THE NEW “SKIN” GAME.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 785, 17 November 1922, Page 5

THE NEW “SKIN” GAME.

A SYDNEY TAKE DOWN. There is a touch of the romantic and eerie about the latest “skin" game, which bids fair to be a serious r t y al to the thimble and pea and. that beautiful uncertain game in which you try to pick the queen, says a writer in the Sydney “Sun," It is called “Poor Teddy Green.” There is a delicate hint in the ‘Green,” but you do not thin* of t" 3 -! till it is over. The pLayer in chief requires a good line of patter and a capper or buttoner. /The properties are simple—a clay bcwl, not unlike the bowl of some oLdfashioned clay pipes, a couple of pieces of chalk, and a box of matches, The chief 'operator begins by telling the story of the illness and death of poor Teddy, ,andi how he asked his widow that he might be buried standing. The bowl is brought into play to represent the vaulft* and the piece of chalk is stood up inaide it to stand for the body. Just then the operator makes some excuse to turn away for a second or two. For instance, he will say that the widow put a railing round the grave, and will ask someone to lend him a few matches to act as the railing.’^ At that instant the capper nips poor Teddy ,away from under inc bowl and winks at the onlookers behind the back of the spieler, The onlookers naturally begin to think that they are .in on a good joke. Quite in the dark* as to what has happened, the operator relates how the widow came every day to lay flowers on the grave, and how. after a whilß, she hears a voice moaning out the words “J want to lie down; I want to £e down ” A good spieler can m,ake this plaint Qf . the ' dead man very effective. Finally the widow is Iso wrought upon that she strikes the top of the vault several ,i times with a hammer, saying at each blow, “L|e~ down, Teddy Green." With a stick the spieler suits the action to the words and then bets tfyit' Teddy is lying down, As the rustics have seen Teddy taken out they bet with confidence agdinst his lying down, The capper leads the way. Then the- bowl is lifted, and there he is lying on the table. The secret is that there are two Teddies. Besides the one thit the capper snqaks out, there iis another stuck crosswise in the bowl, When the operator lifts the bowl with the stick this is dislodged and falls to the table. The operator can hear it fall and so knows that alljist well. If the position seems to demand a little “buriejj,” he strike lightly so that the second Teddy does not fall, and he loses his money. . It is like bread upon the waters.