The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-10-14
AUTO POLO Games
AT STATE fAI
Worlds Most Sensational Sport
10 Feature Grandstand.
STARTS WITH ARGUMENT
n. A. Hankinson, Originator, Tells ef
Beginning Of These Contests
Team at Dallas 10 on
World Tour.

Dallas. Texas-"Auto polo. a new
game out OF the West. will be played
for the first time In the Southwest in
front OF the race track grandstand and
at the coming State Fair OF Texas
which opens Saturday. october IS. and
closes Sunday, November g." said Pres
icent ]. ]. Eckford yesterday.
Contract has Just been closed for si1
machines and eighteen men, who will
come to Dallas under the direction OF II.
A. Hankinson Of Kansas City. MO, this
originator OF the worlds most sensa-
tional sport. 1t Is declared that this
game takes more harum scarum, dare
devil driving than any sport ever yet
evolved by man, and the enthusiasm
with which II has been greeted by thou
sands since the initial game in August.
1912. assures something out OF the ordi-
nary in an entertainment way at the
coming fair Those who have seen au-
to- polo played declare there Is "a thrill
every instant during the game and an
extra thrill thrown In for good measure
every other instant. The drivers that
Mr.. Hankinson will bring to Dallas are
master hands and those who know any
thing Of the art OF driving an automo-
bile can not fail but marvel at the
rapiditv with which turns are made"
Mr.. Hankinson, who was in confer
ence with the Fair management prelim-
mary to closing the contract explained
that auto-polo originated In an argu-
ment between two automobile statesmen
as to which was the superior driver. "A
race between the two salesmen was
suggested" said Mr.. Hankinson, land
their respective cars were stripped to
the chassis In, driving over the boule-
wards OF Kansas City In search OF a
good plaar rnCk road In tho Cnn1fry
free from obstacles or interference, a
tin can which lay in the path Of one OF
the drivers was struck by the front
wheel OF his machine. The judges ac-
cCmpanying the drivers and who were
sitting on the running boards Of the
two small racers, began kicking this
can from one side OF the road to the
other. each driver following as accu-
rately as possible, his aim being to
alongside the can while In motion. thus
offering a good opportunity for his
partner to get good kick at the can.
This was followed by a game Of old
fashioned shiny In which the can was
verv much battered and in which the
contestants made a tie as to driving
ability. Thus was originated what Is
now a National sport. The following
day a basket ball and a couple OF heavy
field was selected as an arena. The
thrilling spectacle that resulted con-
vinced those present, myself included
in the possibilities of the sport
After the initial contest daily practice
exhibitions were held for a period OF
| five months. Various young men were
given opportunities to try out as team
mates for the drivers to act as their
mallet men. Many applicants for po-
| 1fat, fri "a
after going through their daily practice
| those who were more adapted to this
| form Of sport became accustomed to the
awkward and dangerous positions OF
| hanging on to the side Of small rae
| Ing auto-p polo car and welding a heavy
| three pound mallet while the car was
going at full speed" said Mr.. Hankin-
| son. "In Aungust, 1912, the first game
drew in Kansas City and the third game
drew an attendance of 5000 people"
Mr.. Hankinson explained that auto
polo Is played in periods of ten minutes
each five periods constituting one
| game In the event OF a tie score at the
end of the fifth period, an extra period
OF periods may be added, until one enc
| has scored winning point over theiI
opponent The beauty of a contest OF
this sort Is that no two games are alike
Each one is entirely different from the
| DTfCptlnG one, Sdlu MI. tlIIlhluS'li
! Therefore much more interesting thar
automobile racing. aeroplaning, motor.
cycle racing or in fact most any Other
sensational form OF amusement"
Several OF the original players II
uto-polo are now on a tour OF th'
world Eighteen players after makine
a tour of the big fairs of this country
will spend three weeks in Cuba, four
teen weeks in South America, five anc
one-half months in Europe, returninl
TO the United states for one years en-
gagement at the Panama Exposition.
Auto polo games will be played IL
front Of the grandstand between thu
harness and running events. Each pc
riod will last ten minutes which vii
take up the intermission between thu
horse races There will he something
doinp every minute in front Of th'
| Craudstand this fall.