Show ORIGIN OF BRIDGE Great Whist Game Is Said to Have Come From Russia Saturday Review The real origin of ot bridge is somewhat shrouded In mystery The game Is said to have ave originated in Russia but there I is no satisfactory proof Droo of this state statement statement ment mente It was first known under the title of or Russian whist and this no doubt gave rise to the Idea that hat it was of Russian origin although as a n matter of or fact a t tho the word Is s not to be found in any Russian dic die dictionary The game as we play it is isar far ar more likely to have been of Levan Levantine tine ine origin It was certainly played play d very much in its present form some borne forty years ago in eastern Europe notably in Constantinople and In Greece and if jf there were any necessity to assign it to a n definite nationality we ve should not hesitate to award ward a the honor to Greece The prevalent idea that bridge was unknown in England up tb to the time of its ts introduction at the Portland club in 1894 is an entirely mistaken one It was quite unknown in but there theres Is s indisputable evidence of ot its having been Deen known and regularly played in private circles for many years prior to that date It H is stated in the supplement to the then ninth n nth edition of the Encyclopedia Enc Bri BritannIca Britannica annica that the game of bridge was first introduced into England in the year 1880 but no Information is given as to who furnished this statement or as ij tP what authority if any ther there theris is for it We Ve have received a letter from an English gentleman of Greek extraction now a resident in London in which we weare weare weare are assured that the writer can remember ber bel the game of bridge very much in its present form being regularly played among a colony of Greeks settled in Manchester of whom his own father was one as far back as the seventies of the last century The only import important important ant tnt point of difference between the game as it is played now was as that the value of no trumps was 10 points per trick instead of 12 and that the four aces In one hand counted 80 SO above the theline theline theline line Instead of ot as at present Also the lead of a heart in answer to a double of no trumps by the leaders partner which is commonly supposed to have originated in America was the general custom The short suit con convention convention convention had not then been heard of That was probably a purely English convention In later days In the year 1886 a small pamphlet was printed in London entitled or Russian Whist There is said to be only one copy of this pamphlet let in existence and anc that is in the library of the British Museum It gives gin s sa a very attenuated description of the game with the method of scoring and a n afew afew few laws as to declaring passing the declaration etc but again we are without available information as to who framed these laws or by whose au an authority authority they the were published As the tho game is there described the most valuable valuable valuable able declaration corresponding to our present call of or no trumps was or playing without trumps and the value of the call was again 10 points per trick instead of 12 and also four aces in one hand counted 80 not The winners of the rubber added 40 points to their score core instead of points as in our present game and this extra score was called conso consolation consolation consolation lation There can be no doubt that A the score for no trumps ought to be 10 points per trick and not 12 as that is following the regular upward sequence of the suit declarations 2 20 4 6 8 10 and also if the value of the tricks at no trumps is to be 12 points why should the honor score acore for aces not be also 12 points in instead Instead instead stead of 10 When Whon or why or how or orby orby orby by whom the change was made is quite unknown When Then the game was first Introduced at the Portland club we W were certainly told that the value of no ItO trumps was 12 points per trick and the error if error it was must some somehow somehow somehow how have crept in accidentally |