The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-09
AUTOMOBILE POLO
HAS MANY THRILLS
VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THIS GAME AND ONE PLAY
Ell at MEADOW BROOK
LOTS OF EXCITEMENT
PLAYERS AND DRIVERS USE
FOOTBALL UNIFORM THAT
WALTER CAMP NIGHT
WELL APPROVE
LOTS OF EXCITEMENT
BY w. 3. CLEMENcE.

Auto polo. the new game which has
been drawing thousands of spectators
to Madison Square Garden the last few
days, is vastly different TO polo on
ponies--sane men play the latter, while
the malletmen and drivers at auto polo
should all be arrested for attempted
suicide
If you are faded, tired and need a
few thrills. by all means 80 and see
this new sport-youll get them.
/ saw my first game yesterday. The
score was IL to 10 in favor Of the
Reds in the afternoon. The winning
team was Sterling and jackson. Jack
son was the malIetman. while Sterling
did the steering and riding OF In
the evening King and territer were
the vIctors. Tclals. ii to IL
The game Is divided into five ten
minute chukkers. with about five min
utes' interval between each, when the
players get out fresh machines and
the mechanics get busy with the ones
which have just been brought in. These
handlers have to work fast, as IL Is
nothing for the cars to be towed into
the paddock after a headon collision,
while the driver and maiietman are
shot out into space, finally landing on
their heads or shoulders on the neld.
OH, it's nice gentle game
Player Thrown Of PONY"
The ball had been put into play
about two minutes in the second
chukKer of the afternoon match, and
Jackson was working 1t along the
boards toward his opponents goal He
yx,rr min Hl. hss HIS
side when King, of the opposing team,
came riding alongside. He viciousiy
bumped into Jacksons machine which
caused the latter To make a wild swing
and measure his length on the ground.
A few seconds afterward King, in
an effort TO follow the bail, made
TURN which was too sharp and his
machine turned turtle. The driver and
nYafletman both jumped clear. - 70
| forgot to say the players and
drivers are In football uniform, with
the regulation headgear as approved
by Walter Camp, but th4s does not
always protect them. The ball is the
S3xe-ef eae-used- in -asSaeiaIian fnut4
ball.
Then there were two or three quar-
ter-goal safeties, which were not de-
Quoted from the score / observed
t'erriter twice hit behind his own goal
to keep his opponent from scoring.
In the final ehukker both sides hit
II up, and the riding off was more flu
rIous. Twice the front wheels OF the
opposing machines became locked
and the drivers could not move them,
while all the time the players were
attempting to get the ball from under
, the cars. A little thing like hitting
across your opponents machine, or
t,Fs xr5f a hi r,F
on the near side, made not the least
difference.
The thing In auto polo IL TO get the
bail and score As quickly as you can.
| Rules. Well, the less rules the better.
The maliet men dribbled we'll They
also play the boards for all they are
worth, and some of their back hq"d
strokes are rather clever. But the cars
are not as handy as polo ponies, and
at times there acre probably seconds
when neither machine would be on
the ball This adds somewhat to the
exei1 eIncEt a. the spectators rie root
ing and yelling their heads off for
their man to get there first,
jackson Must BE Star.
If they both get there al the same
instant the result. If neither machine
is demolished, is a fine scrimmage,
with drivers maneuvering SO that they
will place their car In such posi-
ton that their player can get a good
stroke on the off or mallet side.
While Jackson no doubt appreciated
these efforts on the part of his driver.
II seemed to matter little to him where
the ball was, If he could not reach 1t
from his stand on the car, he climbed
over the other side, in front of the
engine or hung on by the teeth Mt
the back. They say twenty-nine in
surance companies have refused pol
icies on his life and Lioyds would not
handle the risk on a bet.
AS spectacle the game undouhted-
~ will become popular. but do not e"
ard see it II you are subject to heart
failure.-New York Telegraph.