By BETTY DEBNAM
An oia apart roiig on
Mighty Marble Tournament
Marbles were especially popular in the 1930s
and '40s. litis was right after the Depression,
when people didn't have much money to spend
for fun.
How to play
1. Place the back of your hand on
the ground with the shooting
marble resting inside the first finger
between the tip and the first joint.
2. Carefully roll up your hand,
keeping the marble steady with the
tip of the nail of your thumb. By
taking careful aim and flicking your
thumb, you can force the marble out
into the marble ring.
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Dean Feinauer, co-winner of the 1078 tournament, gets ready to shoot. Hie
contest uses specially built marble rings made of cement. Most ldds play marbles
in the dirt.
Kids have been playing
marbles for thousands of years.
The ancient Egyptians used
to shoot marbles.
George Washington played
with marbles made of clay.
Marbles w< re very popular in
this country in the 1930s and
1940s . . . before TV.
Back then, boys carried sacks
of marbles tied to their trousers.
Girls didn't play much.
Although the mighty marble
has lost a lot of its punch, there
are some kids still playing.
Many of them have been
competing in local contests
across the country.
They are trying to reach the
national "Big Blue Marble"
marbles tournament. It will be
held at Wild wood, New Jersey,
later on this month.
The tournament is sponsored
by "Big Blue Marble," an
award-winning TV series for
kids.
1978 Champa Diane and Dean.
? Thirteen-year-olds Diane
Bertosh of Pittsburgh, Pa.,
and Dean Feinauer of Reading,
Pa., were the 1978 marble
shooting champs. Each received
a $500 college scholarship and a
trophy. They were among the 54
boys and girls to compete at the
tournament held at Wildwood,
N.J. Kids from 8 to 14 can enter.
This year's contest will begin on
June 28 at Wildwood.
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