The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-28
Young Collegians Defeat Doctors
Neville and Hill 8 to 9 in
Five-Game Set.
MAFFITT TO PLAY FITzPoRTER
Cracks of Business Mems Gym
nasium and Missouri A. c..
Will Meet on Court of
Former Club.

.Handball players-and fair gentlemen
who think they are handball players-con-
tinue to hurl indiscriminate challenges at
one another through the daily prints.
Being amateurs, the gentlemen do not
seem to care to have what the English
call "a bit on the game They play for
glory or fun or exercise. Yet some of
the cracks say that they would not be
aVerse to betting a bit on the games
Betting on your own skill and staying
power seems to be safer speculation
than betting on somebody's race horse or
somebody's steel stock. When you bet on
yourself you know at least what kind of
run are going to get for your money.
The sporting editor of The Republic has
recently received what is commonly
known as & whole raft of challenges to
play handball Thomas ]. Blong an ath-
lete of some reputation In his days at
Christian Brothers College. hurts chal-
lenges at Doctor Neville, Doctor Hill,
Lonnie Fftzporter. It. NJ. Maffitt-any one
who wants to play. NJ Blong is willing to
play singles, or take L. ]. Mcnamara
and play doubles with any pair.
TO some gentleman who wants a game
quickly and badly; Mr.. Blong's case Is
can probably get all the game they want
from him.
NEVILLE AND HILL BEATEN.
In order to get a bit of practice, Mr..
Blong took w. H. Bascome for partner
on Christmas morning and bea. Doctocs
Neville and HIP for pastime in the old
Pastime court, three games to two in a
fve-game set, The medical GO ltienen
started out well and won the i:rst game
q to 6. The second went to the young
men-21 to 1.-THE third to the doctors by
the same sore. the fourth to the hoys--
y to 9-and the rubber the same way
The next block of five games will he
played at the old Pastime court on New
Years morning.
bring Messrs. Maffitt and Fitzporter to-
gether in three-game set at the Bust
ness Mems Gymnasium. Mr. Fftzporter
recently defeated Mr.: Maff1tt on the. N. A.
can beat the NJ. A. C. wonder on the
court to which he is accustomed. Fftz-
porter is willing to play. and the game
Will probably be arranged.
A SMALL COURT.
The Business Mems court is a droll af
fair. 1t is about 10sfeet high by 10 feet
wide. Being laid against mansard roof.
1t slopes back from the ceiling to the
floor. The gentlemen who play on it play
Diary lines, though the entire gymnasium
lies to the left of the court. Hence the
game seems to be played on the basis Of
lacrosse, the boundaries being limited only
by the size of the lot.
In most open courts side lines are drawn,
but not in this one. The slope of the
bucking wall makes 1t hard to ''cl;nch" a
ball; even the lowest of them will bound
high, owing to the angle, Mr.. Maffitt is
clinking strong, free player and 1t is a
pity that he cannot be tried with Fit2-
porter on a regulation court. OF course;
as neither OF the young men ever played
this plan Is not feasible.
FITzPORTER'S UNTRUE SERVING.
Fitzporter has been hitting the regula-
ton ball on the small NJ. A. C. courts.
He can hit it hard and accurately, and en-
joys 1t very much but his swing is incor-
rect, and he hurts his hand by catching
every ball in what the Irish players call
the heart of the hand''-that is, the pad
at the base of the second finger. In other
words, he hits or slaps instead of swing
ing at the ball and incidentally catching
1t In the course of his swing.
The true swing catches the ball on the |
pad at the base of the thumb or on the |
opposite side of the hand. slides it off |
gently onto the palm and runs it off over
jure the tender heart" of the hand But |
the slap will soon make spot as Sore as
the most malignant of boils. The flesh is |
bruised between the bone and the ball, and |
right on the bone there comes a spot which |
is tender as the nerve of an aching tooth. |
In the old days the green players were
accustomed to tell. William Reilly their |