Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-10-09

For This MOderu J0ust Two AutO-
 mobiles, Two Girl Chauffeurs and
 Two Young Women Standing Erect
 ln the Machines, Each Armed With
 a Long Lance, Are Needed.
 Two light automobiles, two girl chauffeurs, two girls standing erect in the machines, flushed, laughing, spar king with excitement, alert and wary, each armed with long lance like a knight of old, thrusting, withdrawing, striking, pushing, pulling, warding, scrambling, darting or bending, is the sight viewed by those favored ones of fortune who have been permitted to witness the new sport, tifting contest in automobiles, says the San Francisco Chronicle. Auto tilting was discovered by accident The discoverer was Miss Elizabeth Tonkin of Detroit, who weighs just an even hundred pounds and who possesses dark tresses, rosy cheeks, blue eyes and gentle ways that would characterize her as anything but lighter" Miss Tonkin and Miss Charlotte Dee, with their escorts, were returning from fishing trip in two autos. Miss Tonkin with her rod kept teasing her friend in the auto ahead. At last Miss Dee in self protection took her escorts pole and, leaning back over the seat. gave battle to the girl behind. The escorts maneuvered the machines so well as to call forth encomhms from both filters, and the little incident gave Miss Tonkin the idea of the Auto Hitting club" which was the inception of scores of clubs now being formed all over the country wherever the girls are lively and in for good time, which means all the way from Maine to Cali fornia. Eastern girls have taken up the sport with ardor, and California can show some devotees of jousting tourna- ments too.
 Auto tits are intensely exciting. The lances are of light wood, fifteen feet long, and are fitted with a big soft leather pad on the end In the very center of this pad Is a rubber affair, which may be filled with air just as one fills a punching bag. Thus while the pad is firm it is not hard enough to do any serious Injury.
 Judges watch the conflict. When a knight" receives well planted and effective thrust which sends her over the back of her seat or out at the side she is summarily called of the field and defeat is her portion. Another knight may be set upon by two enc mics, one on each side, but If the unit ed forces prove too many for her she gives a quick command to her chauf- feur and retreats in disorder to gain later prestige in another part of the field. Gradually the number of dead" or "captured" knights watching the battle from afar grows larger and lar ger till 1t far outnumbers those still left alive" Toward the end the con test becomes wildly exciting. especially If 1t be known that the winners are ex- pected to celebrate their victory by a theater party or dinner at the expense of the losers. It often happens that only: two opposing. knights out of the half dozen or more on each side who may have begun are left to continue the struggle on the field, and these will fight bravely on till one or the other re ceives her death thrust or gives up from sheer exhaustion.
 This latest form of sport has proved that 1t requires undoubted skill and that 1t is not only splendid physical ex- ercise. but that 1t quickens every fac ulty. The eye must be alert, clear and steady, every muscle in the body must be In prime working order to dodge and meet an opponents thrust. to coun- ter thrust. and eye, body and brain must work quickly and harmoniously. The sport Is carried on In a standing position. and merely to preserve ones equilibrium in a plunging. reeIing ma chine Is no easy matter. The constant play of the body makes the waist sup pie and strong in a way that discounts Delsartean movements entirely and is most eficacious In strengthening the arms and shoulders. The spice of real danger in the game lends an added in- terest for enough of the elemental sur wives in the modern girl to make her positively enjoy the risk.
 Probably the most thrilling and spec tacular feature of automobllIng Is the Battle Of the Knights" when two lines of fighters approach each other. On each side there may be anywhere from ten knights upward. The great CT the number the greater the fun
 Several girls have had severe falls. but the most serious one came not long ago ln a tilting match between Mss Tonkin and Miss Swift. two eastern girls who follow the sport on every opportunity. It looked as If Miss Swift ought to be a certain victor, for she was the larger girl and 60 had the ad- vantage of weight. But skill counts for more than weight in auto tiIting. and at a critical moment Miss Tonkln say ber chance and took it Miss Swift was standing erect. while the more cautious posture is to lean for ward. Miss Tonkin. seeing this. came in with a lunge that caught Der op- ponent fairiy under the chln- The soft pad lifted Mrs Swift completely on her feet. and before her chauffeur could stop the machine the unfortunate knIght had been carried back over the seat and tumhled to the ground with