Salt Lake Herald | 1890-10-21 | Page 5 | Playing Cards of Human Skin

Playing Cards of Human Skin Capt E W Kingsbury of this city is at home for a short stay from the San Carlos Car-los Indian reservation where he is a post trader The San Carlos reservation i a valley 100 miles square situated at the junctionof the San Carlos and Gila rivers in Arizona About 5000 Indians are cared for by the government on this reservation As soon a poor Lo gets his hands on a weeks provisions or extra blanket he sits down on the ground and proceeds to gamble gam-ble them away By the way said Capt Kingsbury did you ever see their playing cards and with the remark he handed out I deck which he said had been made by Indians The faces and spots were copied after the Mexican monte playing cards and were put on with some bright durable paint They looked as if made of mica or possibly possi-bly thin bone but Capt Kingsbury being asked a to the material said Well you know an Indian makes everything durable dura-ble and you know what a varied use he makes of raw hide The listener who had been gracefully shuffling the cards suddenly held them between a finger and thumb Now you see continued Capt Kings bury horse hide or beef hide would be too thick and it is reported that such things are manufactured from the exterior covering of prisoners other words tanned white mens skin Kansas City Times