Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-02-01
UT0T|LTINGCoNTESTS
Exciting Sport That Tests Met
tie of Athletic Maidens,
SPLENDID PHYSICAL EXERCISE
For This Modern Joust Two Auto
mobiles, Two Girl C~hauEeurs and
Two Young IL Standing Erect
In the Machines, Each Armed with
a Long Lance, Are Needed.

Jung summing Erect
In the Machines, Each Armed With
a Long Lance, Are Needed,
Two light automobiles, two girl
ehauffeurs, two girls standing erect in
the machines, flushed, laughing, spar
KING with excitement, alert and wary,
each armed with a long lance like a
knight Of old, thrusHng, 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, a fitting contest
In automobiles, says the San Francisco
Chronicle. Auto fitting was discovered
by accident. The ]discoverer was Miss
Elizabeth Tonkin of Detroit. who
weighs just an even hundred pounds
and who possesses dark t~resses, rosy
cheeks, blue eyes and gentle ways that
would characterize her as anything but
a Fighter" Miss Tonkin and Miss
Charlotte Dee, with their escorts, were
returning from a fishing trip in two
autos. Miss Tonkln with her rod kept
teasing her friend in the auto ahead.
At last Miss Dee in self protection took
he escorts pole and, leaning back over
the seat, gave battle to the girl behind,
h escorts Unanswered the machines
so we'll as to call forth cncomiums
from both filters, and the little incident
gave Miss Tonkin the idea Of the "Auto
fitting club" which was the inception
OF scores Of clubs now being formed all
over the country wherever the girls are
lively and in for a 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 az
n fills a punching bag. Thus while
the pad is firm 1t is not hard enough to
do any serious injury.
Judges watch the conflict. When a
Knight" receives a we'll planted and
effective thrust which sends her over
the back Of her seat or out at the side
she is summarily called off the field
and defeat is her portion. Another
knight may be set upon by two enc
mics, M on each side, but if the nit
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 cen
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. 1t 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 Oh till one OF the other re-
ceives her death thrust" or gives up
from sheer exhaustion.
This latest form Of sport has proved
that it requires undoubted skill and
that it is not only splendid physical ex-
ercise, but that it 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 tremendously.
The sport is carried on in a standing
position, and merely to preserve ones
equilibrium in d plunging, Keeling 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 efticaciOus in strengthening the
arms and shoulders. The spice of real
danger in the game lends an added in
terest, for enough Of the elemental SUI
wives in the modern girl to make her
positively enjoy the risk.
Probably the most thrilling and spec
tacular feature of automobiling 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
er the number the greater the fun.
Several girls have had severe falls.
but the most serious one came not long
ngo in a fitting match between Miss
Tonkin Inc Miss Swift, two eastern
girls who follow the sport on every
opportunity. 1t looked as if Miss Swift
ought to be q certain victor, for she
was the larger girl and so had the ad-
vantage Of weight. But skill counts
for more than weight in auto fitting.
and at Il critical moment Miss Tonkin
saw her 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 her op-
nnnant Pa irlv uOdar thn chin The soft