The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-14
"THE ECCENTRIC SPORTS"
An Organization of Sporting Men
That Was CurIOuslY Formed.

That Was CuriOuslY Formed.
From the New York Mail and Express.
'erhe Eccentric sports Club of New Or
leans was formed in 1884, ana was one
of the charter members" said Col. a. f.
Carew, of Meridian Miss, yesterday at
the Aston house. II don't suppose there
was ever another organization like it in
the world. We got a good deal of sport
out of it during its two years existence.
The club and its name was due to the
efforts of number of conscientious, kind
hearted Christian women, and its mem
bership embraced some of the toughest
gamblers in Louisiana. Sounds rather
paradoXlcal, doesn't IL?
zone day in January, 1884, a lady dress
ed in black came to Bud Renauds place,
on Royal street, in New Orleans. All l
wish she said, lis to enlist your sympathy
and influence to exert yourself to prevent
these dreadful exhibitions of cock-hghting
and dog fighting. / know you can do it,
and if you give me your word know you
will. That toad-hopping match last week
was awfully cruel. Why cant something
be substituted for it2
The toad hopping match referred to a
new form of amusement, in which toads
were urged to hop by the application of a
lighted match to their hind legs-the toad
match for his owner The old gambler
was rather nonplussed. There was a
hop toad match on for that afternoon
and he was largely Interested in it. TO
tell you the truth, madam he said 1
would rather contribute $500 to any char
ity you might name than do what you
ask just now. What in the world could
be substituted?
" Oh that has all been considered re-
piled the lady. our church society has
thought the whole thing over, and we have
found a substitute for all these cruel
sports. We think the sensible way is to
let them so on with a semblance OF the
actually, and then interest in them will
gradually die out. To bring them to a sud
den stop would not be as effective as to
give their adherents chance for reflection
while they watched the imitation-the sub
stitute.
Now for the poor. little toads. instead
of burning them with fire TO make them
jump, would it not be novel diversion to
tie up one hind leg with soft silk band
and let the little creature hop with the
other Wouldn't that be a novelty"
Well yes said old Sport scratching
his head; decidedly. 1t would be new
deal, sure enough. But how about the
chickens%
Protect their spurs with balls of cot
ton batting and put muzzles over their
heads and bills was the reply. They
couldn't possibly hurt each other then
We'll that's a new one, too said the
vet, and he smiled as he thought of a cock
pit under such conditions; but TN submit
it and let you know We always like 10
accommodate the ladies'
Half an hour later the proposition was
before the Poydras Association, and it
struck them so comical that they agreed
to make the trial on the toads at least
1t was an improvement, they thought over
Mark Twains jumping frog, and as di-
version it proved to be quite entertain
ing. You never saw anything so funny as
a toad with one leg tied up trying to hop
1t made a hit and then, for the fun of
spurs covered and beaks buttoned. That
wasn't so much of go, but the story got
around and the old timers in that gam
bling joint got up a new association, which
they called the Eccentric Sports Club
They had all sorts of protected contests
dogs fighting with trousers on all four
legs and their mouths strapped so they
couldn't bite, tournaments in which the
mounted knights carried stiff paper
swords, and every blessed thing else that
could be thought of, including a prize
fight in which the fighters wore immense
bladders on their hands, and helmets
something like the present base ball
catcher's mask on their heads
Il regret to say" concluded Carew,
that the Eccentric Sports did not prove
the theory of the phllanthropic lady to be
worth great deal in practice, and l am
quite sure that cock fighting in the old
fashioned way may occasionally be seen in
Louisiana. But the club got to be a big
one, and, as / tell you, took in all the
old sports in New Orleans"