The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-06
CH0CTAW BALL PLAYING.
ALMOST rs LIpELr 4 GAME As Tup
FOO7BJLB OF THESE DAYS.

Indian stoltdly lingering around the door of
supply store or sitting idly In tho Sunshine win
his unsold stock OF baskets disposed around
him.. He Is not fair to look upon; many land,
and looms have contributed to the dirty rnimcnt
that he wears, and his straight, black hair rcstt.
hes to a lifelong immunity from the comb
Ragged, ignorant, and unclean. he lie n hidcou.
parody on his ancestors: a pitiful example Of
the degeneracy wrought by civilization; an in.
carnate admission OF racial incapacity. Iftbe
town be one OF the very few in Mississip.,
where whiskey can DO obtained by any primitive
a%rtifce. he is' more than likely to DO under ia
Influence. II It were not for such casual re-
any remnant OF tho unfortunate and decadcnt
% eoSs e ss,sl Of sH, tss st an M iSsN sRlsi IN Vet in %Gerspin
people arc reminded Of this contingent by meth.
ods moro startling and unique, as. for instance.
when a ball play" is pulled OF between op.
posing, settlements. A very recent case illn.
diversions sometimes become. Alta i" ball play
held near Carthage a few weeks ago, several
consequence Of the game.
The Indian population Of the State is confined
per- PC = SEQ Scott e snd Ns:;h SsiSn{ OF S SoSr : in Lea al fe SS sas
OF the State isolated instances occur where q
few few Inc indi snnn er h1 McOrsod.S descendants c dan remain.
which have anything like an nppreciable Indian
POPULATION; Tho last census gives tho State
Choetaws.. In fact, OF all the tribes that once
' lived In Mississippi. the. Yazoo. Biloxi. Pasca.
gouln, Chickasaw and others, only the Choctaw
Civilization has done as little for the Missis
In spite OF efforts to civilize and Christianize.
he has tho same exhaustive and absorbing
hut, he has lost even tho element of picturesque.
which he lives, as q usual thing, is peculiar for
dirt. s9Tnalor. and the general absence Of furni.
sort%ent Of ours and hounds Of. high
do not own land. but arc mere tenants
stpOn! !. What, what is ok known own, h as u the share sys:
| during the Year for the rent Of the land and
although there arc several exceptional case;
and bitches about in the ordinary fashion with
existence are completed, no feels tho impulse Of
R gis 5000 Siood. a1 Then all sur atts Mn,a,n to ms eo Sihs;
him to routing are ,unayailing. Several of
hunt. HAVING estaoli tissin their 10 camp s1 uR E1 tho .
swamp or territory wherein they intend to hunt,
they y i sSy;s the 1Ss ssu .cS,, and n proposes tSe to taEr sHre
country. What part of the proceeds OF. the
chase rem ,dI after the common pot has been
Indian is delegated to do this, so that tine others
may, continue the sport without intermission.
devoted to It's purchase; II NOT. there is a posi-.
bility that the women may be rewarded with a
colors. These hunts frequently last for weeks
sion mhs 81 H sSs 1 tSRl'Ssl o sns Rs6 81 sHe te ess Snly Is d Msnt
sErss : sa.iauIty; having probably been PLAYED
sembianee to- ali OF the various kinds of bali
games ga, e played ed. BY BY ether NATIONS ado9n in its Leading
ferocity and primitive energy and enthusiasm
that finds perhaps its only parallel in, a modern
draw some curious and interesting Conclusions
about the common origin, of different peoples
s aHd th shs s ssaSni IL paeti samalsr's What In lh Is Rn SS%f is
Canada as lacrosse. tennis, battledore and
s ms4s sssai.s golf ot t Ind s ss%s k kinared T fRSFI ISn II.
ments Of the game are two very peculiar bail
sticks% and a a ball very much like an ordinary.
hickory and are about two and a half feet long.
The end Of the stick is made thin so it can DO
tied with strings. The field is any smooth space
selected by mutual consent. and poles are
Of about $50 yards from each other. Any
number can play, on each side. the teams
p pioas to 5"n the s arDS a sws seaifoI ID f IS siec prs.
on which the bets are to be deposited. skins,
S %Saessd a oa ether 3hs re shins: s 1s . tfsa i sSrt , taas a %rS
t ths issns up pr on t t0Pi 10 Ponies fRd sn tnSt are s stake aO on
respective owners bet, them upon the game.
The Indian bets everything In sight, even his
ball play" frequently means months Of domes:
staEcd upon the last game can be replaced. In
deed. 1t has frequently been said that the In.
sport there is in it as for the opportunity for
gambling, which 1t affords.
iousiy from the outskirts Of the field, the ar
r nam srs d;. for the I Play are re- g9 od,E forward. The The
nO8itlOna Rnitad IN them Thu ayyiftaat rnnpara
are placed in the field. while the eblest and
strongest players are placed at The poles of their
diate rush for il. Hands are not allowed to DO
pSeo sticks lex .h Is r esaerEi.SSl enef TS Sey" pie X il tue up u fro on
the ground on the run with them. and throw It
poles. The object Of tho game is to strike tho
pole with the ball. As soon as the ball strikes
child's play either. for all OF the players are
men, many OF them almost middle nged. and
sticks strike. a player. BY accident or design,
they seldom fail TO leave a red streak or cash as
The endurance displayed is Incredible. Under
a hot sun. for they seem partial to that sort OF
temperature when playing the game, with very
speak OF, they tug and strain and wrestle. throw
and catch for hours at a time. Two forty.minute
and then an ,intermisslon OF, twenty
minutes is usually had between. The length OF
this game Is regulated by the score. twelve con.
All the time of the play the squaws are going
around with water, cheering their particular
braves on TO victory. The NANCY dogs on tho
catch the prevailing excitement and
When the last bal. is thrown up then comes
the tug OF war. One side already has eleven,
and tho next will decide tho question in their
Then is the time for their opponents 10
put forth the most Herculean efforts TO pro-
vent their rivals from scoring and also to raise
their own record. Suddenly a player on tho
prevailing side catches the nimble sphere be
tween his two sticks. There Is q rush al hun
and In front OF him 10 stop the ball in its Night.
Whack! The extended sticks have been in vain,
and another score IL registered.
Then the victorious side rushes to the plat
form whereupon reposes the spolia opima. Each
bra Ve selects his winnings amid the accama-
lions OF his crowd and the dead silence OF his
opponents, who withdraw to n reasonable ant
detected distance. The victorious side is DEF
uged with compliments from admirins spcctt
tors and the reign of JOY is at hand.
Now the amiable Caucasian gets in his work.
BE IL said TO their credit. the Indians would
probably dispense without more i'll feeling than
"a defeat necessarily engendcrs after u terrific
were 10 not for n certain swashbuCkIcr