Jackstraws:Magnetic Jack Straws

Game producers E. I. Horseman made their "Magnetic Jack Straws" game and copyrighted the name in 1891. Jackstraws, sometimes called Pick-up Sticks, is an ancient game first played, according to legend, with simple pieces of straw. Horseman made the game out of steel and magnetized one piece, which made it easier, perhaps, to remove one straw without moving the others. The firm touted "Magnetism Utilized in a New Way" on the box cover.