New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-06-14

equally impossible to pronounce-by the different
tribes at least sixty years ago. when Catlin. the
explorer. roamed through the Canadian wilds The
French Canadians named it lacrosse because the
form of the fighting stick used by the Indians was
like a bishops crozier.
The Indians did not limit themselves to picked
teams of twelve each in playing the game The
number as lirnftless the boundaries of the
field Of play. The goals. consisting sometimes Of
single stick which the ball must strike TO score,
were often half a mile apart, and there were no
side lines. except the limit of endurance Of the
players.
In some Of the big tribal games there we're often
several hundred painted, whooping braves on Il
side and sometimes the fight to the death.
The match was refereed by the medicine men, and
strongest chief opened It by tossing up the ball
after he had made long speech. The sticks used
had smaller than those to-day. but the Indian
was quicker with both eye and hand. The matches
consisted Of from fifty a hundred games anc
every a mad, glorious stampede
The Indian braves trained religiously for their
lacrosse contests. They tasted for weeks. ran
hundreds of miles in the open to increase their en-
durance and speed, and did everything to harden
themselves. The night before the match they often
jagged themselves with sharp teeth Of fish that
their muscles might be supple.
There is one striking tragedy forever bound up
In the game Of lacrosse Beers the first authority.
tells of II in his half forgotten little pamphlet
was Indian tragedy, and therefore treachery.
The grimness of it will prevent it being forgotten
long the game is played
After France had given Canada TO the English.
far as treaties of peace and official occupation
concerned, the willy Frenchmen who remained per
suaded the Indians rise up in effort to drive
the English out of the chain Of forts from Lake
Michigan 10 Niagara. Under Pontiac, the cruel
cfieftan of eighteen nations. the Indians
cessful. and almost every fort had been captured
when il came the turn Of Fort Michilimackinac.
which was in the country Of the Ottawas and Glib
WAYS.
The Indians had seemed friendly enough. and
when they heard that the garrison ceIe-
brate the Kings birthday certain day they
invited the soldiers TO witness lacrosse match.
The invitation accepted. and the garrison
outside the forts. The game between the two
tribes was begun some distance from the fort II
magnificent sport watching the active Indians
soldiers officers cheered every brilliant
play Finally the game swung round in the direc-
ton Of the fort. The players came closer and
closer No one Of the English noticed the squaws,
who were squatting about the entrance to the fort
suspicion.
were almost upon the spectators Then new cry
broke on their startled ears. II was the war cry
OF the Ojibways mixed in with the equally terrible
cry OF the Ottawas From under the blankets OF
the sQuaws the braves seized their weapons. and
the massacre was Twenty of the sixty Eng
fish escaped but the fort fell into the hands OF the
As the game is played to-day there are twelve
men in each team, and. with the exception Of the
two goa keepers each is marked by mem
allowed be left to himself unless he fights for
football goals. but the small rubber ball used can
be thrown with great speed and accuracy