The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-10-26
RUSSIANS PLAY
HOME GAMES
Strenuous Athletics Enter Into
Unusual Fun-Making
Diversions.
YOUNG GIANT GOOD ANCHOR
Leap Frog Requires VauIting
Over Four Men-"Humming
Bee" Expert.
YOUNG GIANT GOOD ANCHOR
(From Saturday g Advertiser, ,

| United States immigration station yes
terday afternoon to consider the cause
of the Russian immigrants who arrived
| Thursday from Siberia on the S. S.
Siberia and to obtain testimony from
the immigrants themselves, to arrive at
an understanding as to why they came
here and under what conditions, if any.
Upon this board will devolve the ques.
tion of their right to enter the Terri
tory as immigrants. Inspector-in-
Charge Raymond G. Brown is making a
thorough examination of all phases of
the recruiting of the Russians as i'm
migrants for Hawaii, and at the same
time is showing them every considera-
tion while they are under his charge.
The examination of the immigrants
| is slow and tedious, and meanwhile the
immigrants, who have the use of a fair
| ly good-sized yard connected with the
main station building, are making
themselves at home and disporting
themselves in various amusements.
Russian Sport.
Their Russian home games are un-
usual and interesting not only to them
selves but to spectators. During the
entire day they played one game after
another, and whenever interest Jagged,
Inspector Brown, assisted by Col. Sam
johnson, the official interpreter, and A.
l.. G. Atkinson, who brought them all
here, devised ways and means to keep
them further amused.
One of their very interesting games
is called the 'humming-be +" One
man stands and spreads his legs; two
men take up positions. one on either
side of him, their legs likewise extend
ed, one foot of each touching a foot of
the man in the center; the man on the
right puts his right hand, palm outward,
against his left cheek and raises his
left arm at full length back of the man
in the center; the man on the left re-
verses the hand and arm positions; the
man in the center puts both hands to
his lips and initiates bee making
buzzing sound, gradually approaching
with his head one of his neighbors. but
without changing the position of his
feet: he suddenly slaps the PLAN of his
neighbor and the neighbor brings his
raised arm down in the attempt to
strike the humming uee' man. Thus
the game goes on, now to one side and
now to the other. Some of the men are
expert Cumming -bees,' and maintain
their central position almost indefinite.
: ly. When the central man gets struck
by neighbor, he falls out and one of
the neighbors takes up the central po-
sition. and thus the whole crowd takes
part in the game.
Strenuous Leap Frog.
Then there is the leap-frog game.
Five big husky Russians line up. each
one clasping the waist of the man be-
fore him and heads bent low beside the
shoulders of the man in front. A sixth
man, generally very strong one, takes
a position at the other end of the line,
facing the front man. He locks arms
with this one and acts as an anchor.
Then crowd of men take stations and
one runs and leaps over the backs,
heads and shoulders of the group en-
deavoring to drop astride of the head
and shoulders of the first man or of
the anchor man himself. If he sits sue.
cessfully, another takes a running jump
and so on. When one takes into con
{ sideration the fact that each one OF
the runners weighs about IT'S pounds
ana that when he drops his bulk, trip
hammerlike, on man s shoulders, he
, is dropping some. If the anchor mar
= gives way during this process, he il
u doomed to take place in the line OF
five and receive the runners. These bis
men enter into this game with tn,
spirit of young boys.
Peculiar Fun Making.
Another game is funny one.
nlan sits on bench with his bacl
against a building holding a coat o
handkerchief in his lap. A man step
forward and leans over, burying bi
$ face in the coat or handkerchief s.
that he can not see. He places on
hand, palm outward, on his back abou
- the waist line. Others stand in
semicircle behind, generally with fold
# ed arms. A man steps forward an
is with considerable strength strikes tn
e open palm with his own, sometime
almost topping the other man ovel
: He steps back quickly into the sem
circle. The man who was struck in
mediately turns around, and, scannin
the faces of those in the circle, point
= to the one he thinks struck him. Th
d men in the circle smile, and sometime
assume attitudes as if they are jus
recovering their positions in the lin
in order to deceive the one who WI
q. struck. If he fails to designate IL
al right one, he leans over and receive
ne another blow, and so on until he picl
M the right man, who then buries h
nj face in the coat. They derive i
ii. of fun out of this game, and althouG
ar their palms are struck with treme
ne dous force and become red, they
ar not seem to feel any pain. 1t is 9
as game, and they like it.
on A Good Guess.
10. In lhe big lot adjoining the va
ny in which the Russians are held is
,ct other very large lot belonging TO t
EN- station, with winding cinder patti
nd MIR. Brown has given permission
sci the marines to use the paths for ru
In, ming purposes. The Russians saw
ip. trio of men out on the paths yest'
day afternoon in running clothes, b
be they did not understand the stu
at They asked Colonel johnson the mea