The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-01-02
POLO THIS AFTERNOON.

 Gnme Will bo With Tom Cotter's Ag-
 gregattOn from HartfOrd-A Big Crowd Expected Game Should be $ Hummer.
 The closing week of the year 1898 has been a disastrous one for the New Haven polo team. They started in the week by loosing two hard fought games from Providence in which they played as good, if not better polo than did the Greys. But unfortunately they had not the run of luck that followed the from each game defeated by only one goal. Then Waterbury came around on Tuesday night and played all around them. Thursday night they proceeded to New Britain and again lost another game by a sinble goal. Friday night the New Britain team came to Bowling hall and made mince meat of Captain Whiting and his men, and it was all by the barest chance that they escaped shut out. And last of all, they rung out the old year by falling a prey to the Green Jerseys at Merden. Of course the followers of the game naturally ask the question, what is the matter? Something must be wrong somewhere This is sound logic and requires an an- swer If there is one thing that the polo cranks of New Haven delight in it is in the fact that they have a team which in their opinion is equal to any in the league, and if anything little better than the most of them. The brilliant play of the last two weeks cer- tainly led them to believe so, and after the hard luck that the team came through in the early part of the sea- son before Captain Whiting joined them they believed that all was now serene and that their pets would keep ascend ing the ladder of fame until it reached the highest summit, and retire with the pennant unfurled at Bowling hall. But alas what a change the past week has brought about. Six times they have fallen before the opposing forces, and are now almost as far down the league ladder as they can be. Why should this be so? is the question that is being asked. And to those who are on the inside the question is easily an- swered. The boys have been fighting an uphill battle against fate, Bone is under the doctors care and really should be resting instead of playing; Leydon has been confined to his bed during the greater part of the week, Lations rose out of sick bed to go to New Britain with the team on Thurs day night, and on Friday he ought to have been in his bed in place of stand ing in front of the cage Hobe Whit ing was very much indisposed during the whole week, and unable to play his usual game. In fact the whole team was in such a condition that they were nearer fit subjects for a hospital than polo experts fit to play on the polo sur face. When these facts are taken into consideration there is little doubt but what the boys will have the sincerest sympathy of all the followers of the game who will not only wish them Happy New Year" but a speedy re- covery from their indisposition. The game with Hartford this afternoon will undoubtedly be a good one, and the Blues will make a bold effort to begin the new year with victory. It is eX- pected that a very large crowd will be present, and early application for re- served tickets should be made during the morning in order to prevent disap- pointment.