The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-02-07
IIACHIll.
The Football of the Mexicans Before tho
Spanish Conquest.

1t may be satisfaction to the lovers
of football, says the New York EVe-
ming Post, to know that it has better
historical right to be called ''our
national game" than has baseball.
The ancient Mexicans (native Ameri-
CAM had game of ball resembling
modern football, and we are told that
it was their favorite game at the time
of the Spanish conquest. They used a
large, solid rubber ball, played in
parties with equal numbers on each
side, and struck the ball with any
part of the body, but in most skillful
playing with the hip. Each party
tried to drive the other to the wall.
and it is not difficult to imagine
sguirming heaps of Indian legs and
arms, such as may be seen in n modern
..scrimmage for the ball." They had
large buildings especially for the
game, which are referred to by the
ancient chroniclers as tennis courts, !"
although the resemblance of the game
to tennis is not very marked. Herrera
gives description of this game as
seen by the Spaniards in the City of
Mexico before the destruction of the
.'halls of Montezuma," of which the
following is a translation. taken from
Stephens 'sTravels in Yucatan:"
.'rhe king took much delight in see
| ing sport at ball, which the SpaniarJls
have since prohibited because of the
mischief that often happened at it, and
was called by them tlachtli, being like
our tennis. The ball was made Of the
gum of tree which grows in hot
countries, which, having holes made in
it distills great white drops, that soon
harden. and. being worked and mould
ell together. turn as black as pitch.
| The balls made thereof, though hard
and heavy to the hand, did bound and
| fiv as well as our foot balls, there be-
| inu no need TO blow them; nor did
they use chaccs, but vy'd to drive the
adverse party that is to hit to the wall,
the others were to make good or strike
it over. They struck it with any part
of their body, as it happened, or as
they could most conveniently, and
sometimes touched it with any other
part than. the hip, which was looked
upon among them as the greatest
! dexterity; and to this effect, that the
ball might rebound the better. they
fastened piece of stiff leather on theil
hips. They might strike it every time
it rebounded. which it would dc
several times, one after another, in Sc
much that it looked rs if it had beer
alive. They played in parties, 81
many on a side, for load of mantles
OF what the gamesters could afford, a
SO many scores. They also played fol
gold and featherwOrk, and sometimes
played themselves away, as has brsl
said before. The room where they played
was ground room, long, narrow, an'
high, but wider above than below, an'
higher on the sides than at the ends
and they kept it very well plastere'
and smooth, both the walls and tn
floor. On the outside walls they fixes
certain stones, like those OF a mill
with hole quite through the middle
Just big as the ball and he that coul'
strike it through there won the game
and in token of it being an extra
ordinary success, which rarely hap
pened. he had right to the cloaks q
all the lockers on by ancient custor
and law among gamesters; and it wa
very pleasant To see. that as soon a
ever the ball was in the hole th
standsrsrby took - tRsiE hssls> xpI