A Fun Game For The Winter

What to do on Long Winter Evenings

In The Story of Early Sandy, taken verbatim from the Beaver State Herald, Christmas Edition, December 20, 1907, as published every Friday at Gresham, Oregon, by Timothy Bownhill, editor and manager, there is an intriguing little ad toward the back on page 24. It reads:

‘“WHIZ”

A New Parlor Game

For the Long Winter Evenings FREE

Go to your dealer and buy a pound package of 20-Mule-Team BORAX. Cut off the top panel from package and mail to Pacific Coast Borax Co., Oakland, Cal. with 4 cents in stamps and the WHIZ game will be promptly sent you Prepaid.

WHIZ, the new Parlor Card game, can be played by all the family. It is composed of 41 handsomely printed cards inclosed [stet] in a flap case with full and complete rules for playing. Entertaining, instructive, or educational. Similar games cost 50c in the shops. You can get it FREE.’

This brand of Borax has been around, according to the box in my pantry, “all natural since 1891 (when my grandmother turned 11).” The company described the game as “entertaining, instructive, or educational.” Could it have been like trivia, but with cards? Can anyone add more information about this game? What do you do to include the whole family on long winter evenings?