Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-04-25


r lotteries fishting, bull-baiting ant
: other cruel and demoralizing sports
{ They debate the people. increase thei,
improyidenoe, provoke disorder and
intemperance ari are altogether bad.
: | sincerely hope that Governor Secre.
: tary Taft will not yield to the impor-
tunities and take a step backward in
the respect. These evils were bad
enough before General Woods order
was Issued, and to restore them would
make them still worse. One having
made the prohibition. II would be a
lamentable precedent for the govern
ment to revoke It,"
General Jose Miguel Gomez, the
leader of the liberal party. takes ex-
acty the opposite view. He declares
that the poor people are entitled to
amusements as well as the rich and
the other day he indulged in some
scathing criticisms OF General Wood
ior prohibiting cockfighting among the
poor and encouraging the game OF
Jai alai among the rich, which he in
sisted was even more demorallzinp to
the public
He said that General Wood, while
military governor. not only licensed
but encouraged that institution, which
has resulted In the moral and financial
rum oil many persons and Ia univer-
sally recognized as curse to the com
| muni'y Ard, what Is still worse. Gen.
eral Wood accepted very valuable
silver service from the gamblers. who
from the monopoly he granted them
or the game. Several efforts have
been made by the liberal party, he
says, to abolish 1t, but they have been
defeated by appeals to the Platt
amendment. which requires that all
lawful rights acquired under the mill
iary government of General Woods
shall be recognized and protected
Jai alai is the Basque game of
pelota and Is played in all Spanish
countries by children and young men
and women. but here. as In several OF
The Spanish cities, 1t has been nd
vanced to science and is played only
by professionals who are imported
from the Basque provinces OF Spain
and receive salaries as large ms those
OF professional baseball players. The
purpose of the game is to keep rub
Der ball In the air while rebounding
from wall against which 1t Is thrown.
In childhood this is done by the use
Of the bare hand, and 1t is known as
'handball," but scientific development
has brought into use curved basket
or cestus, as 1t is called. strapped to
the hand and protected by leather
| gauntlet This cestus Is handled with
wonderful skill. II requires as much
| strength and agility to play the game
as to handle n rapier in fencing
bout, and the sport is very exhausting
The contestants are divided into two
sides and take their turns until one
Of them misses the ball by falling to
throw 1t back on the rebound or per
mitting 1t TO land outside the floor
limits. Each failure is scored and
when 30 points are made. by each
player falling to hit the ball thirty
ponents are declared winners. I'M
Donnerts are declared winners. I'm
niense sums are staked on favoriteB.
The proprietors receive 10 per cent
commission on all bets and 1t is claim
ed that their revenues are now $20, 900
a month.
II is true, as General Gomez asserts.
that General Wood not only licensed
but encouraged the game. and that he
did accept a silver service from the
most disreputable gamblers in Havana
for granting them a monopoly Of jai
alai. 1t is the most lamentable incl
dent in our relations with Cuba.
The controversy over cockhghting Is
not without its humor. Not long ago
there was very sensational episode
in which several OF the greatest gen
erals and proudest politicians in Cuba
were deeply humiilated. The sport is
carried on secretly more or less
| throughout the island; in the planta-
tions. ana Major Slocum OF the United
| States army, who has command of
the country police. known as the rural
guards. has given strict orders to pre-
vent II as far as possible. His men
have been vigilant and action and
have earned commentator, but their
energy on one occasion caused both
amusement and chagrin.
A popular American banker in Ha-
vana, desiring 10 promote the pleasure
Of several prominent visitors from the
United States and several officers Of
the United States army stationed here
arranged for secret cockfght in one
of the suburbs OF the city. to which
he also invited General Jose Miguel
Gomez, the leader OF the liberal party:
General Pine Guerra, n formor no
torious gambler, who was one of the
leaders OF the late insuTection and
now struts around rs a hero, and Cen
eral MontCguedo, another distinguish
cd patriot, who occupies prominent
seat in the corncils OF the liberal party
ard has the rank OF general. acquired
in the late ilsurrection. Although the
arrangements were made with great
est discretion, the rural guards ois-
covered what was goirg on. reported
to Major Slocum and inquired wheth-
er they should ignore or stop the
game. In Spanish times and under the
republic. the Lo'ice we-e not allowed