The Portland daily press., 1877-09-07

da and they quickly seized upon It for their
own. 1t continually grew in favor, and eigh-
teen years ago, on the first Dominion Day"
it was formally adopted as the national game
OF the Dominion of Canada. Civilization has
made strange work with it, and 1t now differs
materially from tthe wild sport of the warriors
of the Five Nations. From rough pastime it
has become regular and even scientific game.
though it yet retains many Of the Characters
tics which brought it into SO great favor with
the red men. With change of manner has
come change of name. The hook-like stick
used in tossing the ball reminded the French
settlers of the pastoral crook, the bishops GRO.
zier, and SO they called the sport lie ieu de la
crosse, the game of the crozer. By the Eng
disappearing people this title has been short
ened to Lacrosse, the name which the snort
now bears.
Yesterday morning at Presumpscot Park the
game was played for the first time in Maine
the contestants being the Montreal Team and
the Caughnawaga Indian Team. A great num-
Der OF spectators, attracted by the novelty of
the sport, were in attendance. A few mo-
ments before ten o clock the players made their
appearance, and amused themselves and their
audience in the minutes before the game was
called by passing the ball to and fro and catch
ing it on the crooked sticks which gives the sport
Its ZANE. AT TO. % the teams got into position
and the game began, Mrs. John Marshall
Brown placing the ball. Gen. George L. Beals
acted as referee, and George T. Means and E.
P. Mayo as umpires for the Caughnawagas
and Col. A. j. Nichols and W. 81. Pennell for
the Canadians. The red men won the choice
of position and took the west goal. The field
was 70 by $50 yards between the goals, and was
formed by describing parallelogram within
the oval formed by the trotting course This
field was roped in 50 as to prevent the throng
of spectators from crowding in upon the play
ers. The Canadians, fine, manly looking fell
lows, wore a harlequin costume, grey with
white stripes, while the Indians, heavier men
and modelled after fashion which would have
delighted sculptor looking for group of ath-
letes wore white shirts and stockings and
striped breech-cloths The Whites had on low,
wide-soled shoes. and the Indians were mostly
barefoot At the very beginning the Cana
dams labored under disadvantages. Their
best men failed to put in an appearance. and
SO ''goal-keeper," 'point," and "cover-point''
were taken from the ranks of the fielders
men unused to the positions they were called
upon to occupy. Losing the choice of position
their goal-keeper had to play with his face to
the sun. They went into the ame evidently
somewhat discouraged. Their opponents, on
the contrary, were confident of winning-a
confidence amply justified by the issue.
The game has been tolerably we'll explained
in the journals of the city, but a resume of its
points in connection with mention of the
match of yesterday may not be amiss. The
"crosse, "-the stick some five feet in length
and curved at the end after the fashion of
fsh-hook-used yesterday, and which took the
place of bat in manipulating the ball, was
made of rock maple having its hook interviewer
with moose-hide. When the s'crosse' was held
out at arms length from the body, the netting
was flat, and SO woven at the lower angle that
the ball could not catch in its meskes. The
ball was India rubber sponge, about three
inches in diameter There were two goals one
for each side, each goal consisting of two flag.
poles six feet above ground aud six feet apart.
The goals may be at any distance from each
other, from about one hundred yards to a quar-
ter of a mile, but were yesterday arranged at
distance of $50 yards, The goal-poles were
those offered by Mr. 4. J. Claxton of Montreal
to the winning club in series of games played
in that city in 1876, and won and since held by
the Montreal team. Two umpires were ap-
pointed at each goal. A referee was also
chosen, and the two clubs were differed by
captains, White for the Canadians and Beau
vais for the Caughnawagas. The players were
the "goal-keeper," who defends ths goal;
"point," first man out from goal; "cover-
point" in front of point; "csntre," who faces
and begins the game; "home," nearest oppo.
nents' goal The others are called "fielders."
Twelve players constituted the field.
After each game the players changed
sides as in cricket Spiked soes wer Q
prohibited. The ball could not be touched
with the hand. When ball was out of bounds
it was replaced at the nearest spot within the
bounds, all the players remaining steady in
their places. The object of each side was to
drive the ball along the "crease" of the field
through the goal of the opponents feat which
looks easy of accomplishment until GU see the
dexterity with which the ''homep men toss the
rubber" away, pass it from one swift runner
to another, and send it down to the further end
OF the field in msnaciug proximity to the enc
my's stronghold. Unless the ball passes be
tween the posts within six feet of the ground,
it is still in play, and can ba chased BY the men
behind the goal sand anywhere within the
ropes.
The moment the word ''play'' was given the
centre men, who stood with their scoops on
each side the ball, began the struggle for its
possession. The red-sk caught it on his net
and with beautiful throw drove it far down
toward the Canadian goal. Then "fielders,'
points" and ''cover-points" on that side of the
field rushed aud wranged for it. From the
starting moment until the rubber passed be-
tween the posts there was continuous strug-
gle for its possession. Whenever it struck the
ground men gathered about it and attempted
to scoop it up on their aettings. Whenever one
succeeded he started off with it toward the OBJ
ponents' goal,an whe never he was intercepted
by one of the enemy his endeavor was to toss if
to some man of his team who could speed it on
its victorious way. But no man had his own
sweet will with the ball, for whenever
he got it in his control there was
one of the opposing side to knock it from his
crosse or to run him down into a group of
his enemies who quickly dispossessed him of his
prize. Whenever point caught the rubber
there was 'shome' to contest its possession with
him. Each player had an opponent whose bus
mess was to follow him wherever he went, to
track him as closely as shadow follows upon
substance. The aim seemed to be to concentrate
as many men as quickly as possible upon the
threatened points and thus overcome the ene-
my by massipg forces upon weakly-defended
point. The game was exciting throughout, as
there was not pause from its beginning to it,
end. The ball was never out of play, and both
sides had their innings at oncs. Tue points of
the game consisted in the skill with which the
ball was caught on the netting of the sticks,
the accuracy with which it was thrown and the
judgment with which It was pissed from one
player to another
From the start the Indians showed better
skill and endurance than their opponents, and
though each game was sharply contested, out
generated the Pals Faces except in the short
and brilliant fourth inning when within a min