The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15
THE GAME OF RAQUETTE.
Seventy Players on n sid -RevivaI or an al
sport In New Orleans,

Seventy PlayerN on n sid Revival OF an ole
sport In New Orleans.
or late the game of raouette. which was once
very popular In this city, and which is very gen.
orally played In many portions of the South, has
been revived in New Orleans, although possibly
a majority of the present generation, as far 10
this city is concerned, know little or nothing
about 1t. That 1t Is a game of Indian origin.
any one who has seen the Canadian.Indian game
Of lacrosse will readily divine. 1t is essentially
opposed to science. The successful raau ne
player must be able to run well. dodge uleyerly,
throw we'll with them. On the other hand, there
appears to be very little of system In the play Of
run fast, dodge quickly, ami throw and catch
strongly and accurately with his raquettes. but
as for the rest Of the play, it is mainly a series Of
scrambleS or scrimmages, as the football player
The ground upon which the game has been re-
vived at City Park is eighty yards wide and
probably over l75 yards long. The goals are
about $50 yards apart, and they consist each Of
some fourteen inches VIDE. The game played
yesterday had seventy players OIL, each side, Les
the red goal, While Les Vfiies wore blue and
played the ball to score on the blue goal.
The game does not seem to be at all an intri-
being no minor points, as in football. When tho
ball strikes the face OF the blue goal a point Is
while a similar contact with the red goal counts
for the men in red, but nothing else counts. There
but the side having the majority OF plots, as
they are called, at tho end OF unremittent play
The ball Is Of solid rubber and not as large a.
the tennis ball, and to handle it each player has
three feet long, each consisting of a stick or
handle having q narrow wooden loop perhaps
at the end. This loop is made by shaving down
and nattening the end OF the hickory stock or
ike a noon ABOUT An inch and "A hah xyi6a and
then bending it over until the end can be firmly
attached TO- the handle TO form the loop. Then
rnwhide drawn through it SO that it will hold
the ball. These raquoltos are after the manner
except that they are not held together by any
joint or rivet. and much Of the skill OF the play
The skilful player will catch the ball with his
baseball fielder will catch with his hands, and
then he VIII throw It With tremendous force.
we'll as that OF the raquettes to give it momen.
tnm; The bal must be handled only by the
p PAX !, gains snG :, possession session Of the ball he will run
haps tackled by some one OF the opposing side,
he I will throw II toward his own goal and IL pos
and force it still further in the desired direc-
ton.
AS in football. the man who has the ball in his
possession is reasonably sure To have trouble.
In the language OF the street arab, the member
OF the opposing team don't do a Thing 10 him.
They will grab him md toss him high in the air
without taking any reasonable care, that he
fail to alight on his feet they will swarm over
him like secs on n plum tree limb. Assuming
that the fall had not shaken him so as TO dis
possess him OF the ball the 'swarming' process
is reasonably sure to do so, and thon II il that
one secs one Of tho strikingly unique features OF
the game. The ball Is lying in the grass and
there are perhaps thirty players crowdiEs
around 1t, all trying to pick 1t up with their
rhquettes. There il II rafting Of sticks on tho
ground and high in the air. and one nnaccus-
toned to the game might he led to believe that
there was a desperate fight in progress. in tho
course of which the players were bclaboring
cach other with their raquettcs. AS n matter OF
iact they do not Intentionally hit or otherwise
hurt each ,ofher., and although heads and shins
nre OFTEN bruised and cut, no hard feeling nor
PAD language Is indulge ed in. They are all after
the ball, ann when ono player gets the ball ii Is
the business OF the members OF the opposing
team to dispossess him OF 1t before he can have
a chnnce TO throw it., and, rs the lawyers would
put IL. " time being the essence OF the contract
IL otten happens that amid the Clashing Of sticks
hehos ana Sims are cut in The hurry and Confu-
humor.
These cuts and bruises are never very serious,
as the raquettes with which they are inflicted
arc TOO light TO 10 serious injury. In fact, II Is
automatically asserted by the oldest inhabi-
jury in n raqucttc game played in New Orleans,
except in one instance, and that was some fifteen
years ago, when q negro chrwed the ear off an
indian. II is ihfiher asserted that the negroes
won that game.
These games are attracting immense crowds
to City Park, and it is safe to assert that not
less than 1000 poole watched the play last
evening.