The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-08-29
Judge and Jury at NeWfane
Play Regulars When
Off Duty

Off Duty
Where Croduet Is Leading Sport is
the title of an entertaining story in the
Springfield Sunday Union of Aug. 81,
written by Harvey L. Gray and based
on the game as it is played on the court
house green at Newfane. The article
is illustrated by two photographs one of
the county court house and jury watch
ing the game and the other a picture of
four of the regulars" at the game, n.
NJ. Batcheldcr, Ii. A. Carpenter and
John G. Tibbets, all of Newfane, and
Norman f. Wheeler of Springfield,
Mass. Following is the story:
Somehow or other the modest game of
croquet does not get into the sporting
pages along with the world series base
ball games, the college football contests,
or the tennis tournaments. 1t even suf-
fers by comparison with the rogue scores,
although few more than one out of every
million or so knows what rogue is, or
what reason may be advanced for its eX-
iStence.
Nevertheless there is one community
in this broad federation of states where
the game of croquet holds position as
the towns favorite and dominating out
doors sport, where cr0Quct games are
carried on with a seriousness closely APP
proXimating that of Il peace conference,
and the town closes down while matches
are in progress.
Newfanc the shire town of Windham
county, Vermont, is the municipality
which boasts of a serious devotion to
the game which once was digniied with
the name of Methodist billiards" What
is more, the people of Newfane make no
apologies for this curious interest in an
| otherwise obscure form of sport. The
| civic center of the town. or in other
words. the beautiful little elm and ma
| ple-shaded park surrounding the court
| house. Is given over as the scene of daily
contests, and the real substantial citi-
| zens of the town. of which there are
many, are the principal players. Ger
! tain summer visitors are allowed to par
ticipate-in fact one OF them Norman
Wheeler OF Springheld-is one of the
/ REGULARS" and had much to do in put
/ ting crOquet on such Il high plane in the
towns sport activities.
Dignifed Citizens Compete.
| The sight Of from four to six dignified
men. some of them approaching, or even
past, four score years. sOberly engaged
| in such a game As CrOquet Is as unusual
! as it is interesting. Likewise. it is no
! sight to inspire amused chuckle. The
game actually is interesting, the way
| they play it, and those who come to
| watch invariably remain TO watch with
| keen and sober interest.
Dignifed judges of the Vermont su-
| pcriOr court are not above engaging in
a game or two between sessions of court
| in the beautiful little cOlumned court
| house close by. while occasions are chron-
icled when these same judges have taken
on defendants during the deliberations
Of the jury, or while everyone is out in
the open during the luncheon hour.
Physicians and clergymen of neighbor-
ing towns pause as they pass through
to take IN game or two, some even
| bringing their favorite maIlets. Often
times they forget the errand which brings
them To the shire town. or through it,
| in their absorption in the game. Bust
| ness men who travel up and down the
valley make it a point to drop off for an
| hour or two to watch the contestants and
| to comment eXpertly on the wisdom or
| lack of Judgment in this play or that.
Taken altogether, croquet in Newfane
has reached 4 high plane and is conSid-
| cred as the towns major sport. 1t gives
! healthful relaxation to men who other
wise might have little to do: it gives the
town and the towns visitors something
| interesting to talk about and it whites
away the tedium of a routine court sit
| ting.
Just when this craze started in GRO
| quet none seem to know. but it was
years ago, and since then the summer
season is punctuated regularly with
| countless games. with the winners about
! evenly divided between this or that reg
| ular' and occasionally with a casual
| player walking off with the laurel
| wreath. Applause is general. for the
| sideline spectators play no favorites, for
| the simple season that everyone engaged
! seems to be a favorite. IntertOwn games
1t might be added, are unknown. 1t is
| purely NeWfane institution.
| Likewise, there are no frills attached
| There is no carefully prepared court
| such as one finds at LongwO0d, where
| tennis finds high favor. or at the Ekwa-
! nok Country club. Il few miles away
| whore golf has gained ascendancy over
! all other forms of sport. The court
| house park turf is accepted with all its
| bumps and hummocks, and no attempt
/ ever has been made to mitigate the nat
ural hazards.
! Special MalIets and Balls Used.
The ordinary wooden balls and lady
| like mallets have no place in this game
| Instead short handled maIlets such as
! rogue players use are employed. while
| the balls are of heavy lignum vitae The
| wickets seem about the same as those
used in any game, except that two cen.
| ter wlckets, known as the basket are
| placed crOsswise, and it is necessary tC
| pass through both at once, and with but
a single shot following. Only passage
through the two wickets at the end carry
! two shots.
The game has a wonderfully beautiful
setting, The center of Newfane ably
| UphOlds New England'S reputation for its
| beautiful villages. The streets, terraces
and houses are kept in perfect order anC
| repair. and the same applies to the broad
park surrounding the court house and ex