Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-08-13
CHEESE ROLLING ON STATEN ISLAND.
Muscular and Skillful Italian Can Win
 Many Pounds of Parmesan.

A Muscular and Skillful Italian Can Win
 Many Pounds of Parmesan.
 A favorite sport among the better class of Italians in New York is cheese rolling. In the rural districts of this country it used to be the custom at some fairs and merrymakings to stick cheese on the top of tall pole. The country men would all try their hardest to shin up she pole to capture the cheese, and the successful man walked off with his prize. In the Italian game the success full man walks off with the cheese, but he does not climb any pole for it. The winner is he who can roll the cheese farthest, and to him belong the cheeses of tho other contestants.
 Just back of South Beach there is an Italian hotel, with a picturesque arbor facing on the road This arbor, which is covered with vines, is extensive and is used as dining room by the guests. The Italians who come from all over New York city to witness or take part ill the cheese rolling contest first of all dine ill the great vine clad arbor. They feast to their hearts content on min estra, olives, spaghetti, fresh veal stuff ed and other Italian dishes. The stone tables are heaped with Italian dainties and bottles of the imported wines so dear to the average Italian It is not to be supposed that ice cream vendors and ''hokey pokey" mon are among the diners. They are portly barbers, wine merchants and prosperous business men. Imported wines are too expensive for the fruit vendors and peanut men, who besides cannot afford to miss their Sun day trade, for it is only on Sundays that the cheese rolling contests arc held.
 After the dinner everybody flocks to the roadside, where the cheese rolling takes place. A level strip of road is necessary. This must be of considerable length. The Cheeses are wound round with band of cotton, which is grasped by the player and enables him to swing the cheese with considerable force Par mesan cheeSes are used, on account of their hardness and the tOughness of the black rind The choeses are worth 30 cents a pound, and they weigh from 10 to 40 pounds apiece. Any number of people can play-at least as many as have cheeses, for tho contestants supply their own cheeses, and the winner takes the lot.
 Each player winds the band round his cheese, and with mighty effort sends the heavy disk bowling along the road. From the point where it stops he throws it again, and the player covering the greatest distance ill four throws wins all the other chceScS. Somo of the good players can cover an extraordinary distance with even heavy cheese, 20 pounds or more. A Brooklyn Italian, who is cOnSidcred>a champion, has sent his cheese 300 feet in single throw He has stocked his store with Parmcsan cheeses and sold a good many to his less fortunate competitors. The checses are expensive, and cheese of ordinary size will easily bo worth $;5.
 Sometimes cheese will strike stone with such force as to smash it all to pieces despite the tOuGhnesS of its rind. When this occurs, which is seldom, a vail goes up from the crowd, and the unfortunate owner uses more forcible words ill five minutes than he will use i'll the rest of the week
 If the cheeSCS do not break, the roll ing is said to improve them. Though the rolling looks easy. q trial will con vince the novice to the contrary The cheese will probably travel about 20 feet and then ignominiously roll into the ditch. After the contest is decided tho players retire to the dining room and fight their battles again verbally over tlasks of Chianti. The scene fur nishes Il pretty little picture of Italian life when the swarthy sons of Italy make up their minds to enjoy themselves - New York Tribune.