The morning times., 1896-09-21
ARE DEVOTEEs OF CR0QUET
Noted Men Who Handle the
Mallet and Ball.
GAME REQUIRES SCIENCE
Great Advance Has been Made Over
the Old Time eSysteM-MOdernPl Plays
Require Steady Eye and Pliable
Muscles--SOme of the Noted Local
Players.

in the good graccs OF those who have de
sired to see game that would com binc
science and skill as well as excitement, and
which would be free from anything that
had an element OF rowd yism about il. Such
is croquet today
II is a game that "A man or boy can
play, and one which will bring out many
good qua Iities in ones makeup. Coed eye
sight, II strong nerve and piiable muscles
are almost ndcspensab BILE to he man or boy
who desires To become an expert in the
playing OF this game. With these three
elements at ones comma nd there Is every
reason why he should become a first-ClasS
pla yer il he has Il liking for the game and
has an inclination To be successful in the
sport. 1t rs fortunately an inexpensive
game and can be adopted by the man with
limited means as well as the man OF wealth
Groundsup0n which the IA mec;in bc pla yed
can be laid out almost anywhere and with
very little trouble kept in he very best
OF condition.
THE COMMON GAME.
The common grass game OF croquct. or
pcaci-orchard game, as II has l,eD iamil-
iarly called, is still much enjoyed by the
country people, and even by many people
III the city, and many are the pleasant
hours that are whilcd away with the long
handled, ,shOrt-hraded mailets. hut the sCicn-
tific game which is DOW in progress is Is
different as the national game Of baseball
is to one old cat which was played twenty
years ago, or a the old ia shioDed game OF
bagajcllc from that OF billiards. The pres
cDt game of croquet is tie game which is
being played ut tile many club grounds and
on the association and private courts all
over tile country and stands on Il par with
baseball. golf. cricket la crosse and sim
liar games.
The field game, OF course. is merely for
paStiIne, ana with the wooden mailcts and
wide arches gives very little opportunity
for scientific work. Fhcp, again, IL is
impossible 10 make shots un a grass-coyered
surface with such degree Of accuracy as
can he made upon the we'll rolled, hardened
and sand-sprinklrd surfaces which are now
upon all the first-class crOGuct grounds.
WiIlc, therefore. the croquetiSts of the
present tIIiIe are very grateful To those VINO
started the old field game. as from II has
grown the present scientific one, yet III 30
far as the sneers and iibcs that are often
heard by sportsIncn against croquet are
CunccrDcd, luose who mus express them
selves SHOW what little knowledge they
have of the progress OF the game or the
scientific hcarties pow connected with Il.
Al ali the large rroquet club grounds
now VIII he seen nearly perfect surfaces,
so far a $ SnI,ptbness and cvcnneSs are CON
cerncd: steel arches only onc-fourth OF an
Itttn WIDER tban tUe tNdiiltlPT III tIt bili>
that are driven through them; balls weigh
ing at least twice as much as the Did game
balls. andniatie of hard composition rubber;
iIaliuts with haudles varying from IA to
IL inches in length, making an implement
with which the spheres can be man puiat ted
uWpu those sandcd surfaces with almost
riflC->hut accuracy. The grounds are further
surrounded with solid wooden Stringers, 70
which are attached in many cases rubber
h., \.
nearly the same accuracy upon the best
billiard tables. With such temptations 10
attract ones attention and to interest him
N the game, II is no wonder thatliis leading
Cru,Iueti>Is OF this country embrace some
OF the best known professional and business
men that can he named.
ACCURACY OF PLAY.
Tie accuracy OF play can best be Judged
by the statement that all the arches are
but onc-foJrth OF an inch wider Than the
diameter Of the balls; that the cage. or
center arch. is but one eighth inch wider;
that the grounds are sevcnty-two feet
long by thIrty-siX III width, aiid that fre-
quentlN the only way to capture the balls
from an opponent Is To hit another bali
the full length Of the ground. \ position
four feet from an arch Is difficult. as the
slightest inacCuracy results In the ball
choking i'll the arch and rot passing
cult plays, So proficient are the players
that the man getting the opening shot
frequently makes the complete circuit of
the grounds and succeeds In so tying mp
his Oppoaent's balls that he has no open
shots during his whole game. 'Caroms,
driving. lump shots" and o.hcr dIf
ficult plays are all frequently made. es
pecially among players of the first class.
\ strong hard blow will frequently run
IA bah from one end of the ground TO the
other, and if MOI 50 hidden behind Wire
as to he unable to get a proper angie.
will, in the majority OF cases, give the
PLAYER Il life. BY diving hall is
struck with sufficient force, and AZ the
proper anglr, To drive ii 10 some desired
spot Jumped shots are made when all
the balls are punched together excepting
the pla wing hall. which il hidden tchind
an arch. but at least four feet from it.
y firm stroke nn the top, back Of the center
Of the hall, Will cause it To leap over the
arch. and. in all probability, strike or
roauet ON one uf the balls SO punched.
No game has attracted such men among
its players as croquet. In every CITY,
town, or hamlet where 1t is played will he
found among its devotccs ministers, doc
tors. lawyers. manufacturers, artists, ana
business men generally.
In this city there are three clubs with
a total membership Of twenty-onc, and
these members will be found To be among
the best in the District.
So il is everywhere the game is played.
At Cottage City, which is a vcritable
Mecca for all wicljcrs Of the inailct, lis a
club numbering at least fifty, and these are
added to every summer by the people whe
summer thcp. Among the regular mem
bers are twelve ministers, with professors.
lawyers, and business men generally max
ing up the rest Clubs in Boston, Maiden.
Lynn, and Lowell, Mass; Providence, R.
L.; Norwich, Hartford. New London, and
Middletown, Conn: New York and Staten
Island, Troy, keyport. New Brunswick.
and Trenton, n. j.: Philadelphia Viking
ton, and other places, including Chicago,
are composed of some OF the best citizens
of those cities, and their interest in the
annual meets is such that they all have
representatives at them.
SOME GOOD PLAYERS
Among the players who have been chan
pions, but who have retired from the
active participation in the championship
games can be named George W. johnson,
of Philadelphia; DR.. Ira u. Reed, OF New
York; Abram Wambold, of Staten Island;
and n. L. Bishop, of Norwich, Conn. All
these gentlemen have Won the highest
honors, and in their palmy days Were sure
of good place among the very hest
players at the big tournaments.
The good men of years gone by, and
who can hold their own with the best
players today are not n few, the principal
in tins class being Prof. Charles Jacobus,
of Springfield, Mass. The professor is one
of the greatest players in the business
He has been champion, and always WAS
among the top-notchers. He is an expert
He is n pretty pla yer always, and royal
good fellow among men. For years the
principal OF the public schools in Spring
field, he finds time, notwithstanding his
educational duties, to keep himself in con-
dition. to play a great game with all the
champions
In this city and elsewhere the enthusiasts
of the game are numerous. They number
hundreds and soon will number thousands