The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-04
SPORTS IN JAPAN.
rurcKEf GAMES. CANOE RACES,
TENNIS AND BASEBALL, TOO.
A japanese Papers Description Of .
Boat Race Compared with the
sStcry" of . Football Came In .
Modern American Newspaper
Of the United States.

II may be surprise TO some people 70
learn fnat over in Japan and China there
is widespread interest IN athletic sports.
Every paper that reaches Seattle from the
Orient contains accounts of cricket games.
canoe races, tennis matches, and last. But
not least. 70 the mind of Americans az any
rate. comments on Baseball. While there
is no indication. as yet, OF the gridirou
hero, with his chrysant!ienlum locks. rub
Der nose cover, padded breeches. shin pads
ana niack eye, there is every reason TO
think ne may YET make his appearance.
1ney nsnt. or perhaps more properly dis
agree, about the merits OF contestants
Just as much As our athletic enthusiasts,
but express their feelings in different Ian
guage- In fact, Japan report CT sport
Ing event In Japan. printed IN an Ameri-
can up-to-date newspaper. would make
nit. Why! Because il would be so diff
ferent from anything the average reader
would expect Every account IS COM
menced in quiet. conservative way that
Americans apparently do not relish one
can imagine the sensation the residents OF
Shanghai, Kobe or Yokohama would eN-
perience IL they awoke some morning 10
discover In the Daily Hiogo News. pub
lished at Kobe, a regular riproarinS.
snorting introduction TO some athletic
game. such as may be found every day in
the New York Journal or New York
World Here is the Introductory para
graph from the New York Journal. OF the
great game OF football between Yale and
the Indians from the Carlisle training
school:
This Is a story OF a remarkable game
Of football played on Manhattan field yes
terday afternoon by the eleven of Yale
and the full-blooded Indians from the
training school at Carlisle, Pa. There
arose a dispute toward the close OF the
contest. and for just about a minute ev-
erybody thought the redmen would whip
out their tomahawks and simply scalp the
sons OF Eli in their tracks And here IS
how it was"
This introduction Is moderate-yes. very
moderate-as compared 10 the way the
World puts on the paint when 1t comes 10
a good lively game, yet II IS easily 10 DC
seen that while the writer meant 10 De
calm his fighting blood took Jump when
there were signs OF trouble ahead, ana ne
could not refrain from painting picture
OF tomahawks and dangling scalps- II one
of the good people of China or japan
should happen to read that short para
graph his hair would stand up straight
for a week, and in his minds eye he would
see Indians running wild in New York
city, killing the mild-mannered and UNI
happy descendants of old Father knscker-
booker and dancing war dance around
the bodies of the victims. perhaps IL Is
unjust to say such things, but when the
style of a Japan newspaper. when must
to certain extent at least, rehect the
spirit and desire Of a country or section
OF IT, is carefully studied. the unjust seems
minus the ''un." To give one good idea
of a Japanese written in English) intro
duction to a sporting event the following
has been picked at random from several
clippings:
when seven boats were started al 4.5o
on Saturday afternoon. the mind seemed
TO be split into at least three OPPOSITE
currents. and II was toss up which
course would br.ng the craft into the best
position for weathering the first mark
the ship Blanchard. Fawkner had got
away with slight lead Shepard ana
Abel crossed almost together. and Crow,
Their who came soon after. stood We'll
out ahead Of the Dorothea Kickmers.
EIDE chose another line. and, followed oy
slightly south of east till he could util-
lie the off-shore puffs for an almost free
run to the sailing ship"
This was intended to give an idea OF
the introduction to be expected from
Japan paper. 1t fails in this. that there
Is no Introduction proper, no paint or
tomahawks, nothing but plain. cold facts.
given in a plain. condensed way. The ac-
count is fully half column long--broad
column. too-but in order to get any idea
of what took place ii is necessary 10 read
every line. The language and terms used
show plainly that the writer is CONVEX
SAINT with his subject. but he Is not look
ing for the STORY and excitement In
that race. He IS more Interested In
plain statement of what took place. There
might have been an amusing incident
upon which a clever story might have
been based, but he was not looking for H.
Now, 1t appears that before the race cit
was a canoe sailing race, although that
has to be inferred from the articie) was
finished the wind went down. The &C
count continues in that same unrunled
manner. as follows:
These constant fiascos due 10 light and
variable winds are annoying, no DOUBT,
vet the sailors are never disspirited. They
will endeavor to hold a. race again next
Saturday. care being taken TO cause no
interference with the regatta Inc sea-
son is to conclude With soclai cruise
on the first Sunday of next month
Imagine the expression upon an Ameri-
cans face after reading In the morning
down half n column only TO discover that
there had been no race, bat II everything
was favora bic another attempt would he
made week later. 1t is safe To assume
that there would not be any toinakawks
ryiES around out any looSe dtJSttlNeS
living about might be used Tor nying
wedge at the head of the sporting editor.
The Hiogo News is to be congratulated
on its report OF what may be presumed 10
have been most exciting tennis match.
After stating that the Ralston cup was
successfully defended by Z. Buxton For
man against +. P. Ball by score OF s-s,
Ga. 81. Ii remarks:
THE encounter was one OF the greatest
interest TO spectators. and there were
large number gathered round the court.
Attention may very well be drawn. how
ever. TO the thoGghtlessness of few VINO
walked to and fro almost on the base
line. and In one case at least actually
crossed within the line during the prog
ress of a game. Another source or very
real Annoyance TO the players was a
black dog. which persisted in wandering
on the court Its owner apparently mad
no control over the creature, or. at least.
even though appealed 10. did not choose
10 exercise his authority dogs ana
babies and careless pedestrians are not
conducive 10 good play or equanle tenn
per.
X would be difficult TO imagine truer
picture OF the annoyances experienced by
tennis players. The man with the reck-
less dog Is always present, and when the
ground keeper tries TO remove him he in
variabiy snaris and snaps his teeth in
such Ugty manner that the ke1Dar