Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-19

Canada is the home of winter sports on
this continent, and as soon as Jack Frost
makes his appearance the people or the
Dominion prepare to make merry. The
great number of healthful, invigoratlns
outdoor pastimes and sports makes 1t a
gala season for all. January and Feb
ruary are the months when the sports are
probably at their best, especially in Mon
treal. as the ice carnival is held there dur
ing that time. To the majority Of Amer!-
cans, who know little or nothing of the
Joys resulting from months Of snow, the
thought of tob~ogganing, ski running, shat
ing and ice yachting suggests severe
weather. The truth of the matter is that
the Canadian climate is far superior to, itS
reputation. The bracing effect of northern
air is shown in the rosy cheeks OF the
women and the active, robust types Of
men that are encountered on every hand
Hockey is the great winter game Of Can
ada, and the Dominion players are the
finest in the world. 1t is played upon the
ice and all participants, Including the re-
fereee, wear skates. The contests occur
both in Kinks and put Of doors. There are
seven men to the team, and all carry stout
hickory clubs with curved ends, some
thing like the old-fashioned shiny sticks
of ireland. At either end of the ice field,
which must be at least fifty yards in
length, there is a goal consisting of a net
strung on a framework, a round, flat
piece Of solid rubber, called a puck, is put
in motion and the contestinS sides struggle
to land this lively missile in the oppos,-
TONS goal. A hockey match is pronounced
by all authorities to be one Of the most
exciting games played in any country. It
a. axonaAtnuly foot and from Tim Unepfa-
tors point of view. uncommonly ROACH. It
appcars so on account Of the high rate of
speed which the players attain. They
come together in their scrimmascs with a
/ momentum that shakes the onlookers
teeth. No one without plenty OF grit has
any business in a hockey match, because
there are always stars and sparks a-p!enty
while the game is yet young.
Although the puck may be lifted from
one end of the field to the other ''on the
fly" it is generally advanced on the ice
by short, swift passes from player Il
player, all maneuver!ng and shifting with
lishtning-like rapidly for position and ad-
vantage. While clever stick handling Is
of course, requisite, the main essential o:
an expert hockey player is good skating,
and these matches afford marvellous ex.
hihitions Of the art. The astonishing fea
tire Of the game, in the eyes OF the novice
is the force of the collisions between the
players and the manner In which all seen
to invite danger from this cause. A mucl
higher rate Of speed is attained by the
contestants than Is possible In any gam
played on foot, yet they come together
with no seeming regard for the conse,
quences. II is quite remarkable tina.
serious accidents are so few in number
A hockey match is played in two thirty
minute halves, with an intermissiOn OF ter
minutes. 1t is characteristic that almos
all experts at this game are small o.
stature.
Lacrosse is not a winter game. yet Il
always must be meptioned in the sam,
breath with hockey, because the principles
OF the two are similar and both are native
to Canada Lacrosse is the national sporr
OF the dominion More people can be mus
tered for a championship exhibit
lion of this favorite game than posi-
bly, could be gotten together on any otheI
occasion. Whether Il is because there i
a stick to handle, OF that it requires grit
it is conceded that lacrosse is an Irish
mans game The Shamrocks OF Monuea
have been the worlds champions most o
the time during the last fifteen years. an,
the list OF players during that period shows
mere MuTphys than any other name,
Lacrosse was originally an indian game