The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-24

HAVANA, Cuba March 24.-In this
city you may gamble, if you choose,
from the time you arise in the morn
ing until you go to bed the next morn
ing. You can begin by purchasing a
ticket in the national lottery, which
affords you stirring opportunity to
win a hundred thousand dollars on an
investment of one. In the afternoon
you can go out to the race track and
risk any amount you please on your
own Judgment or that of the local
newspaper men. At night you can go
to game Of Jai Alai, where you can
get covering for almost any amount
Of money you care to show. In be.
tween times you can sit in any kind
of game you choose.
or all these varied ways Of losing
your money, distinctly the most in
teresting and to the visitors the most
picturesque, is the game Of Jai Alai.
Indeed, after a careful inventory OF
| the entire city, We are inclined to
say that Jai Alai is the best thing that
! Havana has to show. And yet you
can seldom count a dozen Americans
among the thousands which attend the
game, and almost nothing seems to
! be known of it in this country.
Jai Alai may best be described as
glorified handbal game, with one
wall taken out Of the court. In hand
ball one plays in a box-like room
thirty or forty feet long, the proceed
ure being simply to knock the bal
against one of the end walls until one
| of the contestants misses it. This
simple game. which is played in al
most every Y. NJ, c, A. in the United
southern imagination into a sport OF
the highest order In Jai Alai, the
court is more than a city block in
length and probably over a hundred
feet high to its ceiling, from which
great banks OF lights glare down upon
! it. One of the long walls is taken
out and replaced nv a foul line, back
OF which is a grandstand which holds
about three thousand spectators.
| Naturally, no human hand unaideo
could propel a ball the length of this
titan court so the pelotari, as the
player is called. is equipped with ar
instrument which is probably the most
effective one for the application Of
man power to a ball ever invented
1t is strapped to the right hand, ant
looks like a huge eagles claw. beine
curved in about the same degree ano
perhaps three feet long. On closer
inspection, it is seen to be half cylin'
drical and hollow, so that the ball i;
caught and propelled in curved
groove But to try to describe the
manipulation of this curious nipple
ment is hopeless. Suffice it to say
that the pelotari is able not only tC
throw the bal! a city block but t
make it rebound a city block and hi
the back wall.
The game, which originated some
where in Spain. ia still PLAYED in tina
country. and rrettv much all over Lat
in America Nearly all Of the play
ers are professionals, and travel from
one country to another. They have
their pictures in the papers and arr
the heroes of small boys exactly lik'
our great baseball players. Incident
ally. they are athletes of n really higl
order and Of = most exceptional grace
The Jai 'Alai court is in q large ant
fine building privately owned ant
very remunerative to its owners Il
addition to the court and the grand
stand contains large bank witt
about twenty tellers, where bets ar
settled bar. p lunch counter. and {
cafe The tickets are practically al
sold by sCalners. The best Of then
are supposed to sell for dollar and
half, hut canrot be purchased 70
less than five dollars on the dav be
fore the game, Each of these ticket
seems to pass through the hands o
several men. IN Mis- way, the ia
Alai game Is made to afford a lvin
to the greatest number Of persons
while a ticket is seldom sold for les
than three times its alleged box -offic
price.
The game always begins with tn
playing Of the national hymn or an
them. or whatever 1t may be called
At this, some people stand, and all o
the men remove their hats. But whe
the game begins, everyone stands an
remains standing until 1t Is over TIL
excitement is intense, almost incred
ible in the early stages Of the game
In a long row before the grandstan
are the hookmakers. distinguished b
funny little red caps, They shout tn
odds they have to offer. basing ther
on the score which is marked IN o
huge board In sight of all Every
one in the place seems bene on max
ing bets. not only with the bd@k max
ers, but with everyone else With
sound OF his voice, The babel reache
frenzied pitch. The book maker,
unable to make themselves hearC
throw messages into the grandstand I
little rubber balls Excited men wav
bundles OF bills under each other
noses The players are cursed an
cheered. Hats and walking stick
sometimes fly into the air. despite
! large sign which specifically forbid
! this method of displaying emotion. A
, the game progresses, one side gains
daciaiya lead The odds are now heaN