New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-05
POPULARITY OF PING PONG
THE PARAPHERNALIA SOLD IN THIS
COUNTRY IS CALLED TABLE TENNIS.

The wonderful popularity achieved by ping pong
in the last winter is said by of the unbe-
levers to have reached it's pinnacle of success
through the clever Englishman who
ceived the outIandish name than through any In
trinsc value attractIveness of the game
itself That this delicate little pastime is popular
is at last recognized by nearly everybody. At
most of the clubs in this city regular ping pong
rooms have been set aside, and whenever game
Is In progress there is pretty sure to be goodIy
gallery looking " is played at the st. Mich
elas Skating Club. az the NewYork. Knicksr-
booker and Crescent Athletic clubs. at the New
York Yacht Club. the Democratic Club. and in
about every other club in the city. including the
University and college clubs.
Down in Wall Street there are ping pong tables
in several brokers' Offices and tales have been told
lately about large sums of money which have been
vagered upon the result of the matches At
eraI Of the uptown clubs games have been played
in which the money wagered on the result has
reached we'll up in the hundreds, and one game Is
recorded where the wagers made were Up in the
thousands. At several stores in the city where
sporting goods sale regular ping pong tables
have been set up and the tables are nearly always
occupied Even the clerks. usually 50 Indifferent
to exercise. fond Of the game. ard play IT even
when prospective customers are not mere 70 watcn
them. Customers purchasing sets are instructed
in the ATTRACTIONS Of the same before they havs
ping pong tournaments on me order Of progressive
euchre parties have almost superseded the latter
The would-be purchaser Of set which can BE
had s.. g, $ or 81 20 each. will enter sporting
goods store and ask for a ping pong set The get
will be shown him. and he viii purchase and go
home happy. When he gets home. however ard
unwraps his purchase he viii md that he has
purchased A game which is labelled table tennis
on the box He has ping pong set all right o9t
the American manufacturers cannot call their
goods by that name for patent reason. A clever
EngIfshrnan introduced the name Of ping pong
and had it patented. That is the reason you ger
table tennis when YOU ask for ping pong
In speaking about the game yesterday. an eEpert
said: Table tennis. ping pong. IS played the
same lawn tennis. and practically the same
rules used with exceptions TO ADAPT u Tor use
on dining room table The game involves exer-
else and delicacy of touch. as well as skill II you
are good ring pong player YOU can play tennis
and pIay IL well. I have known some lawn tennis
PLAYERS who were not experts at ping pong The
popular racduetS. Jat.,. are made OF Tood.
sometimes covered with leather The other rae
1uets are made of velIUn. Those made OF eatgut
are not so popular. Some Of the latest racqqetS
are made with burnt wood finish, showing 1de4I
heads of women and Indian scenes The regular
ping pong tables sell from So to 81. and they
are : BY Q feet with height Of 2ie feet from The
floor The balls sell at 70 cents a Dozen ana are
"a light that they weigh only \ fraction or an
ounce As in other similar games th- racquets are
held in various ways the popular way oelns tne
same as the lawn tennis player holds MS racquet
some good players hold the stick or handle OF the
racquet between the first lwo fingers.