The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-01-04
INDIAN FOOTBALL
Expert Papagos Could Give Pointer:
to College Champions.
BALL IS THROWN BY FOOT
Entie Villages Move to the Scene Of the
Contest and Gamble on the
Result
New YORK Herald.

New York Herald
There are ways and ways OF playing
football. and while the highest type OF
football evolution may be represented by
the long-haired. thick .p1dde ear and nose
protected collegiate glaliators OF today.
who smash and crush the daylights out
OF each other in superhuman efforts TO
lodge an inflated pig-skln within a GER
tain goal. there are other games Of foot
ball played annually within the limits Of
the United States that require in a med
fled way almost as much endurance,
\ pluck and skill 10 lead TO victory
The Papago Indians OF Southwestern
Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico,
have a game OF football all OF their
own conceping, game which has been
handed down generation after generation
| from times far more remote than the
/ Spanish conquerors OF Mexico. and Il
may be possible that some day Il will
be discovered that the Southwestern red
skin was the original promoter OF the
game which causes thousands at present
20 yell themselves noRrse on Eastern
grldirons In the ecstacy OF victory, or
to go home covered with gloom darker
than the padded. mud -bedaubed anatomy
Of the defeated.
The Papagos play the game with solid
balls OF wood four inches in diameter,
made from the wood OF the mesquite
| tree. They are chipped and whitfield into
| approximate shape and finally rounded TO
nearly perfect spheres by lrksome rub
bling upon fat stones. The game con-
sists in carrying these balls OF wood, by
kicking and throwing them with the
bare foot. over straightaway course TO
turn and back TO the starting roint,
the winner being the man who throws the
hall across the line iirst IN the big
contests this course Is from two to three
miles long, or one to one and one-half
miles TO the turn. and Il may be laid
over n thickly hestrewn cactus and chap
paral desert. which demands 20 end Of
exeprtness on the part OF the players TO
dodge and escape the obstacles.
Each player has his Individual ball.
and dozen representatives OF different
villages may line up TO struggle for su-
premRcy at the same time the bells be,
ing placed several feet apart along a
line drawn In the sand with the respect.
i've players standing doubled up a few
feet In the rear. waiting for .he word
10 so. When the word Is Eiven each
man takes two long, swift strides TO his
bali and inserts his toes under II by
punching them in the sand. and then
hurls OF through the air with a powerful
swinging kick as far as a strong white
man can throw baseball. He Is off
the moment after Il leaves his foot, and
At full speed. without even losing a
stride. he jabs his foot inder It again.
and hurtles II straight toward the turn
ing stake.
II is marvellous how they keep the ball
travelling toward the far on goal and the
way in which they pick II out OF holes
and inequalities OF the ground with the
top OF their toes would put TO blush a
clever handler of the diblock in the game
OF golf
No tackling or Interference OF the
players is allowed. an1 padded clothes
are at discount. for the runners seldom
wear more than AN attSnuated breach
clout, and mud painted leggings. Car
tain mystical markings OF yellow and red
adobe mud decorate eacn players legs,
and are supposed to make him supple
and strong and to enable him to fly with
the wings of Mercury himself
This football contest is an intervillage
one, and every year in the widely sep
arated villages OF this desolate and arid
region there springs mp in the hearts Of
the male population a spirit Of contest
so fierce, indeed, that they send couriers
scurrying across the desert waste to
challenge other villages and to herald
the skill and prowess of their football
runners and to tauntingly voice their
ability to mop up the earth with every
village, singularly and collectively, that
dare come to compete with them.
Challenges are accepted and dates for
great intervillage contest are decided
upon. and the pick OF the village Drawn
and skill so into training for the event.
an event which means that the visiting
villagers, who go en- masse to witness teh
sports, may return home uproarously
happy with all the cattle and personal
enects of their hosts, or il they are the
losers they so home on foot, ploddng
over plain sand. without even the solace
of counting ties. The Papagos are lro-
found gamblers. and will stake even their
rawhide sandals on the turn of the dice.
When the time for the great struggle
draws near the men. women and children
or the visiting village. or villages. set Off
FOR the seat of war. carrying with them
their culinary utensils, and sufficient
food to subsist while away, taking also,
most Of their personal effects end horse
stock. to back their convictions Of sue
cess
II is truly gala occasion, for there are
dances and flestas, in which all take
part; horse races and exhibitions Of dar-
ing equestrian skill given by the Indian |
vaquerros, who are quite as dexterous
as the American cowboy In riding ponies |
and casting the rawhlde lariat
Nothing. however. detraots from the |
chief event and on the day of its oc-
currence wild and exciting congrega- |
ton gather round the starting line, coach |
ing their favorites. with cries OF praise. |
and flinging taunts of weakness and gen. |
eral decrepitude at all competitors up TO |
the moment they are off.
What a racel Now one man Is ahead, |
and his clan yell in frenzy of JOY but |
he fumbles the ball with his foot and |
another 1.-THE sprilter has thrown in |
front of him. They are making the turn. |
One or two are hopelessly In the rear |
ON they come, and the last mighty squirt |
for victory is made. with jaws set and |
muscles quivering under the terrible |
strain. Two balls go into the air at |
nee, kicked by powerful legs. One |
lrops short of the line a few feet and |
tho other rolls over a winner,
4 game is over and the players, limp ]
g..N-