The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-27
SEEING THE FOREIGN SIGHTS.

SEEING THE FOREIGN SIGHTS.
The Ball Game Of the Romans aad How
1t l. Plsysd-An Iatersstius Narrative
Of Great Contest.
George Ade, In Chicago Record.
Florence. Italy. June 25.-Pallone II to
this part of Italy what baseball - to the
United States and the idol Of The small
boy Is q bronze-colored copy OF Capt.
Anson by name Manxenelli. or some
thing very much like 1t. A few people
may be surprised to learn that here In
Florence the inhabitants do not spend
all their time In showing reverence fof
art. AZ a matter Of fact. very few OF
them 90 into the galleries from one
years end to another, and most OF them
are mildly amused at the passionate
devotion shown by tourists. There has
been so much Ruskin and renaissance
talk about Florence that q stranger
might expect to find the place one vast
art gallery peopled by mOrtals Of severe
and critical expression. Instead OF that
he gets into thoroughfares OF the most
modern and unhandsome buildings
with by-ways devoted to smells. noises
doorway life and contended poverty
II he wishes to zee the masterpiece OF
Michael Angelo he must consult guide
book, but to witness a game OF pallone
one has only to follow the crowd.
The road to the ball grounds leads un-
der crumbling Roman gate In order
that the past may be shown in ridiulous
contrast with the present. Just outside
the line Of the old walls is little park
with a forlorn and tattered merry-go.
round In the center OF II and beyond IL
the ball ground. At first only a high
wall Of fresh unpainted pine can be
seen, but after passing around one end
OF this there came into view a tight
fence with hole In 1t Che ticket office)
and two boards missing Che gate
Above the fence could be seen a row Oh
hats and there were visible signs Of ex.
citement on the "bleachers."
Pallone Is not 30 expensive as base
ball. A good seat in the sunny section
| well removed from the center OF play
| costs 6 cents american money!. The
best OF the uncovered seats are 10 cent!
each, while for 20 cents the spectator
may touch elbows with the aristocracy
on the high,canopied platform and have
chair all to himself. On this day tn,
attendance was about 800, scatteringly
distributed through the three section!
facing the court.
This court was about Is feet wide ant
300 feet long, paved with cement, and a!
level as tiled floor. 1t extended north
and south, and along the west side wa!
the pine wall. at least sixty feet high
Goal posts were painted on the wall
one at each end and one in the middle
The court was divided through the mid
die by plain white line, and there wer,
no other markings.
1t may simplify matters to say at tn
beginning that pallone is a mixture o
tennis and handball. the objects being
after the ball is put into play, 70 send !
into the other court, so that 1t canno
be returned, or else drive it, by on
heroic stroke. the length Of the field an,
into the goal.
There are three payers on each side
The players wear white uniforms, ant
the sides are distinguished by colore,
sashes. On this day it was a game be
tween Rome and Florence. The Ro
mans wore purple sashes and the Flor
entines had red ones. And the game wa
we'll under way.
III you can picture the hub Of a car
riage wheel followed out from one en-
and covered thickly with short, blum
spikes OF wood, You will know wha
each player used in driving the bal
inside of this large. prickly, awkward
appearing wooden glove was a hand
hold. Between plays the men wake
over to the wall and pounded thei
gloves against the boards so as to get
frmer grip. They seemed to do thi
either from force Of habit or to reliev
the strain OF exciting play, the same a
a Chicago bell player rubs his hands /,
the dust and then wipes them on hi
shirt.
The next thing to take into considera
tion is the ball. Up to the present tim
| S'''' Va tuc 1ilhU lid
tional game may read like a set of rules
but 1t must be remembered that al
really important contests are delaye
from one cause and another.
Inside the ball was hollow ruboe,
Outside It was tough leather. whe
1t came down In the hand-court |
bounced lightly but once When 1t wa
knocked wildly out Of the bounds
made hole in the tiled roof Of humbl
dwelling house. As often as 1t fel
among the spectators there was
scramble to get out Of the way, 70
II was six inches In diameter and tn
usual speed was that Of busy canno
bail.
There are one or two other things to b
remarked. The game did not begin un
Ill 5:45 y. m, by which time the entir