New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-24

~ n house and the owner was sure. sooner ar
later. 10 sally forth infatuated and threaten the
players with canes. hot water. dogs and even
policemen In Spain the game is played IN a
court expressly erected for the purpose and called
Automatically a "frortou." from the wall that IS
It's most essential feature.
The first q the fine modern frontous was prob
ably built in san sebastian the capital Of the
nrovince ~ Gupuzcoa. This northern province IS
one Of "A group ~ three the others bcinS Nizc'ya
and Alava. which arc known r. Spain as the Nas-
cougadas or Basque province. II is an ancient
region. stil rich in old customs and speech. IT."
dialect OF the country. called the Eus-Kal dla-
lcct - this day gives t. most 81 The popular
frontous Of Spain the names by which they are
ferulariv designated. The Basques ga more
than give names to the frontous u Madrid Ih'y
gave the game itself md its most celebrated
pelotarls or players Early IN this century the
names u simon. 81 Arroyos. AMI Ills ''n h'U-
tlsta. were famous IN the north. ana az 'Hi'
moment the pelotaris who win the applause 81
the people are all from tie provinces On i"'
mscavan coast. Fashionable society n''c mas
poue mad over them and the game The cur,
goes 20 San sebastian IN the summer NI'hn
The past rew years pclota on iis native h'i'"
has attracted the attention ~ the idcr9 ira
Madrid. and only recently. In response u cam
orous demand frontOu. have arisen in d'HeT,"'
parts Of the city.
The pclotarls wear I'm tho fr0n'ou light 'r'n-
eers and shirts two Of the players wearing Whit"
tho other two blue shirts or brown as the case
ma. be. All four wear tho soft. graceful cap
which formerly Inevitably proclaimed the Basque
rntu # was introduced In Madrid and elsewhere
:, CASTLE and worn By all the common people.
The game IS simple and easily described II
omit The elaborate Technology used by he cx-
mort to classify IRIS or that kind % blow. The
court 70 about thirty fee, wide and nearly Two
hundred feet long The two end walls ana the
side wall on the left. all about forty feet hlgh'
are reserved for the players Facing them on the
right are the seats for the spectators. The ban
is excessively hard and rebounds WITH the 'i's-
tclty u rubber. 1t II caugh, ana thrown W''h
n long hard, scooplike RACQUET woven OF cane
and provided at the thick end with tightly
fastened glove which Is fitted To- the right mana
Of the player. He uses It T. hurl the bal against
the wall. not by an uplifting Of the arm ana
movement Of tho palm 81 the hand outward from
above the level of his shoulders as one ""ul'
cast q lance Neither does he often use It with
the motion employed I'm croquci. On tn" contrary
IN o very curious manner. h. turns his back upon
the wall at which he f. aiming. extends his
r,ro, arm twists It 50 that the thumb is unl"r-
ID.
mt terrific force into his throw. Under the
exercise Of the game the muscles acquire says
ec1or Pena Y Conf. the character Of steel so
nnwerft;l are the movements Of these men that
when the bail reboundcd from the wall the other
day and struck one ~ the players on Tho shout
der he had 10 abandon the game for ten min
utes and be rubbed with oil. Tho object Of the
peotari f. to knock tho ball against the wall In
such way that his antagonists will be unable
to catch and return 1t to the wall. II he
succeeds I'm this he scores. II he does not, II
instead the other side catches the ban. throws
II back and he or his partner misses It on the
rebound. then the opposing players score. There
il strip Of iron running across the wall AZ the
upper end Of The court, the end at which the
bali IS always aimed. This strip. when ~
affixed at a height Of about four feet from the
ground IS matched 10y another thirty feet higher
up Whichever side knocks the ball below the
lower strip. above the higher, or against either
Of them. loses that inning. The game is usually
for fifty points, each inning counting one ana
Lrsltly played It lasts from 10 In the
afternoon 1t is extraordinarily fascinating. The
ball Is kept IN motion rOmetlncs for five MIN
utes or even longer at stretch. considerable
time when the great length OF the court Is re-
mcmbered. IT may be struck either while IN md
air or on the first rebound from the pavement.
The 1.-The players fly though on wings from
point to point sometimes nearly the whole
length OF the court They catch the ball with
the beaklike point Of the racquet when 1t Is
shooting over the heads Of the people In the first
rows OF chairs. and they send 1t back To the home
wall with a strength and precision quite re-
markable. The people here cannot watch 1t
enough. They flock to the frontous increasingly
and they gamble en- the results with passion
that leaves the betting scenes Of the races far In
the rear. This week there was gala perform
aace at the Festa-Alegre. organized for q char
table purpose BY one Of the ladies Of the Court