Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-02-22

other "boy"-for In Ireland a male con-
tinues to be boy until he Is the head
Of a family-plays the game. It is held,
too, that 1t is the favorite game of the
fairies. There is scarcely u village in
all Ireland where you can not find some
veracious old gentleman or dame will
ing to tell of the games they have seen
the good people, all dressed in green
playing on some green hillside in the
gray Of the evening or in the moon
light.
But, folklore aside, II Is certain that
the game is as ancient as any that can
be named, and that it was played before
the beginning Of the Christian era.
Hurting as a game is simple enough.
The Irish used to call 1t bGire, as they
called the goal-keeper sulbair, and the
hurly or stick used in the game was
called canaan. To the average Ameri-
can unused to the game it seems at first
to partake of some Of the qualities of
football, hockey, lacrosse and polo. 1t
is exciting, too, for it is game that
calls forth great activity, and when
played by two full teams there are
about twice as many men engaged as
there are in matched game Of foot
ball, and when these get mixed up in q
melee over the small ball used the thing
is likely to become exciting. There are
opportunities for some pretty rough
play, too. In the game Of football the
most the hot-headed players can do
when they get excited is to slug with
their fists. In hurting each player is
armed with stick three feet or more
long with o curve on one end, which is
usually sort Of knob. The possibili-
ties that these hold forth to players who
do not care to control their temper can
be readily understood.
Hurting when played by two full
teams engages forty-two men. 1t may,
however, be played by as few as four
teen men on o side, but should be played
by no fewer. When two teams COM
plete face each other they are not unlike
football teams in formation. Besides
goal-keeper, each has hslf-backs, right
point covers, left-point covers, wing
men, centers and rushers. Sometimes,
too, the tactics used are not unlike
those Of the football men. The rush
ing and tackling are much the same
and the famous wedge movement Of the
Princeton foot-ballteam has often before
now been brought into play on the hurl-
ing field. The main qualifications for q
player are activity, pluck, quickness Of
sight and good judgment Of distance.
When played by full teams the hurl-
ing ground should be 1876 yards long by
40 yards wide. The ground should be
clearly marked of as in football. At
each end Of the field stand two goal
posts and there Is . cross-bar ten and
one-half feet from the ground. The OBJ
ject of the game Is to drive the ball be-
tween these posts and under the cross
bar. This counts . goal IT. driven
over the cross-bar 1t counts but point.
The same count is made If the ball goes
over the goal line within twenty-one
feet Of either goal-post
1u0 oEEAuBCuoAb VI ehO AhOA 40 NV
altogether like that Of the football
team. The goal-keepers stand near to
and in front Of the goal, and two men
govern the points" -Four others are
posted Q few yards in advance as
pickets. In the center Of the field
seven players are ranged In . straight
line. like football rush line. The
other seven are vAriously placed to
guard various points and to rush and
tackle, or perform any other duty for
which they may be required.
The paraphernalia Of the game is
simple in the extreme. The ball used
should weigh from seven to ten ounces,
and should be made Of cork and wooden
thread. covered with leather. The
hurry or stick which Is used for driving
the ball Is also q very simple afiaiE Il
Is made Of wood, and Is about three
feat long. II q curved a one end rnd