| A Word Edgewise by Mary Joe Clendenin |
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| A Word Edgewise by Mary Joe Clendenin |
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DOMINOES ARE WINNERS ANY SEASON
When I first married into the Clendenin family, Thanksgiving was a time of serious domino playing by the men of the family. The hot contest was the Dirt Farmers against the Paper Farmers. Two of Ray's brothers-in-law and a brother were graduates of Texas A & M. One brother-in-law, Ray's papa and he, were the Dirt Farmers. The women stayed in the background busy with dinner preparations and other things, knowing better than to try to talk to any of the combatants.
Much studying of spots and strategies made games long and serious enough to reach far into the night. Memories of defeats and victories from other years were discussed between games--with very occasional notice of the females around the house.
Other tough wars of dominoes were fought in the Bowman Ridge Community. Once, Ray Clendenin and Lee Pendleton played Uel Boucher and Seymour Clendenin in 42 where the losers were sorely burdened. The old mule had wallowed in cockle-burrs until he was just a walking, fuzzy burr. The losers of the set, three-out-of-five to win, had to shear the mule. Ray and Lee player harder than they every had in their lives, concentration was audible, but they were the winners and the older men had to shear the mule.
Not many of the family left to play now. Ray and a brother-in-law, Howard Edmondson, get together occasionally for a few games. Being rather evenly matched, they seriously debate each play with themselves, thinking, I suppose, "Now if I play this, he will likely play that one, and then I'll have to play the double." Or maybe I have the thoughts wrong. I'm no expert. I'm sure many wives have been told--or made to feel that the game is too complicated for them.
Many Texans probably think that dominoes originated here in the state. Perhaps the game of 42 did, but Texans can't rightly take credit to the rocks with which the game is played. One account of the beginning is that two monks in Italy, who had been committed to a lengthy seclusion, contrived to beguile the dreary hours of their confinement, without breaking the rules of silence, by showing each other small white stones marked with black dots. They developed a game of which the winner would signify by repeating in an undertone the first line of the vesper prayer. "Dixit Dominus Domino meo," was soon reduced to "Domino."
The Chinese seem to have established some right to the origin, too. It is accepted by most as a fact that the game was perfected by the Chinese, but they had 32 rocks as a full set. Then a trip to Europe resulted in blanks being added and our present set of 28.
Our generation who grew up and established homes in days before television, spent more time playing games with cards and dominoes than do the younger ones who are more apt to play computer games, or watch television. On the farm when it was too cold, or too wet, or too dry, or the crops laid by, some excuse for any season of the year, people got together for dominoes or 42, even if it were just family members.
Although, even losers seemed to leave the table in good humor at the Clendenins, the games were mighty serious, and the topic of many conversations. When televisions came to the country and the University of Texas and Texas A. & M football games took up hours of the Thanksgiving vacation, the dominoes were soon shuffled again. Some way or another all players would soon know what his partner and opponents had in their hands.
Here is a neat formula that will allow you to know what a particular domino held by an opponent is, if you can get his cooperation: Tell him to multiply either of the numbers of spots by five, add seven, double the result, and finally add the second number of spots, then tell you the sum. You subtract fourteen, and the remaining digits are the number of spots on his domino. Suppose he selects the domino marked with 3 and 6 dots. Following directions he multiples 3 by 5=15, adds 7=22, doubles it =44, adds the other number,6, and tells you the sum is 50. You subtract 14 =36. His domino is the 6-3. Works everytime.
Wonder why the Dirt Farmers and Paper Farmers wouldn't let me play? I know, I didn't follow the rules of good playing. No one knew what I held. Oh, well, there are some advantages to being dumb.