The evening times., 1898-09-16
La JEU DE La PAUME voLANTE
That Means "ShuttIecock Tennis"
In the Original French.


What bids fair to become an active and
vigorous rival to the now almost national
game of golf has appeared in Paris, and
is now enjoying almost absolute suprem-
acy in the way of outdoor sports among
our French cousins says the New York
Herald.
At the beginning of last spring, when
the weather was such 10 invite and en-
courage outdoor sport, some few of the
extremists introduced a game called lie
Jeu de Ia Paume Volante'' which can
only be translated as ''shuttlecock ten
mis-"
The game is built on the lines of both
its sponsors, but is unlike shuttlecock,
as its disk is different. and unlike tennis.
as 1t requires no net. 1t is played on the
smooth, velvety lawns of summer cha
teaux and among the ''yillagiatures" of
the upper middle classes
1t may be played by two-''un jeu a
deux." as a sentimental Frenchman puts
it-or II may have four, six or eight play
ers. One ball is required for each couple
With two the game resembles nothing so
much aS the old-fashioned ''battIedore
and shuttlecock;" with four or more play
ers II becomes more intricate
The necessary outfit for this new game
consists of disks similar to a tambourine,
except that the rim is solid and devoid
of jingling cymbals. and solid little rubber
balls, trifie larger than those now used
for golf
The players dispose themselves opposite
each other a little over 100 yards apart
If two are playing the game il consists
in sending the ball backward and for
ward, and catching. poising and pitching
1t the greatest number of times without
letting il fall on the ground
II the game includes more than one
couple greater dexterity is required. as
the players throw the ball criss-cross
ana one has to be constantly on the
watch to know which is your ball COM
ing among the three or four crossing
each other. AS in tennis, every miss
counts so many points against the score
and so many catches so many in its fa-
vor. The score may be 10 or 200 or
even 500 points, according TO the skill of
the players
The disk is held by the rim and used
as bat to send the ball. as a racket
10 receive it. To the unintiatted onlook-
er 1t appears almost impossible to ac-
quire the necessary dexterity for the
successful manipulation of that disk and
small rubber ball.
Paume volante is bound to become pop
ular among the rapidly increasing num-
Der of girls who are taking the opposite
stand to the bachelor girl. These new
girls are embracing enthusiastically all
the fascinating posing and Ianguid graces
of their grandmothers. and with the in
PRODUCTION of 1S30-'40 and 1850 styles il Is
necessary to adopt the games which were
in vogue in those days. 1t is likely to
be popular for another reason also and
that Is, that 1t can be played on the
lawn, before or after dinner. when made
moiselle has donned her dainty lawns
and organdies.
As paume volante is not so athletic as
either golf or tennis and capable of
numbering pretty poses, the dinner cos
tune is suitable for the sport. So many
girls have so tired of the short skirts and
thick boots de rigueur for golf that the
new game will doubtless gain many ad-
herents.
"The bachelor girl has been so derided
in the papers," said paume enthusiast
"and the men (those who have taken the
trouble} have so extoIled the beauties and
attractiveness of the old time woman,
that a tidal wave seems to have set in in
favor of the latter. Therefore, 1t IS easy
TO predict. coming. as it does, at the turn
ing of the tide in favor of everything es-
sentially old-fashionedly feminine, that
the new jeu de la paume volante will be
on the crest of popularity among out
door sports at not very distant date"