Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-01-27
BASKETBALL WAS ORIGINATED BY
 Y.M.C.A. MAN
Game First Played in Springfield, Mass, 25
 Years Ago.
(By Frank G. Menke.)

New York, Jan. 26.- Basketball was originated 9 years ago by James Naismlth, Y. M. c. A. instructor in Springfield, Mass, in an attempt to provide some game that would re- lieve the tedium of regular gymnasi- Um work.
 When Naismith created the. basket ball game in 1891 he never thought it's popularity would spread beyond the confines of his own little gymma- sium. Yet, basketball today is the major winter sport among colleges; l. is played in every city and hamlet in the United States and in every city of any size in the civilized world.
 Basketball Is the infant of sports, but it's popularity is increasing year. ly by leaps and bounds and its de- votees will number far into the mill lions within few more years.
 How Idea Was Born.
 Back in 1890 Naismith noticed that his charges grew tired of the regular gymnasium stunts before the winter was enc half over. They soon lost their zest for the club-swinging and dumbell exercises. Naismith con cluded that it was necessary to dis cover some gymnasium game that would prove exciting would keep up interest and at the same time pro- mote health and build muscles.
 One day he noticed sama of his boys trying to throw a baseball into basket that hung on the wall. That gave Naismith his basketball idea. That would be game into which would enter the element of competition and one which would in crease the quickness of the hand. the feet and the eye, one which would promote health.
 Naismiths hardest job, was to find suitable kind of ball. He realized that a baseball was too small; that rugby football not only was too small but also not of the right shape. Just about then he witnessed 8 game of soccer football--and his troubles ceased.
 Used Soccer Ball.
 Nainsmith got soccer football and the early basketball games were staged with that sort of ball as the standard. The Y. M. c. A. instruc- tor not only borrowed the ball from the soccer game, but he also lifted" some of the rules. The "dribble" which is one of the important plays in basketball was borrowed from. soccer. In several other ways the basketball playing methods are the same as soccer. tFE
 The rules of basketball today are almost the same as those laid down by Naismith 20 years ago. The size o; the ball, number of men on side N. LA&n changed but those are all.
 A peculiar thing is that the play ing area rule made by Naismith stili remains. That limits the playing field" to 4O0O square seet The gym rasium. where Naismsth was instruc- tor was a small one and it's area limits was cnly trifle over 4O00 square feet. Had the rocTl been larger Naismith probably would have increased the size of the "field." Yet hls 4000 feet limit remains the stand ard.
 Popularity Increases.
 Smiths pupils played the game during LS91--and went wild about it. They told their friends about the new game, the newspapers heard about it end in 1892 several other gymnasiums 8 were staging basketball games.
 In 1893 every gym in Springfield and many in Boston and other Massa- chusetts towns had basketball teams. IEter-gym games were played and attracted crowds. In 1894 the Smith college girls began 10 play basketball and frsm that time on the popularity of basketball spread throughout the United States and heyOnd. snread fO every civilized country in the world.
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