New-York tribune., 1899-07-17
POLO on BICYCLES.
A FINE SPORT FOR BoYs-REsULT OF THE GAMES
on SATURDAY.

on SATURDAY.
As indicative of the tendency OF the ambitious
youth Of this country to indulge In the sports ana
pastimes affected and pursued by adults or, ran
ing the necessary facilities for participation IN the
real thing to adopt substitute, the adaptation
by the younger contingent at the country clubs OF
the bicycle to the game OF poo a substitute
for the festive bronco pony may be quoted as
case in point.
In the last two or three years, since the bicycle
has become popular and every athletic youth mas
grown more less expert In the manipulation OF
the steed OF steel, the sons and younger brothers
OF adult members OF such country clubs as those
at Cedarhurst. Rockaway. Meadow Brook, South
ampton Lakewood Morrstown. Tuxedo. West
chester Newport Lenox. Bar Harbor. etc. have
made the game OF bicycle polo their own and
have found It peculiarly attractive and inspiring
form of exercise The sport possesses Just the
requisite spice of danger to give 1t zest, and as
in every detail on bicycles play Is a reproduction
of the charges dashes and scrimmages which polo
lists on their ponies resort to- 1t follows that the
game on wheels permits OF frequent exhibitions or
feas OF daring and the utility Of It and its In
Auence for good are duly recognized by the parents
of the boys who play II.
This game Of polo wheels must not be con-
founded with the so-called bicycle polo. which.
some wears ago was practsed by instructors in the
bicycle schools. The present game Is played on a
regulation pony polo field. $50 or go feet long and
200 feet wide with the regulation papier mache goal
nosts feet apart at field ends and with
boundary boards ten inches high stretching along
the side boundaries as for polo proper. The regu-
lation polo ball of bass wood, five ounces weight
and three inches diameter is used also the regu-
lation bamboo handled polo mallet with hardwood
head the sticks Of course. being somewhat shorter
than adults use.
The bovs have formed clubs and adopted the
regulation handicapping system for experienced
players and the tenets OF the adult game are
strictly adhered to in all match contests. which take
place from time time the fields are at liberty
etc In the last two seasons several young aspir-
ants for honor the regular polo neld nave
demonstrated in their trials on ponies that their
dexterity with the maet and absolute fearlessness
on horseback are due TO their early training In the
Juvenile polo game bicycles Indeed. II Is pre-
dicted that increased interests in pony polo must
result from the wide popularity which the game on
wheels has now attained among the youthful set
at the clubs around which the social colonies con-
gregate.
The history Of the game in the vicinity Of the
embraces the last three or four seasons II Is as
far back os that since the youthtul q1aT5et Rene
Samuel Hinckley, first began 70 practice polo
awheel on tne t1 m @ ger paTnd d
to swing mallet as well as ride wheel Among
Dixon Daniel Chauncey. Seton Porter Carol Neil
son. Anson Hard, Oakley and Halstead Vanderpoel.
Louis Nelson Julian Hinckiey, Henry Poor. Frank
Lord W Boulton Frederick Pinkus. r. and II.
Williams Margan La Montague. John Good, John
Perkins Blanchard Rand Raymond Nelson. Henry
Harper Harold Dunnng. lie Grand Benedict, T. r..
White c. w. Wickersham and 81. clair Richard
son From these players teams have been made up.
the experts forming the first and the younger boys
the second and third Rockaways. The initial con-
test in public was for silver cups presented by John
+ Cowdin the veteran poloist and associate OF the
organizers of the American Polo Association. The
teams on that occasion were Rene La Montague.
Elliott Cowdin. Frank Il. Noss; e DIXON and
/ Daniel Chauncey the former proving the victOrs.
on Saturday last az sort OF curtain raiser TO
the adult practice game or polo on ponies re-
asts gathered about the pretty clubhouse and
amused their elders by liberal period OF bicycle
polo that was voted far from uninterestlng. The
teams were costumed in all blue and blue and
No / Halstead VanderpoeI No. 2 Daniel Chauncey
was the halfback. and Theodore Dixon No. T.
The Young men In blue were: No. !, Harold Dun
ming; No 2 Oakley Vanderpoel; No B. lie Grand
dicap was ignored the contest being arranged 10
classify the respective teams first or second.
The game started at S:l5 p. m. ond closed at D.
When the ball was thrown In by the referee. Harry
lead of his field and carried II down south where
n passed to Seton Porter. who scored after an
exciting chase. Then came n scrimmage as the
ball shot from the hand OF mn embryo pitcher, and.
front wheel II carried the wires away and some or
the latter punctured the tire, pistol like report
as the rubber exploded exciting the risbilities OF
the snectators when IL was seen that no one was
hurt After the laughing youngsters had extri-
ca ed themselves from the heap, G. W. WickerSham
took Dunning's place on the blue team. and the
boys settled down In earnest to play good polo
Monte La Montagne's powerful strokes resulted In
many a shot through the bunch OF players. but
Seton Porter was his Nemesis. often keeping him
out OF harms way by riding the Indian on the