The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-11-02
AT AN INDIAN BALL GAME.
A Curious Mixture Of Foot Ball and
Lacrosse Chiefly in Favor.

at this season of the year down
in the Indian Territory end Of Okla
homa the visitor can see ball games
that are real games. The Indian is
naturally good ball player and he
enters into the play with remark
able zest.
Indian ball is an odd combination
Of lacrosse, foot ball and base bah,
with dash Of tennis. The ball is
made of a core Of rubber, over which
is wound cord, and is covered with
long thin strips Of deer hide, that
when tightly drawn make as good
a surface as any of the expert league
ball-makers can turn out. ..
There isn't any batting rally pos
sible in Indian ball, for the reason
that there isn't any batting done.
Each Indian is equipped with a. three
foot club with a spoon-shaped end.
This end is laced with buckskin
thongs so as to give added force to
the ball when used as a racquet.
When the ball is in play it cannot
be touched with the hands or batted
with the club. It must be caught in
the spoon-shaped end and thrown.
The foot ball flavor is impaired by
the rough play, and the lacrosse touch
by the fact that goal is won only
when the ball is thrown fairly be-
tween two goal posts. Eleven to
twenty men are played on side, and
from the moment the ball is tossed
| up in the centre until somebody
throws goal there is as much deing
as in any football game. A rude set
of rules governs the game, but there
is nothing in them apparently which
forbids using the racquet-ike club,
for other purposes than tossing the
ball goalward, for instance, in
whacking the esteemed opponent. on
the hands, shins, or even, head.
The fact that it is a bloody and ;
dangerous game adds to it's fascina-
ton in Indian eyes. 1t also gives
him chance to yell, and yelling is.
not with him as much an expression
of enjoyment as it is an enjoyment.
in itself. Being unexpectedly Whacked
on the head or shins, with a fereely
welded club is not conducive to-
good gtemper or comradeship, and
one thump usually brings another:
Often the game breaks up in a gen
eral row, in which spectators engage
as well as players. Most Of these
rows come when one town meets an
other. -.
Goal posts are usually about Is
yards apart. The playing rules do
not require that. a player, must in
stantly rid himself Of the ball: He
may carry it toward his goal in his
spoonend, but is subject to being
tackled as in foot ball or to having
the ball knocked out Of the club by
an opponents club. Then's when
the fight usually starts. - ~
4 In the village games the women
frequently take part, playing az
partners Of the men sometimes, but,
following Indian custom, they usually
troop together. The men usually are
gallant enough to permit the women
to have twice as many on their side
and to let them use their hands, too.
Twenty-one points usually constitute
a game, one point for each time the
ball goes between goal-posts, but the
number of points is not arbitrarily
fixed. .
Northern Indians have a different
game Of ball. They use large light
ball and curved sticks as in hockey
Goal posts are used. Sides are
chosen and a toss-up for which side
takes the field. One team, armed
with its clubs, takes its place strung
along in front of its goal. The side
in the field attempts to bowl the ball
between the posts Of the team at bat.
If successful a point is counted for
the other side. If the side at bat
drives the ball past the bowler and
over the goal, it counts a point for
his side. Each side has it's innings
and a game is composed Of an agreed
upon number Of innings. This is an
old Omaha, Winnegabo and Pawnee
game.