The New International Encyclopædia/Jack-Straws

JACK-STRAWS. A game played with from 20 to 100 little sticks of ivory or wood, of uniform size and between 4 and 6 inches in length, carved (with the exception of a few Jack-straws which are left perfectly plain) to resemble weapons, implements, tools, etc. The game consists in letting the sticks fall together in a loose heap, each player in turn extricating as many straws as possible (one at a time) without moving preerceptibly any other straw. The decision is in favor of the player with the most straws. Originally the name of the game was jerk-straws, and in England it is also called spillikins. In Germany it is known as Federspiel, and in France as Jonchets or Honchets (from joncher, to strew).