El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-11

a IKEN, ordinarily an inconspicu-
~ Gus health resort of South Caro-
lima, has been, and viii continue
to be for the next few days, the center
of interest for the polo players of the
United States. On the polo grounds Of
this little city,<17 miles north of Au-
gusta. Georgia, American men and
ponies are being schooled in the
ancient game of kings" against thai
day when challenge team from Eng
land shall cross the Atlantic to wrest
the international cup brought back by
the Meadow Brook club in 1909, after
it had been in the keeping of the Hur-
bingham club of England since 1886.
The fact that American teams are
now the peers of any polo players in
the world is only another evidence Of
the fact that the Yankee plays with
the same zest with which he works.
Our British rivals have~the advantage
Of longer experience in polo, but this
has been discounted by the proverbial
American spirit and the breeding of a
polo pony that Is rapidly taking first
rank.
Origin Buried in Antiquity.
The origin of polo, like that of
chess. is buried in antiquity. There
are accounts extant of the game be-
ing played in Persia as far back as
the sixth century before the Christian
era, and detailed descriptions of
games a thousand years ago are to be
found in museums, also drawings
showing the method of play. It is
generally conceded that the game or
iginated with the Persians and was
carried into India by the Mohamme-
dams, who became devotees Of the
sport after their subjugation of the
Persians.
The Indian tea planters began play
ing the game as far back as 1864 and
they in turn passed it on to the Eng
Hsh merchants in Calcutta. The 10th
Hussars. returning to England after
their period of service in India brought
the game with them in 1870 and a
year later there was held at Alder
shot the first match OF what has since
become one of the most popular sports.
Five years after the English invasion
of the Persian sport, James Gordon
Bennett proprietor OF the New York
Herald. inaugurated the first polo
match in America. The sport sprang
into popularity at once and the fact
that sir James Watsons team of Eng
hsh players came to New York and,
under American rules, lifted the inter-
national challenge cup in 1886 prob
ably stimulated national interest more
imam a Victory would nave done Inc
cup remained in possession of the
English until 1909
Americans Win the Cup.
In 1909 II. P. Whitney announced
that a team from the Meadow Brook
club would visit England and attempt
to bring home the prize cup, a hand
some trophy two feet high and cost
Ing $1,000. The horses for the Ameri-
can team, % in number, were shipped
to England long before the contest, so
that they could recover from the sea
voyage and become, in a measure ac-
climated- The first match was sched-
uled for June %. Some time before
that the Americans were badly worsted
by an English team, and the British
were confident Of final victory. Just
a few days before the big contest
however. a preliminary tournament
was held in which the Americans came
off with flying colors At last the Eng
lish saw that the struggle was to be
one of the biggest battles in the his
tory of the game In the first match
the American team won by the score
of to 8! The seco.4d and last game
had to be postponed until July on
account of rain. but in this the Ameri-
cans achieved an even more decisive
victory-S to 2.
The American triumph was due not