The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-19

/ Polo Association includes fifteen clubs,
probably all that Gxist in the country. How
many individual members this may repre-
sent Is hard to say. some of the clubs being
/ much larger than others; but it is certain
/ that the number Of active players is far be-
low 800. They are much less than the fox
hunters. Fat and elderly gentlemen can
follow the hounds with a reasonable degree
+ OF clrcumspection, but they have no business
in the polo field. So the number of players
Is few, but they make up for that fact by
the display Of a surprising amount of
| energy.
! Everybody knows that Theodore Roose-
! Welt, civil service commissioner and ex-polO
| player and fox hunter, broke his arm at
| Long Island fence following the Gnise seed
rail, and that Stanley Mortimer, more re-
cent participant, has only just recovered
| from broken leg at the same rough sport.
Perhaps polo is less provocative of serious
fractures than hunting, though Dallett, of
the Essax County Club. has Just been laid
up for month, but more ignobe knocks
and bruises must certainly be- received.
| Take the long season from June s
to Oct. lO-more than four months
and in tho almost continuous
games Of the different series very large
number of minor accidents are expected as
a matter of course. l remember very well
a furious rally in the games at the Meadow
=, Brook Clubs grounds, when two out of the
eight players. Mr.. Cowden and Mr.. Beck
man, were down almost at the same mo-
ment. But however much these accidents
might brighten the timid, the polo players
will probably live longer than dry goods
clerks, besides enjoying themselves much
better while they do live.
OF all the other players Foxhall keene,
or Foxy" as lie is better known, is the
most daring and fertile of resource, as
we'll as the best known to ths public.
! Young Keene has made fine record as a
gentleman joe Aey" in steeple chases and
| is known on the race track as the owner of
| Tournament and other crack horses.
Keene is light and athletic in build, a per-
feet devil on horseback for daring, and
can dispute the decision Of the umpire
referee" they call him in polo-with as
much vigor as big Capt. Anson, of the
Chicagos He is handicapped at ten goals
in playing match games.
keene belongs to the Rockaway Polo
Club, which is perhaps as strong an
organization as any in the coun-
by John F. Cowden, handicapped at
eight goals, Jack Cheever aud William
Rutherford, with l.. j. FRANKIE, j. S.
| Stevens, A. G. Tower and w. La Mon
tague as clever and aspiring seconds.
The Westchester club is distinctly inferior
to the Rockaways. It's crack player is r.
L.. Beekman Of the old Knickerbocker
stock. A young player of the Westchesters
who is showing in surprisingly good form
this year is C. S. Bates. Theodore A.
Havemeyer, Jr., son of the great sugar
trust magnate, is another crack player,
and E. c. Potter usually makes with these
team of four who play we'll together.
August Belmont OF the Meadowbrooks, is
another crack, officially handicapped at six
goals. Old August Belmont had two sons
one went in politics the other for sport.
Both were cases Of inheritance, as Mr.. Bel
mont, ST., was active both in political
campaigns and on the turf. T. Hitchcock
! handicapped at eight goals, is another of
| the Meadowbrook team. o. W. Bird, di-
rector of the national association. handi-
capped at six goals, is the third and r. d.
Wiathrop the fourth. Playing without
handicaps the Rockaway team, headed by
Keene and Cowden, is probably the best in
the country. Two other experts about New
York are n. p. FAIR of the Essex club and
l.. Turnure, Jr., Of Rockaway. Philedel-
| phia looks with pride upon H. c. Groom
and Il. P. Mexican an ng others.
The geographical distribution of polo is
not very wide. The New York vicinity has,
besides the three which have been named
the Oyster Bay Polo Club, the Essex
/
County IN. " Country Club and the Tux
edo cub, all Of which were founded by New
| York men at their different summer homes.
Philadelphia has country club named by
its honorable name, with a suburban re-
treat. Boston has the Hingman and Har-
ward clubs and the incredibly named Myo-
| pia-that really IS It's title, though 1t IS
usually difficult to convince people Of the
fact. They always think it is a poor joke
on the Bostonian spectacles.
These are the clubs which will contest
here at Newport for the Westche'ter Polo
Club cups, handicap, aud the Newport cups
without handicap If prepouderance Of
numbers goes for anything. some of the
| New Workers. ought to win the honors Of
the coming meet. After the Newport
| games the polo players will 90 TO the
| Myopia grounds, near Boston. IN early
| September, and to the bingham grounds In
the middle Of the month. The Philadelphia
| Country Club will have its games the last
ten days of September. The last series Of
matches will be played on the Norris
county grounds in early October &,
but the Meadowbrook clubs autumn
cup will he fought for and awarded
even later, at a date not yet definitely
| fixed. Play began in June, practice much
earlier. The country season in America is
| certainly extending in length. 1t is rot
known that there was such thing in colo
NAL times but Of late it has extended very
rapidly from two months to six with those
who can afford it.
The business of breeding and selling polo
ponies has developed with the game. The
points of polo pony are so different from
those required Of any other species OF ami
nal that he is a kind apart. Speed Is not
required, but the pony must be quick at
turning. Size is a disadvantage, as it puts
the rider farther from the ball. Besides,
almost any man would rather have little
horse fall on his leg than a big one. The
pony must be spacious, perfectly docile,
capable Of enjoying the game on his own
account. Ali these qualifications are COM
bined in the best ponies, who readily sell at
from $500 to 500. A crack player must
have more than one to be sure of a mount
always.
Polo is in no great danger of becoming
the national game, for reasons obvious
But for the development and exhibition OF
pluck there is no sport which surpasses it,
have a very high appreciation Of the pluck
of the young men who engage in it, and
quite agree with the lovers Of the game in
the belief that it is better for young men
of leisure to chase each other about a
polo field whacking a ball with q long,
handled mallet than to pursue the
more usual amusements of dudes and
"Johnniesn when in town. OF course polo
came to us from England, but England
sends us nothing but blessings when we
borrow from her thousand years of leisure
an out game or two. Indeed, il one con-
siders base ball a direct descendant OF the
English FOUNDERS" America has bad time,
! - e. en- davaIon no original athletic pX-