The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-10
rraInIng for Ice AthIetIcs.

l thAOhi Iihi pol I lOuuB ltOplS.J
 One of the best exercises on the ice Is
 of course what American boys call
 hoclSy, what Englishmen call bandy,
 and what is now coming to be called,
 with a few changes in its rules, polo
 on-the-ice. This requires a large num-
 Der of boys, however, and Is not strict
 ly what we should now offer as good
 method for any boy who wants to
 train" and would like to train just
 now for month or two on the ice. | Here is a plan that has been put into l operation by two boys I know which
 worked very well, and gave them admi- rable exercise. It is nothing more nor
 less than lawn-tennis on the ice. After
 thoroughly clearing the snow from 0 | patch of lee about hundred feet | square, the boys marked out their court l by scattering thin lines of salt from a
 paper bag, whose edge was pinched
 into a groove or scallop, that allowed only narrow stream to escape. The
 white salt, melting the ice, and becom-
 ing imbedded in 1t, made a very dis tlnct ana permanent line.
 When the court had been marked out, the boys chopped holes for the net-stakes, being careful of course not to cut entirely through the ice Then
 they cut some smaller holes for the guy-pegs, put in the pegs, and filled the holes with water. By the next morn ing the pegs were frozen in tight, and 1t was easy enough to stretch the net and guy it up to the required tension.
 The first game which the boys played on their new iee-court was rather amusing, as, missing the firm grip of the tennis-shoe on solid ground, and forgetting the smooth surface on which they stood, they slipped and found cred about in the most reckless and ri- diculous manner But it was not long before they became accustomed to the new conditions of the game, and were able to dodge about the court, skim up to the net and back with lightning ra- pidity, and place their balls with the same firmness and accuracy which they display on q dirt-court. The smooth, level elastic ice makes of course a very different tennis court from an ordinary lawn, but at the same time there are advantages in this from the athletic point of view. The exercise of keeping control of your movements is greater than on lawn. The neces- sity for abrupt changes of direction Is greater and the changing itself more difficult These two boys had hard time getting used to the slippery ice.
 But even that difficulty was largely overcome after the boys had played for a day or two-as it may be by all boys who are reasonably expert as skaters. |
 The balls, wbsA flying beyond the | court, were at first recovered by a | crowd of admiring youngsters, who | were glad to perform this duty for the | privilege of watching the game. But a | couple of wire screens were finally put | up, and now my young friends enjoy | their game without having to wait for Johnny or Patsy to return wild ball.
 If you try this ice tennis you will find that there is a great deal of amusement to be gotten out of it, and that, so far as exercise is concerned, there Is almost nothing In ice-work that brings into play so many muscles. And besides this it has the added recommendation of being a game which gives your mind as we'll as your body exercise.