Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-24
GATH IN NEWPORT.
A Chapter on Carts. Jauntv Nurse Girls
and Polo Playing.

ana Polo Playing.
Correspondence Of Cincinnati Eao,,;rsr
The Newport high toned people seem to
/ spend their days driving wagons which
no Respectable man brought up to the
light American wagon would be soon CON
{ Quoting. You viii observe some young
! fellow with high two-wbeeIed cart
7 which seems to be lifting the horse off his
'front.' legs most Of the time. Desperately
endeayOring to drive his LADY up Bellevue
avenue; and little fiunkev, overdressed
IN Ducksklns and yellow cloths. will he
1IoIggi!IhI! sucking on behind, all of them
looking as II there were invisible nooses
around their necks and they were presently
gong 70 be swung up like Major Andre
Mnen the cart is pulled away from under
them. Those who do not have hiph carts
rlue IN what appear TO be vanished dry
goods boxes, suspended low to the ground.
ana likewise two wheeled. These things
theF call cottage carts, and you can see
Two women trying to LondOnize il with
All thelr might, timOrously going behind
some little mare or pony and aDing the
ihOtlOns OF buying a carrot or half a cab
page at some Of the small stores in town
Now and then you see woman eDdeav-
ing 10 drlFe pair Of hOrses and the agony
on her cOuntenance is wonderful To be-
hold. She has been told that all highbred
women graduate by driving a pair. and
you can see the grOOms and others come
out TO near the edge of the little lanes as
madam turns into the great avenue. to
watch her off, and she. with
that cOrpsellke cOuntenance | have men,
TONED, made somewhat more pallid bv
human lear, proceeds "A sort of Zi0-za6r
down the avenue. the horses themselves
somewhat awed by wondering what they
have got behind them and why il is sd
Undoubtedly the air at Newport is as fine
as one can get it at the seaside i'm this
country, but even lambent and genial air.
with no soclability in it, soon becomes
!ofeign AR, and everybody that breathes
~ seems 10 be IN exile in his own country
That the vices do not depart from New
port because Of the extent of the stvIe
there is evidenced in the evenings, when.
by pairs, you viii find what look to be the
nurse maids of these exclusive families
stealing through the town on sly street
Walk, resolved. even at the OK
pense Of virtue. to break through the
yoke OF aiiectatiOn which weighs on them
all day. l went to see the game of polo
played at the Newport grounds, and with
friend leaped into an omnibus and rode
10 within quarter Of a mile or so of the
place, and. seeing most Of the people
turning into a piece Of woods, we followed
them, imagining that it was the way TO
the gate where we should pay our
entrance fee. But we suddenly found
ourselves emerging upon high platform
OF rocks quite outside of the polo plain.
and yet atiOrding a much better view of
the game than anybody could possibly
nave IN the burning sun around the
track, roasting there under parasols
and watching what is nothing more than
the old game of shiny or handy PLAYED
from the back Of horse. Where the pub
llcans stood to look on there was some
shade and green grass. and perhaps 400
persons were there assembled, mainly Of
very respectable character. and the ma.
JOrity ladies and little girls. 1t is so rocky
around Newport that to get a flat, PLAIN
ut Tor game of this kind one must sub
init to be overlooked, and hence the fee Of
81 at the gate is seldom paid and New
port, which has any further interest in
polo walks up on the rocks and looks
quietly, like little boys who crawl under
the circus tent or see the horse race from
the top Of tree. Some of your readers
have never seen polo played. 1t is a tame
AFFAIR, though no doubt it requires both
Craftsmanship and horses. The game had
hardly begun when one young fellow went
on his horse like shot, and the first hui
man sound that | seemed to have heard in
Newport was that of pity from constrained
spectators. He had attempted to ride ND
sidewise on the ball and his saddle turned
with him. The horses must it seems to
me, become sprung and worthless after
they are used a while for this game.
There are six or eight players, one-half on
on each side, wearing tight fitting suits Of
different colOred stripes. They ride out
to the middle OF the field, which is perhaps
an eighth of a mile long, and then a boy
who keeps the count at gull
lOtine on one side throws the ball.
and the red striped fellows try to drive it
up one way and the blue striped fellows
the other way, and to make Il run the ball
must pass between WicketS not very far
apart. Hence the horses. after a good
shot has been given, are put to a
gallOp to catch the ball, and then
are stopped short, and they are con-
stantly going up with speed, to be ar
rested IN mid-cOurse, and a large proper
ton of the blows intended for the ball
fall on the poor animals legs. The horses
are therefore tied about the legs with
fiannels, and now and then, when the
lOng-armed rake misses the ball, il gives
the horse a tremendous whack. which
can be heard to the OutermOst bounds. In
tins sort Of exercise it is almost impOssi-
BILE to show any picturesque riding. The
players at times are all together, and, as
they must look out not to break each 9th
er's head, there are pauses in the game
while they are trying to rake the ball out
so as TO give il the proper shot. After
seeing the movement made a few times
the performance grows very mOnOtOnOus.