard for the rules of play, which everybody concedes sho-uld be uniform wherever the game is practiced. You probably all remember that Mr. James Clay, the finest player of his day, said that '^ Whist is a language and every card played an intelligible sentence." This card language has been gradually evolved through nearly two centuries of play and it is to be desired that it should be and remain a kind of Whist Volapuk, universally under- stood, so that players who meet for the first time may comprehend each other's card sentences. This can only be accomplished by following but one system of play. In order to ascertain which is the best, we must put aside national pride and prejudice and turn to the coun- try where the game originated. A study of its history shows that the rules of play followed by the best players in England are based on the experience of many years, supplemented, where possible, by calculations made by eminent mathematicians, such as Dr. William Pole and others. We also find that the result of that long experience and of those intricate calculations have been embodied in a book by" Cavendish " — the history of the origin of which I gave in Harper's for March — and that changes made from time to time are introduced in the latest editions. Before, however, being definitely adopted, such changes or innovations are first proposed in the Card Column of the London Field, in which they are discussed by the leading authorities on the game, who also give them a trial in actual play, and, if found satisfactory, they are presented to the whist play- ing public, in a tentative sort of way, in an appendix to the next edition ; there, they undergo another probation before being incorporated in the work as a permanent WHIST SKETCHES. 33 feature of the game. This cautious mode of proceeding cannot help but be productive of satisfactory results, especially as there are some noted players in England, conservative to that extreme, that they oppose all changes, and who never fail to assail vigorously any points which they think vulnerable in the proposed innova- tions, which are consequently pretty well threshed out before ado])tion. For ^hese reasons, I consider " Caven- dish on Whist ^' to be By far the best practical guide to the game. Should it be adopted by the Congress as their text book, a step will have been taken which would tend to restore to whist in this country that uni- formity in the mode of play, which is so much to be desired, in order that the fundamental principle of the Combination of the partnership's hand may be main- tained as a general ruling system. Of course, when I recommend " Cavendish," I include any appendix attached to his last edition. The other question is the adoption of a code of laws. It is needless to say that I consider the deduction or adding of points, except in cases of revoke, as penalties for wliist offenses, to be contrary to the principle on which whist laws should be based ; consequently, I advise that we again profit by the experience of our English cousins. They already have an elaborate code of laws, which is authority all over England and in many clubs in this country, and which will subserve our purposes very well by eliminating from it all matter pertaining to the counting of honors, which has been almost universally abolished in this country as a blemish on a game which claims to be scientific. It is probable that some changes also in the mode of scoring will be proposed, The English system does not seem to be popular, as is shown by the fact that half a dozen ways of counting prevail in this country, one of which is entirely wrong in principle when single 34 WHIST SKETCHES. games are played without taking into account any points scored by the losers. In ray opinion, the game, where honors are not counted, should consist of seven points. This is the nominal count, being the greatest number of tricks which can be made in one hand. It is contrary to the general principle of counting, in any game of cards, that more tricks can be made in one hand than are necessary to win the game. This principle was acted upon in the original count in whist, which con- sisted of ten points — four by honors and six by cards — the most possible, for the game in its incipiency being played with forty-eight cards, the four deuces being withdrawn from the pack. The points were afterwards arbitrarily reduced to five, for the reasons which we have all read of in Mr. Clay's book. In the game of seven points, single games, and not rubbers, are played, and the losers get credit for any points which they may have won ; for instance, with four scored they lose but three. This is somewhat analogous in its result to the English method of scoring. The seven point game has the advantage of being shorter than the rubber, consequently the players who are out have not to wait so long before cutting in. Again, that game is akin to long whist, which Clay, '^ Cavendish '^ and other authorities pronounce to be a superior game to short whist. Could not as many as possible of the games at dupli- cate whist in the tournament be taken down as played ? This could readily be accomplished by having printed blanks, to be filled as the hand progresses. It would be both very instructive and interesting to analyze them afterwards and compare the play. The games could be published in pamphlet form, and would doubtless meet with a ready sale. Let the interest I take in the welfare of whist, which WHIST SKETCHES. 35 I always have at heart, be n)y apology for obtruding my views on you. Respectfully, N. B. Trist. The letter was warmly aj)plauded and referred to the Committee on Laws. A resolution was discussed and passed that the num- ber of delegates each club should be entitled to in a Congress should not be restricted, except as to voting. The rest of the day's session was given to hearing reports from committees, chiefly upon the arrangements for conducting contests in duplicate whist between dele- gates and members of the Milwaukee Club. In the afternoon the contest in duplicate whist occurred to test the strength of individual players after Mr. Foster's system, of New York. VII. A Duplicate Contest Between Milwaukee and JEaston — Personnel of President Singleton Paine and Winfield Smith — A Close Tussely and Easton Wins. HE first contest between delegates and Milwaukeeans in the nature of a test of the relative strength of the system, or method of play in vogue with the first rank players of the home club, as against any other method of play, took place on the evening of April 15, through the acceptance of a challenge match in duplicate by the Easton pair from Cassius M. Paine and H. L. Smith, representative players of the Milwaukee Club, the former its President. It will be as fitting a place in these notes as an}^ to refer to the distinguished young president of the club, but why such a prepossessing man should be or remain a singleton puzzleth our whist inference, for he has the type of face that a cynic would trust and a woman hwe on sight. His must be a case like the popular young clergyman's, who, if he takes one of his flock to him- self, can count on the rest of the flock as his enemy, and as well break camp for another parisii, and Paine can't be spared from the Milwaukee Club just yet. As one of the graybeards of the club said to us — our President, you see, is a youngster, but I think you'll admit a very promising one. He is remarkal)ly modest, but as studious and persevering as he is modest, WHIST SKETCHES. 37 and possesses an alert and active mind, with an unlimi- ted zeal for the game, and he has steadily progressed into the very first rank of players. Mr. Eugene S. Elliott, the President of the Congress said to us : " Our fellows are kind enough to give me the credit of the success of the Congress, but in my opinion a large share of this credit is due to Mr. Paine, who, as President of our Club, entered enthusiastically into the scheme when proposed, never objected to any- thing that was reasonable, and for several weeks before the meeting gave his entire time and attention to caring for the details, which, in an affair of that kind, are simply enormous. He had his reward, and I think it was a rich one, in the result of the championship game.^^ - [By this Mr. Elliott means where Mr. Paine stood as fourth player in the play off with the three who tied for the medal, and led the highest individual record of the three by 8 points.] " Mr. Paine likes duplicate whist as sincerely as Mr. Dick Allen detests it, which emphasizes the fact, that probably no two persons were ever put upon such a radi- cally antagonistic whist base as Rufus Allen and C. M. Paine, yet they are fine players and fine fellows.'^ '' We agree with President Elliott, and cipher out that he means ^' Dick " is a prince of whist guerrillas, and Paine an arrant regular. Mr. H. L. Smith is a brilliant writer, and at one time edited an able whist department in Yenowine's NewSy and he is ranked as one of the very strongest players in the West. The soundness and brilliancy of his play 38 WHIST SKETCHES. in this contest gave unqualified evidence of his whist ability. By reference to the appended score-sheet, it will be seen that the game was a remarkably close and even one. Out of the sixteen hands, with the overplay making thirty-two hands in all, there were nine ties, three gains of one point on each side, and one gain of three points on the Eastoii side, which made them win- ners by the gain in that one hand. The Milwaukee team played by the modern Caven- dish system with one or two exceptions. They played deliberately and thoughtfully, and their whist table deportment was a pattern for all players. No manifes- tations of any character were made by them during the four and a half hours of the play. f The Easton pair played strictly by the " G. W. P.^' system. One of their gains was made by the much abused nine lead from nine, knave and king, through the failure of one of the opponents, holding ace and queen, to cover w^ith the queen. The Easton's gain of three points was by their unblocking and the failure of the opponents to unblock the suit when they played the hand. Mr. Paine is level-headed, logical and observing, and he was frank in the statement of his conclusions that the Easton players gave closer attention to all the major and minor details of the game than they were accus- tomed to give. This and the contest of teams of four against four, under the Orndorif system, were the only duplicate con- WHIST SKETCHES. 39 tests during the Congress. It is worthy of note they were both won by the visiting delegates who played strictly the " G. W. P.'' system. C. M. Pai ne 1 rc. S. Boiitcher H. L. Smith / vs. jc. D. P. Hamilton First Second Gains. Number Gains. First Second Play. Play. of Deal. Play. Play. 8 5 1 5 8 7 6 2 6 7 10 3 3 3 10 4 9 4 9 4 8 6 1 5 5 7 5 7 6 1 8 6 5 8 7 8 5 4 6 8 3 9 7 5 8 9 8 5 5 7 10 1 8 6 9 4 11 4 9 12 1 12 1 12 6 7 13 7 6 4 10 1 14 9 3 2 10 15 1 11 3 6 8 1 16 7 6 100 105 100 3 6 3 108 103 108 205 Net gain, 3 211 VIII. Communication from the Distinguished Authority, ^' Cav- endish '^ — His Views on King Leads and Four Trump Signal—^' Cavendish's " Methods with the Whist World — R. A. Gurleyj of Denver, Enters an Appear- ance^He is Probably the Originator of the Four Trump Signal. HE whist matter of the Free Press is a subject of interest with the whist world generally throughout the United States, and it has attracted no little atten- tion in other countries. Our past and recent discussions of the four trump signal, with our position that it is antagonistic to the advanced order of play, viz, the plain suit echo, and that the two cannot consistently co-exist, has brought forth considerable commentary and discussion from a number of quarters. Some of this is from such distin- guished authority that we shall refer to it especially in this article. The first is Mr. Henry Jones, " Cavendish,'' of Lon- don, whose name and writings are known and accepted as authority wherever whist is known. We have had occasion to quote him very frequently in our whist department, and to follow the evolution of his several editions into what is becoming the generally accepted order of the higher rank conduct of the game. This evolution is not volcanic or of electric sudden- WHIST SKETCHES. 41 ness, but is more akin to the slower growth of our ter- restrial geology. "Cavendish" recognizes this, and during his long connection with the London Field as editor of its whist department, and as the author of the numerous books on whist bearing his well known non de plume J he has never attempted to force public opinion before it was ripe, no matter how absolute his conviction that he was right, and the public wrong ; but, with mas- terly tact, he takes the public into his confidence, pre- sents his arguments upon any new discovery or method and asks for criticism for or against. He arouses dis- cussion and, therefore, interest, the subject gets ventila- tion, analysis and illustration, and the correct conclusion is rarely missed. By this politic course cliques and friction are avoided, and whist interests are stimulated and united — a consummation devoutly to be wished, for the rapidly growing whist world. Even so recently as in the London Field of the week of May 8, he gives a characteristic example of his diplomacy in these regards. He is discussing the abandonment of the lead of the knave from a head sequence, for the lead of the fourth best, on the ground that it lessens the disturbance of the informatory character of the knave led from its high combinations. He presents the arguments that occur to him for its abandonment for the fourth best, and approves of the fourth best lead, but he asks for further arguments and discussion from all sources that have anything to com- municate. 42 WHIST SKETCHES. This is the true type of administration in government or in whist. "Cavendish on Whist" is now in its eighteenth edition, and the nineteenth is in hand. The eighteenth appendix adopts the new order of play, and the principles that the whist world is uniting upon. The nineteenth appendix's chief feature will be the king leads; the king, as advanced whist players know and practice, being obsolete as a lead from the old com- binations of king ace, and king queen, when there are more than four cards in the suit. WHAT CAVENDISH WRITES US. " Cavendish " writes us under date of May 7 : " The appendix on king leads will be rewritten (indeed has been), in order to show how number and combination led from may always be shown on second round of strong suit, doing away with third round inferences altogether, and so simplifying." In reference to the four trump signal discussed in the Free Press, Cavendish writes : " As at present advised, I am opposed to four signal, for reasons too long to enter into in a letter. " The play neutralizes the eflPect of the unblocking system, and is therefore favorable to A B^s adversaries — as you say, it puts A to a guess. It would therefore be useful, not as indicating four trumps, but as puzzling the adversaries." Mr. R. A. Gurley, of Denver, Col., is another leading whistite, who has communicated with us on the four trump signal, and we take the liberty of quoting him WHIST SKETCHES. 43 because of his whist ability, and his prominent connec- tion with whist authorities. He lias had a long and intimate association with Nicholas Browse Trist, of New Orleans, the discoverer of the fourth best principle, and he has sat with and against him and his partner Kennedy at the game during a number of years. Gurley and his Denver partner. Cherry, carried off the second dis-honors of the Milwaukee Congress in the great tilt of the home club against all the United States. They could not do any better, as the Briggs Brothers, of Minneapolis, insisted on carrying off the first — Easton and Philadelphia following hard upon for third and fourth place. Gurley and his associate in adversity have since been taking their revenge by knocking everything senseless in the shape of whist fiends in the E-ocky Mountains, at duplicate whist. WHAT TKIST's associate WRITES US. He thus wTites the Free Press from Denver, May 7, of the four trump signal in plain suits : " On the eve of the Tilden-Hayes election, November, 1876, we played it here for the first time, and I intro- duced it into the old Buffalo Club in 1883. " I proposed it to my partner, Jacobson, at that time, and we played it for years. " I'he London Field came out in an article rather in its favor two years ago last February, but I have yet to learn whether it is best to continue it or not. 1 note the Free Press comments upon it, but my views remained unchanged, tho' I do not wish to be under- 44 WHIST SKETCHES. stood as supporting it as against the unblocking system. I can never recall blocking my partner but three" times in eighteen years' play. " I think a good whist player will get out of the way when he feels that partner is absolutely secure in suit/' Brother Gurley is evidently on the fence as to the four trump signal, and it remains to be seen whether we shall have to blow hioi off his perch with one of those gentle Kansas zephyrs. We think he would feel happier if he couldn't recall blocking his partner's suit even three times in eighteen years by the use of the four trump signal. (We know little of the veracity of his memory.) But a player as full of whist perception and resources as he, would not be expected to block his partner by any system, but the ordinary mortal at the whist table is not so blest. We recall an instance of his grasp in an emergency, when he sat with us as partner at the Illinois Club, Chicago, on the evening of April 18, against two of its members. Trumps were declared against us. He had two small trumps and the controlling card of a plain suit in which he knew opponents both held cards, and his partner not any. He led this master card which his partner trumped with his only trump, and gave him a suit which he could ruff. He let his partner in again on a plain suit, got another ruff, the three joint trumps were made sepa- rately and the game was saved, against any other play. We shall be glad to have Rocky Mt. Gurley follow his first edition on the four trump signal with an '^appendix " that is not so rocky. IX. 3Ir. Foster, of New YorJc, sends us a hand played between Deshapelles^ Favorite Partnei^, Rheinart, and His Partner J Wight, and the Easton Delegates — An Interesting Study. F. Foster, of New York, the Secretary of the Con- gress, was ubiquitous during the session of the Whist Congress. He has versatile accomplishments outside of his whist, one of which is stenography, and daring the tournament play he circulated among the players taking notes of the hands and play where players of repute or of different systems were engaged. As Mr. Rheinart is a noted man, the nestor of the Milwaukee Club, and as long as forty-five years ago, a favorite partner of the French whist genius, Deschapel- les, much interest centred about his style of play, and consequently Mr. Foster took down a number of the hands played at his table in the contest between Mil- waukee and all America. One of these hands, with the play, Mr. Foster has kindly sent us, and as such records are of interest to the whist world, we give it with comments and analysis, precisely as we would give it of any other play or hand that comes before us. * Should Mr. Foster send us a hand of the sitting in which Easton made a break, we should ventilate and score the bad play exactly according to its deserts. 46 WHIST SKETCHES. Below is the game referred to : THE HANDS. f Spodes — 7, 6, 4. A J Hearts — ace, k., kn., 7, 6. ^ ] Clubs— 4. l^Diamonds — q., 9, 6, 3. f Spades — qu., 10, 9, 3. -D J Hearts — 9, 5. j Clubs — qu., kn. 8, 5., [ Diamonds — k., kn., 8. f Spades — k., kn., 8, 2. p J Hearts— 10, 3. ^ 1 Clubs— 9, 6, 3. 1^ Diamonds — ace, 7, 5, 2. r Spades — ace, 5. -p. J Hearts — qu., 8, 4, 2. ■^ j Clubs— ace, k., 10, 7, 2. (^Diamonds — 10, 4. C. S. Boutcher (D) dealt and turned 2 h. ; W. W. Wight (A); C. D. P. Hamilton (C); John Rheinart (B). No score, the sitting being for points. THE PLAY. [The dagger (f) the leader.] TRICK 1 4- 4- |4i^H tA A B, CD, 1 WHIST SKETCHES. 47 The original lead of the singleton by A is a good illnstration of the tactics so popular with these old school players of the Milwaukee Club. This order of play — or, rather, the absence of order — must invariably lose against conventional play. This is absolute, and as self-evident as a proposition in Euclid. When order is violated the language of the cards becomes unintelligible and the intellectual beauties of the game are lost. TRICK 2 B C 9? ^ <^ 9? ^ ~~^" 9? 9? 9?

9 D A B, 3 CD. 3 WHIST SKETCHES. 49 C reads the queen of clubs with B and the best dia- monds with A, and the strength of trumps against them, as D shovved but four by the lead of the 2. To return the trump would be fatal. The lead of the diamond, to be taken by D, who in turij must return a club, throwing the lead into B's hand, that he may lead a club or a spade — this was C's intent. TRICK 7 4. 4. A Dt A B, 4 C D, 3 TRICK 8 4. 4. 4.^4. 9 V 9 9? 9 9? 4. , 4^ 4»*4' 4.*4. D A B, 4 A C D, 4 A and B each failed to take in the situation here, and played as C had hoped they would when at trick 6 he led the 5 of diamonds. B should unquestionably have 50 WHIST SKETCHES. led the 9 of hearts through D, reading the probable tenace with A over D. C could not have strength of trumps, or he would most likely have returned the trump. Had B led the 9 of hearts here, A B would have scored two by card. A, however, could still have saved the odd from the wreck had he properly trumped with the knave. The 6 must lose if C had a trump. TRICK 9 fc <> o o A B, 4 C D, 5 TRICK 10 c B "♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ - 4 4. 4. Dt A B, 4 C D, 6 A should have trumped this thirteener, drawn the last trump from D, and trusted to B taking the needed trick in spades. WHIST SKETCHES. 61 TRICK 11 B ♦ ♦ L*._* © Dt ♦ ♦ A B;4 A C D, 7 D leads the ace of spades to make the odd, as a must have just one spade. TRICK 12 B I>t A B, 5 C D, 7 TRICK 13 9 C D score the odd card. fA 9? 9 D A B, 6 C D, 7 62 WHIST SKETCHES. REMARKS. By following up the positions arising out of their sin- gleton lead in this instance, A B could have made two by card against the best play. But, either from inat- tention, or from the play being rendered unintelligible, by their singleton lead, they failed to grasp the situations. By conventional play, A B make two by card, as the following analysis shows : A C B D 1 kht 3h 5h 2h 2 3dt 2d kd 4d A shows the ace, knave and others in trumps, with four diamonds, as his best suit, and says to his partner : " If you have the queen, give it to me ; if not, the best you have, and I will finesse knave." 3 kn h 10 h 9ht 4h 4 acehf 2 s 3 s 8h 5..,. 6 df aced 8d 10 d 6 5 c 9 ct 5 c k c 7 6h 5d knd q hf 8 4 s 8 s 9 s ace sf 9 6 s kn s qu s 5 sf C^s finesse is justifiable. B, by negative inference, has shown clubs as his suit. The result is, however, the same, if C does not finesse. 10 7h 3 c qu cf ace c 11 q df 7d 8c '2c 12 9 df 6 c kn c 7 c 13 7 sf ks 10 s 10 c A B take eight tricks, and have two by card. This is intelligible whist ; the other might be termed a game at guess, or whist by conjecture. X. 2he Interest taken hy AutJwrities in Free Press Criti- cism — 3Ir. Gurley, of Denver, Takes the Floor — He is the Father 0/ the Four Trump Signal — He Gives Its History, and, Naturally, Tries to See Some Virtue in His " Kid'' — Mr.Schwarz Says His Say on the Fad — He Agrees with the Free Press, "" E are in daily receipt of expressions of interest in and appreciation of the series of whist sketches appearing in the Feee Press from prominent clubs and players throughout the country, with expressions of opinions by a number of them upon mooted points. Among authoritative sources that have thus favored us, are Mr. Henry Jones, ^' Cavendish," of London ; Mr. N. B. Trist, of Xew Orleans, the discoverer of the fourth best principle ; Mr. Rheinart, of Milwaukee, the partner of Deschapelles ; Mr. Gurley, of Denver, (who, like Rheinart with Deschapelles, is a favorite partner of Trist's) ; Mr. Schwarz and Mr. Herr, of Chicago, the presidents of their respective whist clubs ; Mr. OrndorflF, of Worcester, Mass., and a number of others. Mr. Gurley comes forward with his history of the four trump signal in plain suits, and if no one appears to dethrone him, the paternity of it will unquestionably rest with him in the records of the game. Put that will not much matter. Its obituary is written, and the green sod and mossy marble are pressing it into oblivion. 54 WHIST SKETCHES. We note that Mr. Gurley admits a doubt of its utility? for, if with 15 years' use of it, he is "not certain yet of its strength'' there must be an element of that cast existing between it and him, which would probably take him a decade or two to reconcile with the four trump signal side. But Gurley is irrepressible and persistent? holding to what he believes a good thing like a snapper or bull dog. As Mr. Trist aptly puts it, he wonders if there are any grizzlies in the Rocikies, and if Gurley in his mountain strolls has ever met them, and if so why the bears didn't establish their suit. Mr. Trist knows Gurley's bent well enough to know that grizzlies would have no show with him in a straight ahead tilt or at duplicate. Bears are conventional and Gurley first con- fuses them with his four signals and then destroys. We give WHAT MR. GUELEY SAYS and follow it with some brief commentary. The four trump signal and its history, in so far as I am concerned, is in brief: During the year 1876 there w^as considerable rivalry manifested between a few of us players in this city. Particularly was this true of E* P. Jacobson and self, on one side, and my brother, (C. D. Gurley) and John L. Jerome, on the other. We had played a sort of neck and neck race for over two years, neither deriving much vantage ground. We were playing the seven point game. On the evening of the Hayes-Tilden election, in November, 1876, Jacob- son and self were to meet my brother and Jerome at Jerome's house, to have a sitting. On the way up I WIIIST SKETCHES. 55 asked Jacobson if it did not often happen that he held four trumps and would greatly desire to play out a trump if he could feel certain that partner had four, or would be able to echo if only three strong ones — ace, kg. and small, or kg., qu-kn. He ans\vered that was often the case, and cited many instances where the odd trick was lost by adversaries trumping in on our long and strong suit, etc., whereas, if he knew I held four trumps, he would lead them earlier. I then asked him how it would do to make the four trump signal in the following manner, viz : To play, in plain suits led by others, or partner first, next to the lowest, then next hiirher, and afterwards the lowest. We agreed on this method, and played it for two or tliree months, ere our adversaries discovered just what we meant by such play. They noticed the deviation in the play, but did not understand it earlier. However, after those few weeks, they "got on to us^' and "played our game,'' and up to this hour it has been played by a dozen or more of our whistites. It 1883, being a guest at the Old Buffalo, N. Y., Club, I introduced it there, and I understand that some of their strongest players adopted it, and continue it to this day. George Burrows, who visited this club three years ago, informed us that they still played the four trump signal, and brought a very high compliment back from them for me. It w^as on my general play, and in nowise per- tained to the four trump signal. Now Mr. Free Press, I am quite unprepared to say what I think of it, in face of the unblocking game. 66 WHIST SKETCHES. You cannot get in the four trump signal oftener than once in say ten hands, owing, first, to not holding exactly four trumps; secondly, because your hand will not allow the play. I would not part with an honor to show partner my strength. Moreover, if I held but four small trumps I would keep the fact concealed. It is only to be used when you are quite strong, and would lead if you knew partner was fairly strong. Generally partner controls the opening of trumps, and he only will lead after you have shown you have four, if he has four of strength or four weak ones, making eight between you. One can get in this signal much oftener than you would imagine, for it is not frequent. I do not place so much stress on the blocking of partner as you fellows do. Do you believe that with a first-class partner, he would block you once in 500 hands ? My experience says decidedly, no ; what is your experience? There is a way to throw off partner's command in almost every instance, either by leading or trashing on some suit in which you are short. Safford laid great stress on this " blocking'' and '^ unblocking" system, and far beyond what my experience has verified is necessary. Our best players are not as yet ready to banish the four trump signal for the unblocking system. In fact, the four trump signal is an unblocking sys- tem, for on second hand you can throw as high as you like, leaving your partner with command. Handle this as caustically as you like, Mr. Free PresSy for you can't make the blood tingle in my veins, in the least, i like WITIST SKETCHES. 67 scliolarally (that's meant for scholarly) crilicistn. I enjoy it hugely. 'Tis possible that the signal was played in the East before we adopted it, but I had never heard of it, and in all my whist life at other places I never heard of it until Trist called my attention to an article in the Lon- don Fields in February, 1889, when I was in New Orleans. The article supported the play, much to my gratification, at that time, for I had put it to Trist, and he seemed undecided until he read this article. I do not think he uses it, nor have I any opinion of his upon the subject. You understand that it is not an imperative rule to show the four; it is to be shown only when you would like a trump lead if partner is fairly strong, and it is owing to this that the control of trump lead, under the four signal, rests almost exclu- sively with partner. In so far as the date of its birth in this locality is concerned, I can support my claim by a dozen of our most reputable citizens. I don't care a picayune about making any claim for it, however, for I am not certain yet of its strength. I do know, how- ever, that in hundreds of instances it has given the odd trick, and I do not know as it has ever lost the trick. It is a stong point when jartner has four high trumps, for he then forces you freely — a thing he would other- wise hardly start in on with only four trumps. Or, he can lead with safety if strong in other suits, or a single suit, knowing partner held four. In the absence of this information adversaries might get in one or two small trumps, partner not daring to lead from four. 58 WHIST SKETCHES. Think about it and give me your conclusions. I am satisfied you are antagonistic to it at present, but a little investigation may alter your ideas considerably. I'll ask you how often have you blocked partner in the course of the past ten years ? I will guarantee that you can count the times on your fingers. I am simply showing that I do not distress myself on this point, for I manage my cards more scientifically than to do it. 1. Mr. Gurley's partner " cited many instances where the odd trick was lost by adversaries trumping in on our long and strong suit, etc., whereas, if he knew I held four trumps he would would lead them earlier.'^ An honest confession. But R. Mt. G. and his partner must learn that it is best for '' he" or " him '' to lead trumps as soon as it is evident that they have a "long and strong suit" and not wait for any kind of a trump signal, especially one so slow as the " four signal." People so swift as these Western hustlers usually are, should catch on " to this lively point." 2. Mr. Gurley lays too much stress upon the unblock- ing feature of the " plain suit echo." Unblocking is a minor point. In this order of play the value of the plain suit echo is that it enables partner to count the hands almost absolutely in the second round of the suit. The absence of the little card on the second round tells a big story — a story full of valuable information compared with which unblocking is comparatively value- less, and nobody knows this better than Mr. R. A. Gur- ley (R. M.) 3. The '^ plain suit echo'' and the "four signal" WHIST SKETCHES. 69 cannot co-exist ; they conflict, and the play of one neu- tralizes the effect of the other. Like tlie Quaker said to the horse when he kicked himself into the buck- board : "If thee is going to get into this vehicle, I'm going to get out ; we can't both ride ! " This is also well known to this " Wild West " denizen, who dwells upon the fringe of elevated civilization ! 4. Fathers are naturally fond of and devoted to their " kids," and we have no doubt that K. M. G. is the father of this wayuard child, and it is natural that he should admiringly pat it on the head. But ^' 'twas ever thus " — the fittest njust survive. Gurley's " four trump> signal " was a good thing in its day, but Mr. N. B. Trist some years ago presented the whist world with his " plain suit echo," and it must crowd Gurley's " kid " to the outside of the whist pickets. MR. SCHWAEZ, OF CHICAGO, TAKES THE FLOOR. Theodore Schwarz, President of the Englewood Club, Chicago, and Secretary of the American Whist League, and one of the powerful players of the country, sits squarely on the " four signal." He writes the Free Press : " In regard to four trump signal, I fully agree with you. I met the fad in Cincinnati some time ago, as j)layed by Zanoni and some of the Cuvier Club mem- bers. They call it the ' Sub-Blue Peter.' They have also what they call a ' Misery Blue Peter.' " I used the same argument there that you do in the Free Press, viz : T hat it conflicts with the ' plain suit echo.' There is another strong argument against it which did not occur to me then, and which you seem to 60 WHIST SKETCHES. have overlooked. Take a club, for instance, like the Milwaukee Club, who never use the trump signalsit all, and who are backward in leading trumps unless they have a strong hand in other suits ; or the fall of the cards discloses a strong suit in partner's hand. By the time this is developed, one of the adversaries has used the four trump signal, and gets the four trumps yanked out of his hands for his pains. The four trump signal in this case is a good deal like the player who echoes to the adversaries' lead of trumps, a violation of the under- lying principle of the echo.^' We have used this argument of Mr. Schwarz, with others, illustrating them by examples in previous Free Pi^ess articles. XL The Dr. Forrest Trophy to he Played for at the Next Congress — Miss Theresa Trist on the Bibliography of Whist — League Credential Cards — Committee on Per- manent League Organization — Code of Laws adopted by the Congress — Opinions of the Laws. HE Whist Congress convened for its third day's session, A pril 16. The members first inspected the design of a club trophy, presented by Dr. Milton H. Forrest, of the Hamilton Club, Philadelphia, to be played for at the next session of the Congress, in sets of four from each club, duplicate whist. It is a handsome gift, designed by Bailey, Banks & Biddle, of Philadelphia, in the form of a silver bowl, about fourteen inches in height. The shank is square in form and ornamented with the figures of the four kings chased in relief. The bowl is ornamented with chased figures, and the base with four aces in relief. It will prove the object of an interesting contest. The Congress acted upon and incorporated into its proceedings an article by Miss Theresa West, on the bibliography of whist, and the list of publications on whist literature in the Milwaukee Public Library. It comprises about eighty-five publications, and is valu- able for reference. A vote of thanks was extended to Miss West for the interest taken by her in the game ' and in the Congress. 62 WHIST SKETCHES. A committee, through a motion of Mr. Gurley, of Denver, was appointed to prepare a credential card of certification to delegates in attendance upon the first Whist Congress, as a voucher, indorsing them as enti- tled to the courtesies of any club in the country. Through a motion of Mr. Barney, of Providence, R. I., a committee was appointed to adopt some basis of organization for future congresses by forming a league of all American whist clubs, and clubs in which whist is played. The afternoon session was given to a tournament after I. C. Orndorff's method of duplicate, of Worcester, Mass. (which we shall report in a special paper), and to the report of the Committee on Rules. This committee had a perplexing and by no means an easy task. They took as their base the " Club Code." These rules are the outcrop of laws and deci- sions made to suit the English conduct of the game. They bear the marks of discussions that have arisen over " fine points" from time to time. They are cum- bersome and not in harmony with the trend of Ameri- can whist to-day. The committee changed some sections of this code, and eliminated other sections. Its more prominent recommendations were that the game should consist of seven points, the trump be turned from the live pack, and that the trivial law be stricken out which allows the player to ask a partner, who renounces, if he have no more of the suit. The code of laws, as recommended by the committee. WHIST SKETCHES. 63 was adopted by the Congress, and as we state, the laws, as a whole, are not in harmony with the American game of Long Whist. They are longer by half than necessary, are not free from inconsistencies, and are also ambiguous. In our opinion they are in the main unfitted to the American game of seven points and no honors count. A code of laws, concise and simple, would meet the requirements of our game. A law unaccompanied by a penalty is valueless. The laws of long whist are necessarily few — at the most, twenty in number. To each law a definite and absolute penalty should be affixed, and for the violator of the law the penalty should invariably be enforced. All penalties should be in points, like the penalty for a revoke. All such penalties as require the offender to play his highest or lowest card of the suit, or to lead from another suit called upon, or force him to trump or not to trump a trick, &c.,