The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-13
THE GAMES OF WORKMEN.
Some Of the Ways in Which the
British Laborers Amuss
Themselves
Coursing. Rat Killing, Bird Sing
ing Matches Are Among
Their Diversions.
Mo.,ths North Couatryman Loves Vigor-
Gus sports and Those In which
Dog Participates.

A cynical Frenchman who claimed 10
have closely studied the subject once an
rounced mis- conclusion that the British
workman's chief sport and almost sole
amusement was beating his wife. His die
tum has been widely accepted, until IL has
come 60 be almost an axiom. But Il does
the British workman injustice. Not all Of
his class arc bad. a. this would make out,
while the majority are fertile In amuse-
ment resources Taking them as whole,
II is likely that no similar class In any other
country has such varied resources Of sport
or is so zealous in its pursuit as the Brit
ish workman.
Perhaps Il Is in the colliery districts that
sport, In all its peculiar forms, most -FOUR
ishes, for colliers usually have more spare
time than other rough manual workers, and
used to have much more money. Here some
"event" or another may be seen any day Of
the week. Sunday especially, in which usu-
ally the GOLFERS dog, his chief instrument
of entertainment. is the principal figure.
Rabbit coursing. one OF his principal
amusements, has a recognized place among
the standard sports OF Britain. and receives
great attention in the sporting press. Dog
racing il another favorite sport in the
north. The course is usually about 300
yards long. and the races, in handicaps, are
run on In heats The dogs are trained 20
race at highest speed and exert themselves,
without rider or other inducement, as
much a. does a race horse. The owner of
each animal plants himself In the course
just past the finishing post and urges his
animal on with shouts. imprecations and
wild gesticulations. The animals are slip
ped az one end and tear down the course at
hottest speed between the througs Of ex-
cited spectators. allowing nothing TO divert
them from the effort 10 be first past the
pest. Hog racing handicaps are regular
attractions on Lancashire racing grounds,
and the stakes run from 500 TO 500, OF
even $500.
Rat coursing Is another popular pastime.
Advertisements In newspapers and posted
on billboards and fences may regularly be
seen. announcing that some public house
keeper will give IS to be coursed for at
rats by all classes OF terriers, fighting dogs
barred" A sweepstake is made with the
stake offered and the entry fees, and the
whole affair conducted with much formal
ity and solemnity The referee and the
rats are furnished by a professional rat
catcher A dollar dozen is the average
price for rats A long stretch Of green turf
Is inclosed and boarded up foot or two in
height for a course. The rat catcher has the
rats all together in sack, and be deity
snatches one out with his bare hand and
losses il into the Enclosure. Two dogs are
slipped In after the rat has had a short
start. and the first 20 kill wins. The rats
are usually very nimble. and the dogs need
70 be clever as well as swift
Plain rat killing divides high honors with
rat coursing as "A well pdtronized game
among northern British sports" A match
usually arises out Of a discussion over the
merits Of two dogs, but gate money Is
charged, betting books are opened, and
when the event is called II has developed
into an affair as exciting as horse race. A
match Is usually for 20 rats a side The
rats are starved, so as TO make them wiry
and fierce. The whole 20 are turned into
the pit at one time, are made to run around
for a few minutes, then the first dog is
turned in, the referee touches his stop
watch, and the sport, watched by hun
dreds Of human eyes, begins. The dogs are
trained 10 their part, and often 20 rats are
killed in less than 20 seconds. The other
dog is turned in with the remaining 20
rats, and the victory is dependent on acorn
parison Of the respective times occupied by
each dog in killing its quota.
Trail hunting by dogs is another popular
sport. IL is conducted on the same general
plan as are the anise bag hunts by our fash
tonable fox hunting clubs, except that only
the dogs take part in the hunt, and the first
dog IN at the death gets the fgurative brush.
A billy stretch Of country is chosen, and
swift runner trails an anise bag overs diff
- m Ha1s 81.
hedges and over high stone fences. ending
in a long, staked out homestretoh The
dogs are let loose and they follow the trail
at full speed, persistently and ardently, un-
I'll they come in ayelping squirt over the
homestretch 10 the finish. This Is an At
tractive sport, and good trail hunt is worth
seeing.
Bird singing matches are another promi-
nent amusement IL is not an exciting
sport TO the uninitiated, but 70 the north
ern British workman, with his money up.
IL is intensely exciting The birds. in cages
covered with a screen Of cloth, are placed
side by side on a table, or hung together on
the wall Of a room. At given signal the
cloths are removed and the contest begins.
Not whisper is heard In the room, crowd
ed as IT Is with an excited audience. First
one bird chirps or trills or bursts into
song, and then another. Or perhaps one
OF all remain persisteutly silent. The CON
test is In heats Of 20 many minutes each.
and is decided on a mystifying basis Of
trills, chirps, MARBLES and various oddly
named and distinguished notes. Sometime
too eager owner will chirp or otherwise
encourage his bird, which brings down a
storm Of profaue expostulation and may
precipitate a fight
Brass band contests are form Of amuse-
ment in which the whole community NAV
share. They are scarcely peculiar 10 the
north, for nov almost every large Sunday
school in an English town has BRASS band
organized among its members. II not "A
brass band, then "a drum and fife corps.
which Is unlike the corps familiar ia this
country Ia that the proportion is about one
drum 10 half "A dozen or more hfes. Most
villages Of Importance IN the north have
their local brass bands, sud local contests
are frequent. while occasionally there will
be- "a national contest at some seaside re-
sort. They are "a source Of delight 20 the
British workman, 10 whom the main inter
est is in the money bet on the result.-New
York sun.
but Once More This Century.