The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-27
LOUIsIANA's OWN GAME.
Creole Gentlemen Trying 60 Revive the Ancient
q Native sport or Raauette.

Native sport or Rnquette.
NEW ORLEANS, June 24.-The great interest
taken in athletics in New Orleans has spread to
the creole population, and an attempt is now
being made to revive the old creole game of
raquette. which half a century ago might have
been regarded as the popular game Of Louisiana.
While the American game OF baseball is popular
among the Angio-Saxon element of New Orleans,
1t Is different with the creole element. and per-
haps race lines, which are always 80 prominent
here, may be somewhat responsible for this
attempted revival. One game of raquette has
already been played and others are proposed,
and an attempt has been made to revive
the two clubs which figured OF old In the
raquette contests in New Orleans, La Vile 1.-The
cityl and Bayou tths suburbsl 1t remains to be
seen whether the attempted revival will provo
. success. A number of gentlemen prominent
In creole society. who were themselves menu
beers OF the Vile or bayou clubs in former days,
are behind the movement.
The game is of prehistoric origin. The earliest
French explorers found It played by the Louis
lana Indians. particularly the Choctaws. 1t was
played between rival Indian villages, and was in
troduced by dances and other ceremonies. From
the Indians 1t spread to the negroes. and for q
long time 1t was confined to these races; the
creole gentlemen were taking to athletics and
preferring hunting and fishing. A colony of
Choctaw Indians settled near New Orleans and
r ras nese n sseee Pa Fl ' pisin ue%n e Tsqsl sun mat on the
Il is due to this origin that ali the expressions
In the game are OF that tongue or dialect called
creole by some. gllmbo by others, and consisting
Of a mixture Of Indian. African and French
words. The stake from which the game begins
%verts,"' while the points made are pilates"
and what would be called in football a kick is a
by the whites from their red and black brethren,
they always spoke creole when playing. 1t, and
him; -Genin l!' get u his way; :. Force III"
drive him NJ g way, and "Tehombo IT, hold him,
The game is played with racquets somewhat
similar to those used In lawn tennis, but OF dit.
te.ent shape and construction from the lacrosse
the other long, the short one being deemed bet.
TIER tsro w q i SSrab bsIi' H TSe the soa Longer 0r one for :
soS feet long and 400 ieet Vide. t the two
In fndi The are centre shs i ESals son aRSG2ifs"S Ss,s. vs %ssre I Ind
s ss,{a,: sid H.. siTsa a. ss ii !ostss Si.s in S%
tpoiptc5sJ placed near the goals so as to catch
tho ball when thrown BY the fielders. who are
b~arriere. " or fence. whose duty is to guard their
own goal and prevent their adversaries from
s siEdfss sre t ahsfsR 1ch sG +; The captains on each
The ball is solid India rubber, two inches in
diameter. and the game is to strike or drive it to
the enemy's goal. Under no circumstances is IL
player allowed to use his hands either to pick It
up or throw il; Il must be driven wholly with
the raquettes. There is, of course, n great deal
of scufiinR and rushing, much after the style OF
football, for each side tries to break through the
cncny's line. Wrestling, collaring. throwing
each other down are all Legitimate In endeavor-
Ing TO prevent an enemy from running away
with the ball on his raquette or from throwing
II TO his side OF the field or to tho goal; but trip
ping. fighting, or hitting with tho fists or
raquettes are strictly prohibited.
The game, 1t will be seen, contains some of the
elements of football and baseball. Running
Is an important element in II, and the players
had to be good at a rush or scuffie and be willing
TO stand some rough treatment.
When the bulk OF the New Orleans young
men went to the front in the civil war raquette
ceased to be played. There have been several
spasmodic attempt to revive II since. but the
present is the first that has promised success.
In old days II had its customs and there were
songs devoted to Its praise. When the game
was over the captain OF the victorious side was
carried, on the bombila post. around tho grounds,
while his men and the audience Joined In the
song. always In creole pdtOis and dating back
a century or more. and the verse usually ended
with a club cry, q sort OF prototype of the college
cry Of to-day. The following cry OF the Vile
tcilty) Racquette Club will give some idea OF the
cries:
He, he. he. me drapo dag
IL. III. Ouap'. ounp' 81, II, II.
Boum Boum.
The game seems to have been unknown out
side Of Louisiana and Alabama and even the
Choctaws who invented It forgot or abandoned
II when they moved over to the Indian Territory.