The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-02-27
INDIAN BASE-BALL.
1t Isn't Much Like the National Game
but IT Is a Lively sport.

bus It Is q IiNriy sport
Ball PLAYING seems TO have been Q
general source of amusement among al
the American Indian tribes, but, writes
Henry Inmau. in the Kansas City star,
it is conceded that the Choctaws, IN
their uucivilized state, were the most
skilled in tho gamc. OF course, the In
dian method Of playing is not at all sim
liar TO the American National game,
and indeed it is more like tennis.
II is pIaved with two bats or sticks,
and in every house ! visited in the
Choctaw Nation / saw one or more pairs
Of these peculiar bats. The sticks are
bent into an oval loop at one end, with
a web of fine bucksllin thongs stretched
across them TO prevent the ball from
falling out when tossed or caught. Each
PLAYER carries two of these bats, one IN
each hand. and they catch the ball by
jumping into the air, and throw 1t from
the bats, and never are allowed to strike
it or catch it with their hands.
In their primitive days it was an in
variable law of the game that no player
should wear moccasins on his feet, and
he could make his appearance on the
ball grounds only in the prescribed
dress. lie had to wear his brccch-clout
and a beautiful head belt and tail, made
of white horse hair or quilts, with
Inanc around his neck constructed OF
the same material as the tail, dyed in
colors The match was made up months
before the day agreed upon for the play
ING of the game, and was led by Two
champions, or captains, as we should
call them. These captains had tho
power TO go through the tribe, from vii
lagc to village, and alternately choose
the men for their respective sides. The
choice of players was generally effected
by proxy: two runners" were sent,
armed with a pair of "ball-sticks." "
These were elaborately ornamonted
with paint. ribbons and any thing that
had a gaudy appearance, and were
touched by the players selected as an
evidence that they accepted and would
be on hand promptly at the appointed
time, prepared to take part. Each side
erected on the ground, where the game
was to take place, two upright poles
about thirty feet high and six feet apart.
across the top of which another pole
was fastened. These were called the
goals or "byes, and the distance be-
between them. one representing one side
and one the other. was some 500 feet
At a point exactly half way from each
goal Il small stake was driven where the
ball was to be thrown into the air at
certain signal.
All the prcLuinarics for the game
were attended TO by an old men, who
were also the judges or Umpjros. First
a line was drawn from ono goal to the
other: this was called the betting line,
across which all bets were made and
placed in possession of the rcEularlv-ap-
pointed shareholders, and all betting
was made the night before the game
was to be called. Every conceivable
thing was stakcd that the Indian pos
sessed, for there is no such inyetcrate
gambler as poor Lo. The women of the
tribe, TOO, were as earnest TO wager what
their lodges contained, even 10 the last
blanket.
The night before the game. all the
players assembled around their respect
i've "bycs,' where, by tho light of
torches and other fires, the squaws beat
their tom-t0ms and sung the weird songs
of the nation. Then was the ball
play dance iudulgeG in. all the players
OF both sidCs, in their full game dress,
rattliug their bats together and joining
in the mOuoconous chants of the tribe.
Then the sluaws formed on each side Of
the bctting-Euc and there danced and
sung appel 70 the Great Spirit TO de-
eide the game tomorrow in their favor
~. -nmc was ALWAYS opened by four
old medicine men, who were also the
umpires. The night before the game
was called. while the players and the
bettcrs were dancing and having q good
time at the ''byes' and the betting line,
they were squattcd down at a small
stake, away from the fun. smoking to
the Great Spirit for ability to impartial
ly decide the game tomorrow, as their
duties required.
The four old men standing at the
small stake throw the ball up in the air
and then the players, numbering 700 or
500 frequently, rush frantically to the
spot, lcaping and actually jumping over
each others heads, darting between
their adversaries' legs, and all the time
keeping up the most demoniacal yells
in their efforts TO toss the ball to their
own side. Sometimes regular hand
to-hand fight occurs, but it never be-
comes serious, because, according to one
y
is left in the village and no man is al
lowed TO go or send for one, so that these
occasional broils never amount to any
thing. The game is for 100 points, and
point is when the ball is passed
through the poles of either side, which
counts one.
All the players efforts seem to be con-
centrated upon keeping the ball up in
the air, but of course it does fall 10 the
ground once in awhile, and then the
scene is pandemonium broke loose; you
can not see the players for the dust they
raise as they rush together, nor can they
see the ball either, and bloody noses
and broken shins are the rule. Besides
the 700 or 500 players there will often
be twice that number of spectators on
the ground, so that it can be imagined
what noise they make when all whoop
and yell together.