The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1879-06-13
Archery.
new IOfk deraiu,
Cbeerily blew the bugle horn

Cheerily blew the bugle horn
In the cool green woods of morn
Loose the hounds and lot them go;
Wax the cord and bend the bow.
+" lie Roi, est Mort. Vire le LOi i!
Croquet, that for SO long reigne'
king of the lawn, is dead, ant
archery rules in its place. Dead
do you sayi Well, it amounts t.
the same thing, for it is no Longer
fashionable. When croquet was
the rage it was more universally
played than any lawn game before
or since. But sets of croquet, from
being expensive and well made
became cheap and poorly made, ST
that the game was no longer scien
tiically played. Another thing
that killed croquet was that oul
English cousins gave it the cold
shoulder, and in the matter of out
door games we follow England's
lead. Now that croquet is down
we do not hesitate to strike it. 1t
is argued that it is not healthy
game; that one has to stoOp in
playing it; that it calls forth nc
play of the muscle, and that any
one with good eye and steady
hand can excel as crOquet player.
Still it must be acknowledged that
when croquet was in favor there
was no more enticing sound in the
world than the sharp "click" of
the balls as they sped across the
lawn, driven bya well-aimed mallet.
Archery, as modern amuse-
ment, has only been fashionable in
America for the past two years. 1t
was being played in England be.
fore that, but we did not take hold
of it until some time later. Mr..
Maurice Thompson was the first to
call the public attention to the
sport. By his articles in various
magazines, and later by his book,
the Witchery of Archery" he
aroused enthusiasm all over the
country for the game.
From Cupid to Robin Hood the
ladies have admired bow shooting,
and it is no wonder that as soon as
it was introduced as a pastime
they became its most ardent adher.
ents. Croquet was the entering
wedge that opened outdoor sports
to women, and Tor that.thcy cannot
be too grateful. But how childish
is croquet compared to archery!
When one shoots with bow it is
his own strength and his own dex-
terity that sends the arrow into the
bulls eye. Trained muscles and a
true eye have done the work. The
matter of bodily education in wO
men is apt to be overlooked. There
is no reason why our girls should
not row, swim, pull the long bow
and play ball III moderation. Ex-
cess in the matter of sports is not
good for either sex. The healthier
women are the better and happier
they are, or should be, and there is |
nothing like plenty of fresh air and
sunshine with well regulated exer-
else to make a strong; well devel-
oped woman. Archery is, OF all
games, perhaps the best for girls.
In the first place, it is performed in
an erect attitude; it calls into ac-
tion both hands and arms, the
of the shoulders and back,
the chest and legs. There is no
overstrain on either. In the second
place, when one braces himself to
pull the bowstring he is sure
to draw full, deep breath,
thus filling his lungs with
pure fresh air. A thoroughly
trained archer is perfectly built
athlete. Another thing which
should recommend archery to oladies
is its exquisite grace. See yonder
lady with bow in hand; she braces
herself firmly upon the lawn, raises
the bow to the proper angle, mea-
sures the distance. with her eye
and the teather,tipped messenger
lies through the air and pierces the
Soiu' No uiotOiu pdtciiU has uOHo
his. 1t is all herowu strength and
skill. a child may pull trigger
md hit the BULBS eye, but it takes
strength to pull the bow. At the
md of a month she may use one
with stronger resistance. Few la
lies, however, pull over forty
pounds. Their average is between
hirty and forty. A mans average
$ fifty pounds, while some pull as
ligh as seventy.ive, but these are
cases and they have to
ave bows especially prepared.
The regulation length of a mans
low is six feet from tip to tip, and
he "draw" of the arrow twenty
light inches. Bows should always
'e bent fiat side out. The proper
ength of lady's bow is five feet,
tx inches. The Highfield lemon
rood is best for general use,
hough the snakewood, yew and !
lncewood are popular. "Fancy
acked bows are sought after by
ancy bowmen. The English
weighed bows cost from 81 90