The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-09

Many readers will no doubt experience
feeling of sadness over the announcement
of the passing of tennis. In swell resorts
interest in the game Is rapidly dying out
and in many instances clubs have been
disbanded. Tennis has many admirers eV-
erywhere in the ranks of spectators as
well as expert players. An exchange
dwells poetically upon the disarmament
of q club somewhat as follows: 1T was
one of the prettiest spots in town in its
popular days, when the afternoon sun
threw the long shadow of the club house
athwart the grounds, and every court
was occupied by gayly-clad men and wo-
men, playing vigorously that gracefullest
of games; when the piaZZas are crowded
as in an afternoon reception, with the
added resemblance that lemonade and tea
and cakes and waters went the rounds.
on tournament days an irridescent flood
overflowed on to the lawn, and In streams
of which the parasols made various-hued
bubbles and the howered hats such vege-
table drift as never was. they islanded
the emerald green courts"
'Tis true! And what more Interesting
sight can one behold than three of four
slender youths clad in white pants and
neglgee shirts hopping about on section
ball? Tennis is game that requires deep
thought as we'll as agility. If a ball comes
over the net, one must be on the alert to
meet 1t. An instant of hesitation and
point is lost. 1t Is true that there are
no bleaching board features in tennis, and
the game furnishes no tragedies for the
press in the way of slaughtered umpires
or spiked runners or broken heads and
ribs, like the great national games Of base
l,., r...SN hall &, fNap aptF
ton about the apollo-lke pose of the
tennis player that charms the eye, and as
an athletic amusement that may be in
dulged in without loss of life and limb it
has no equal But the die Is cast. Golf
has succeeded the game almost entirely
as an amusement in metropolitan society,
and as matter Of course 1t will soon be
shelved with croquet in suburban locali-
ties. Lovers of the beautiful will feel q
pang of regret at the passing of tennis.
There has always been a charm in the at
titude of the tennis maiden or young man
that Is irresistible even when the fair par
ticipants are bathed In vulgar perspiration!
They say that you are stopping at swell
boarding house?
Yes We have dried apples at every meal.
The antics of the selfish bicycle rider are
the cause of much condemnation every
where, and as an exchange remarks, IL
the bicycle rider wants to have his ma
chine popular among those who do not
ride. he should frown down the selfishness
that crops out on so many occasions.
There are hosts of riders in Scranton who
do not seem to understand the elements
of common decency. An example of the
hf,r 10 v.t1 Nr Co aptn srt,,
few days since when one Of the ungain-
ly specimens came whirling around the
corner near st. Peters cathedral and
knocked down a girl who was probably
fourteen or fifteen years Of age Did he
offer to help the young woman up and apol-
ogize for his carelessness? Not bit of
it. He soundly berated the frightened.g girl
| for not getting out of the way and jump
ing on to his wheel rode rapidly away.
This city has too many riders of the above
calibre.
Mary Elizabeth Lease claims to have
been Melted with passion at the grandeur
of the Hudson river scenery" We arc
glad to be able to announce that Mary
pulled herself together sufficiently to get
back to Kansas.
Many persons will doubtless be inclined
to smile at accounts of the funeral given
by Baltimore woman to her pet dog the
other day and perhaps make unkind re-
marks at the unnecessary fuss over the re-
mains of dead dog which could have
been better utilized in a soap factory
Yet this extreme is more pleasant to con-
| template than the action of cruel people
who abuse dumb animals. Too frequently
may be seen examples Of the fiendish pro-
pensities of creatures who pass for men in
the treatment accorded to animals. II we
must have extremes let the dog funerals
be more frequent.