New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-01

gam. Itself that gave the title TO the spot which
is Of SO much historical and artistic importance
down AT the end Of Broadway
This privileged traveller will likewise have the OPP
portunity 10 muse upon the sight OF men ADVANCED
in years becoming absorbed expectant. hopeful ap-
prehensive exultant gloomy. merry. angry ana zen
eraIly excited over a simple game that has SINH
lary moved successive generations FOR five hundred
or six hundred years. Furthermore. he may look
upon a sport which has gone on from century 70
century with comparatively little change shovel
board is st,ll PLAYED here and there tables. but
for the most part is confined to the decks Of ships
pail mall has given way to its cousin. golf and It's
child. croquet FOUNDERS has become baseball; ton
mis- has gone through enough history to MI a vol
ume: but the game OF bowls which is played now a.
Stratford- on-Avon and elsewhere in England and
Scotland is probably not much different from the
game that Sir Francis Drake was playing and felt
that ne must finish before he could attend to tho
Spanish Armada.
Away back when Iienrys and
Charleses reigning the game OF bowls was
played not only greens hut in alleys in the city
The game and the alleys were both extremely pop
uar and they came 10 be the resorts OF dIsordcry
and improper persons. insomuch that laws had TO
be passed occasionally to keep their influence within
bounds. Sometimes the law aimed 10 reprcss the
game itself and sometimes It forbade certain per
playing it. Apprentices. for instance, must
not do So except a, Christmas. and then only in
In the country and greens the game seems 10
havs been less Objectionable and indeed il
favorite one for Every private residence
that made any pretcnaions to luxury had bowling
green. and Kings and Princes. end Princesscs, too.
fascinated by game which was also not
beyond the reach OF the common people In tho
course of much time il lost It's popularity somehow.
and It's supporters though stanch and loyal.
are comparatively few.
A guest OF the Red Horse Hotel at Stratford.
walking out after dinner on long Light summer
evening through the stabe-yard OF the hotel.
the street and through the little gate in tho wall
into the grassy and fowcry Enclosure whore the
game is played would scarcely suppose that the
mild and gentle sport was one to be restricted by
act Of Parliament. The green is free to all guests
of the hotel. being owned by the proprietor. but
nearly all the actual play ng is done by who
live in the town and pay small annual fee for the
use of the green. Indeed II is probable that
many visitors come 10 Stratford. stay at the Red
Horse and go away again without even finding out
that the bowling green exists. Those who discover
II may find IL a pleasant and novel sight for
hour
Bowls is as lazy a game to watch "a cricket itself,
but after a little while II becomes entertaining,
and II the watcher cares 10 take SIDES. even alb
sorbing. The place alone. broad eHpanse Of fine
turf. with garden beds and bright Movers around
H. is pretty enough to be attractive without any
game. But to the players II Is a serious and mo-
mentous matter. One OF them begins the game by
rolling a white ball. called the Jack. across the
green for the other balls, black ones, 10 DO rolled
at He roll 1t in any direction ne pieases but
must stop a, least sixty-three feet from where he
stands and al least three feet inside the boundary OF
the green. Then the other balls are rolled al H. and
The object Of each player is to make his own ball
stop nearer the jack than that OF his opponent ..u
The hreathloss interest comes IN Wa ching ski
fllv bowled ball creep slowly along the green ton,
ard the tack and in Specializing on how near IL VIII
pei To a person who has never before seen the
game II always looks as II the bal. wouM hol 20
saxS 10 i II e as on and long after
pears impossible that 1t should have any momentum
eft 1t goes slower than before but sun II
hans three perhaps four feet from the jack, or per
haps almost resting against IL. Then comes the
new and greater excitement OF seeing Whcther an
other PLAYER can get his bail nearer still; This IN
turn craws over the turf. and again the novice
feels sure that Il never get within thirty leei
of the tack but II glides on and on. III. y rests
a possibility, OF course. y may strike baIl pre-
siton. and that 10 another element in the skill and
the chances of the game. -, ,,,
The player who wins the point has the privilege
Of rolling the jack It's position for the next point
This Is valuable right as VIII be seen. he starts
T. AZ the place where It last rested and as before
he may send II In any direction he pleases subject
For il is no; the intention that bowling green snail
be absolutely level and even. IL may incline
little one way or the other. or 1t may be almost
.nnpp other BART The player who has had much
nenence on q particular green knows what It's pc.
uar.' wss Are dr ne nnUT from any given POINT he
can play best. It is probable also mat ne nn9%s
his opponents playing as well as his own. having
wa. ~ the ground usually troubles his opponents
Rax,ns the most. And 80 his own advantage and
his rivals disadvantage must be carefully con-
ctdered In his placing OF the JACK -, - ,
For this reason 1t often happens that one player
,,i,i win constantly for long time. III. al last.
ne other viii win . point by some lucky chance.