The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-07
THE PASTIME OF RACKET.
AN OLD ENC LIsH GAME As INTR o.
DUCED INTO TINS CRY.
The New York Racket club and Its House in
Sixth Avenue The Nature Of the Athletic
sport, Now and Heretofore "Reminiscences.

The New York Racket Club and Its House In
sixth Avenue The Nature of the Athletic
sport, Now and Heretofore "Reminiscences.
Along with the growing taste for all
English field games and sports in this country,
comes a revival OF the old ball game OF racket.
Not that racket has ever been out of fashion
exactly, not that there have not been since 1910
racket PLAYERS and racket courts IN New York.
But tho practice of the game has been during
all these years confined to comparatively ex-
elusive few, and Its popularity among fashion
able men has been nuctuatina.
"when first came to New York, about thirty
years ago." said a gentleman, 81 knew two
men, each Of whom had lost an eye playing
racket"
When repeated this to Mr.. De Voc OF the New
York Racket Club he fred up just the least bit
in the world Strengthening w his slender we'll
knit form, and with fash in his yellow eyes,
said quickly;
"Yes, know, know; their eyes we're
knocked out with racket balls, but not In the
game not IN the game. It was after the game
was over. They were MIR. Suydam and Mrwhit-
lock. They were racket club men, and one az
ternoon. after very exciting game had been
played, half a dozen of the boys went into the
court, that was the Broadway and Houston
street court. aud they were skylarking around,
each man with his own ball and bat, half a dozen
balls going at once, and the first thing you
knew two men were wounded"
He drew out OF his pocket a little ball, about
an inch aud half In diameter, covered with red
morocco. IT was very hard, and apparently In
tive appearance. IL was highly elastic.
You see the size and hardness OF this ball."
said Mr.. De Voc. Now. imagine half a dozen
such balls as this flying about in the air among
half dozen hands. I'll show you how II goes"
ana he ran OF to another room and brought IN a
lonR-handled battledorc SON thing like the
battedore with which the game Of battlcdore
and shuttcock Is played, but smaller In the bat
and larger IN the handle The drum, toe, was Of
the little hard red ball from my hand, ana as he
struck II with the battledore, II flew to the OPP
posite side OF the court. struck the wall, re-
bounded to one Of the siue walls, and as II came
toward where we were standing. describing a
tangent in its course, he caught 1t with an up
reaching stroke OF the battledore, sending IL to
the opposite end again, and as IL rebounded-
lower TINS time-he ca Ight II with a downward
dip OF the bat, ana returning TO where was
standing, said:
AN ENTERTAINING GAME.
Now, YOU may imagine how Mr.. Suydam and
Mr. Whitlock 6.d their eyes knocked out.
There's not the least danger In tho game, not as
much as In base ball or cricket, but YOU NJ ust
be quick OF hand and body, too. Its the pref
test, most exciting ball game in the world. II
educates the eye, the hand, aud the whole body :"
We were standing 10 one Of the two racket
courts OF the new club mouse OF the New York
Racket Club. on sixth avenue and Twenty
street, Hs MIR. DE Voc, an old champion OF the
game. made these explanations. lie said great
deal more about the rules of the game and its
:
calculated to keen base Oall players IN practice
during that season Of the year when their game
also both the racket courts in the upper storj OF
the building, the gym isiuni. aud the fOot-race
course for athletes ana pedestrians; the billiard
rooms, the reception, reading and reffcshmcnt
rooms the bath rooms, the dressing rooms,
and the bachelor apartments. They are all
beautiful, and II will be, indeed, lordly pleas
uro house when completed, watch will be In a
few weeks. But tue racket counts Interests
me most. rhey are up in the fourth story. with
" Vol al fgd
lighted from above ana with a high gallery for
spectators running all around each OF them,
thirty feet from the floor OF the court. Tue
floors aud walls Of botn courts are OF Portland
cement Zach court Is Ci feet long. 3lis tset
wide, and AZ feet from tue floor to the skyn.Atcd
Now" said Mr.. De Voc. "this court IN which
we are standing Will have the walls painted red,
and the other courts walls Will oe whtc. "A the
red urt we Will play with awnte bail in the
white court with a rcd one
" Can you give me some idea Of the gains = l
now Tue GAME is PLAYED.
Not much. without your seeing it," was the
reply. \ GU must be at our opening next fall,
aud when you see the game once you Val never
forget II. Ii IL short, quick simple, and very
citing. y played by 'wo or four players The
one man stands withia the lines Of the inner
court, which are marked OF on the door, aud
serves the ball for the player standing IN the
outer court. Serving the " consists ia Lifting
1t with the Dat SO that 1t rebounds from the end
wall Of the court beyond the line winch divides
the inner from the outer portion. when tins Is
done, 1t becomes he object OF the players IN the
| outer court to bat the ball on ITS hrst rebound
as to return 1t TO the end wall OF the court be-
| ior- IL touches the EOOr. Touching the SIDE
walls OF the court is Ministerial, 80 that tins bal
| first touches the end wall before II reaches the
! uOur. Tho effort TO keep the ball In notion. re-
| bounding from the end wall, Is then kept up 10y
both players until one or the other fails to b 4
the bal in returning 1t to the end wall, In which
case, VI II be the player serving the ball from tht
inner court, he loses his hand, and thereby tax
| IN his position In the outer court. Ii II he the
| player IN the outer court who falls 10 return the
| ball u the end wall, then his opponent scores
| an ace. or one point and this goes on until one
| party or the other scores n nces which ends the
game. match at racke,s consists OF nest tive
| out OF three games, best three out OF i've, ol
| best four out Of seven.'
| Mr.. Peter Hurley, who resides In Morrisania
| Is well versed In the pre-revolItionary and cen
lea. or the English call II, rackets. Pete
| Hurley Is one OF the oldest, II not the oldest
in 1904 in Bellcvile New Jersey, and came e
| live In New York with Robert Knox about tn,
wear 1871. Robert Knox was the son OF "a Scotch
| man 10y the name OF James Knox, who was
| citizen Of New York at the time that hostilitiei
broke out between tie colonies and the mother
country. In 1i1G James Knox, being stan'f
loyalIst, went to Halifax. Nova scotia, and tnert
saw me game OF racket, and became
| Independence of the States Hcknowl-
edged 10y Great Britain ~ l7Si and 80 ite
| court at the corner Of Allen street and Hester
| In 1880. That is the first court of which We
| have any positive knowledge, out IL u STATED
| on good authority that there was "A racket couf
| in the nelRh borhood OF Leonard street, west q
| broadway, for, during the time that koDer
| Knox, son of James Knox, was superintendent
| of the Allen street racket court, an old man o
| the name of Lowery visited there, and was
| made an honorary member Of the club. anC
| showed during hs play that he was an exper
| at the game. 1t Is SAID that this old mau cam,
| from the pre'revolutonarv leonard stree
| court. No doubt however. he learned the game
In England, where II was in Old times known a
| the game Of "lves."
| OLD-TIME COURTS.
The Allen street court, which was an opeI
| double court. not rooted In, and much lunge
| aud larser than the courts In the new New orr
| Rocket Club house, was butt of brick and face
with brown stone. None but members wer
admitted TO the court under any circumstances
and its members were of the old knicker0ocke
and most aristOcratic families Of the city Of tha
dav. james Knox died IN 1918, and his son Rob
ert succeeded him aud conducted IL until hl
decease In 1876 Then Mr.. Petor Hurley tool
| charge of IL. lie kept the court for over thiIt
| years. Among the members of the club durin
| those thirty Years were Robert Emmett, Charlie
| Livingston. Henry Suydam, Richard Suydgm
| Thomas Adds Emmett, Ogden Hoffman, Gov
| King Philip Hone, Commodore Vanderbilt
Uugn Maxwell, and Walter Livingston. Waite
IiNingston brought with hun on one occ $50
Robert Fulton. There CHANGED To be four mem
hers Of the club pl lying at the time. Fulton BIS
| never seen the game. but thought he could bed
| either of the four VINO were then playing. MI
| Iiyincston selected the poorest player, an