The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-11-03
A FIERCE GAME, j(}.l
FOOTBALL rs MILD COMPARED
WITH THE INDIAN LACROSSE.
Badly Injured Players-Government
Has Prohibited the Sport-Oe-
scription of tho Last Cams
Played In Indian Territory.

EYStemat1C eHOrt 10 nt1Ouuce lt' 4h'
game originated with the Indians, anc
EsssYassnss5 not. .only. .for recreation; but
KSmeIsuf s.tfaini1gz young
HneS fdfs d Ssss isl bale tf1bsi
Son tiimeyt & odoE. .paftin the game. Eacf
Indian player carried two curved
sticks, and the game was to force
ball through goal guarded by th'
opponents. ,
Spurred on by the lashes OF attend
ant squavs, whose duty it was to urge
on the tired or weak-hearted braves II
pursuit of the ball, the game wou:t
wax fast and furious over miles o.
prairie in the northwestern portion OF
the continent. The Indians played to
win, and did not hesitate to resort to
any lneeus to aid them. In former
times tribe frequently played against
tribe, and when the contest WAS ended
the field would be strewn with the
dead md dying, and during its prog
ress the players became demons IN
tent on crippling or Staying their an
tagonists. As q result of these con
tests the Government authorities in
terferred and stopped the game; Un.
|, der fear of incurriDg the dispaessnre
Sol the Great Father tina Indisnssnera
obliged TO forego the pleasure OF In
. discriminate fighting under the pre-
text of playing bali.
The first game of real Indian ball
that has been played for many years
where tribe met tribe with Govern.
ment perm!4:iou is said to have taken
place July (, this year, at Sulphur
Spring, Indian Territory. Members
of tho Choctaw and CLickasnw tribes
engaged in tue game with sixty play
crs on side. 1t was the first game
these tribes have played since the par
ticipants were papooses, anil it was
probably the last game that will bc
allowed.
The participants, according to the
St. Paul Pioneer Prcs2, secured u per-
nit by promises of reform in the meth
DDS OF play. These promises were not
kept, and during the excitement Of
the play aHlul soc nssot bEataaity were
4end pounded each other, and WhiIe no
',nc was:killed, q number were so bad.
ly injured that they had to be removed
from the field. A correspondent gives
the following description Of the game:
"On thc morning Of the Fourth
each Indian submitted to final rub
biug down. The rubbing was done
with sort OF Il steel comb, which tore
the flesh until the blood flowed freely.
Despite the agoniziug tortHrcs thu
braves made not sigu of pain. and
calmly submitted to the combing un-
til the flesh was covered with
scratches. The game began little
before noon. Tue Warriors, oil OF
them painted h:deously Us though to
60 on The war path, were lined up on
the ground selected for the game, the
ball 3Was stosssd in the Dir and the
gams sbsssn. 81
..tE1wasafsreely: fought
start. Forty Infiist-.aNahiA 8be
bali, aud soon they were
cloud of dust that ball anAsFta1sly
we're obscurcd from the sight otsfha
SPECTATORS. While the mass OF play
ers were climbing over each other and
using the racquers as weapons OF
offense and defense, 1.-The Chickassw
secured the bail, end before that fact
was known he was we'll on his way to
the goal Of the Cnootaws. Before he
could be stopped he scored O poiuI.
"Then the lighting Indians were in
duced to cease battering each other,
and resume THAR positions for the
game; that is, all did but three. Ono
Choctaw and two Cbickasaws were too
badly injured to p'ly and they re-
tired. All sorts OF tackliog was ln-
dulgcd in. Indians we're 'trippcd;
the stout hickory rlc4aets were used
to throw players by being thrust be.
tween their feet as they ran, and
when one player fell those behind fell
right oyer him. flights were in prog
ress NIL over the field. Sometimes but
two engaged, hut oftener ten or Il
dozen were mingled in m apparently
inextricable mass. The scene was in'
tensely interesting. Incidents os-
c1rred with such startling rapidity
that spectator could not see them
all. A three,ring circus was nothing
compared to the scene when the play
was active. The Indians, almost nude
and painted with stripes and polka
dots in various colors, were assaulting
each other and raising clouds OF dust
all over the tie:'.
"Sometimes tlcre we're stampedes
in which half hundred Inlians ran
across the field il q compact mass,
and any unfortur ate who fell IN front
was trampled without hesitation or
mercy. The game lasted four hours
and resulted in a victory for the Choc'
1aws, the score being 12 to 8. 1t was
witnessed by thousands of whites, In
diers and half-breeds, and was sue
11ii17I7iiIi . ulolIkpSQ great o success,
like 4