The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-08-29
Cr0quet FaUOrite Sport
on Green at Courthouse

, tending across to the county Jail and ho-
| tel at one end, and from the historic
! Newfane Inn on one side to the tIeld
house. the town hall and Congregational
| church on the other. Neat concrete
walls serve as an effective frame for the
whole enclosure.
Mornings the crOquet court is deserted,
| save for occasional summer visitors who
venture out with ordinary crOquet i'm
| plements for q try at the game. But
| early afternoon sees a gathering of the
| clans. Sometimes a lone player appears
| with his mallet and a tin can contain
| ing his favorite ball, and he takes a seat
upon the broad bench just in front of
! the fountain, to wait for other "regu-
lars who are certain to appear sooner
or later.
From down the road comes a dealer
! in lumber, in shirtsleeyes and with his
straw hat tilted far back from his fore
! head. From the other direction comes
one of the towns oldest and most re-
spected citizens, while from one of the
| two general stores comes one of the pro-
prietors. and without forhalities of any
kind n game is started, and the days
sport is on until supper time-dinner
comes at noon in Newfane-calls Il tenn
pOrary halt. Then the regulars ap-
! pear again after supper. but merely for
! a stray game after which the younger
generation takes the mallets and balls.
and holds the stage until darkness set
ties.
| ThoSe who are at ali familiar with
! the monday billiard games i'll city clubs
! and billiard parlOrs in which men of
middle life or over engage time hOnOred
opponents in play can conjurc up n fair
picture of these daily games. -Four men
are invariably engaged, with once in a
while an "irrregular" figuring. Year
! after year they have been Mt it, with
absolutely no attempt being made to
{ keep score of games won. 1t is merely
an endless tournament, with each game
a unit in itself.
Tur! Rough and Uneven.
The turf is rough and uneven. except
in the very center. where constant play
has discouraged all signs of grass. Here
the ground is fairly smooth. although
not necessarily even Starting at the
downward. and as the first player sends
his ball away il - Il gamble where 1t
twill stop 1t may be u feet from the
post, or it may be p. and from there
the player must take n chance on n
shot up a slight side hill 10 the first
side wicket, planted in the ground about
two feet from huge maple tree.
If the ball is not given sufficient mo-
mentum it will pause when part way
up. then roll discOncertingly down again,
If the first player off does this he is out
of luck, for he will be given the doubt
full alternative of hitting for position,
where he will be fair target for the
player following, or else he must hit his
ball far into the rough grass. from
whence it viii take ut least two shots
to get through the wicket.
In spite of these hazards the game
progresses with surprising skill. This
is due to the fact that the regulars"
know every bump and hummock. have
gagged expertly the trajectory of the
ball, and know just how hard it must
be hit in order to reach a certain de
| preston where it viii stop in good posi-
ton. The shot through the side wicket
| likewise offers some wonderful oppor-
| tunities for billiards. for the tree which
faces the player can either make or
break his chances for further progress.
The trunk, fully two feet and II half
thick, like other trees is uneven in tex
turc. If a certain spot is hit, and the
ball is projected with just the right de-
gree Of speed. it, will strike the tree.
corrom nicely down grade, then ron end
lesSly but certainly to given spot for
perfect position for the basket"
1t sounds simple, but it is far from
pra ctice have these regulars" come to
understand the eccentricities of their
favorite field of sport. They sight their
ball with infinite care, squint long along
the ground. remove twigS and pebbles
from the path the ball will take then.
after an eternity, apply mallet gingerly
to ball, and away it goes.
1t is surprising how the heavy lignum
vitae spheres obey the impact and roll
with their uneven but inerring way to
just the proper spot. and then perform
under the difficult situation lust as their
masters intend them to act. Somehow
or other they follow the uneven path
with even more certainty than do the
funny little trains of the West River
railroad which pass through the town
only a few rods distant, and their sched-
ule seems even more regular.
Contestants Always Serious.
There is some hidden philosophy in
cluded in these never-ceasing games
Never smile appears upon the features
of the players. and the infreQuent com
mcnt by enc player to another. is all
upon the fine points of the game, and
sometimes rises to the dignity of a con
trOyersy. y player must conform ia
the rules of the game, and there are al
ways at least three official judges to
tell him when he has exceeded the
bounds OF his play.
You see no take a chance" plays in
this sport classic. If n player errs in
judgment he does not assume the gen
erous attitude of letting the player fol
lowing have a play off his ball If he can
: help it. Instead he sends it hurting out
of bounds, and the next man must take
the greatest possible chance it is pos
: sible to impose.
} The game proceeds slowly and with
infinite care. Sometimes a player finds
himself with all sorts of "setupS" due
? to careleSsness or errors of Judgment
and the way these are employed to fur.
Their Il players progress through the
: wickets is marvellous to behold. 1t is
; no unusual feat for a player to accept
5 these opportunities for trip half Of
two-thirds the distance around the
nnLlrsn Lie lnns ,,nE .rL..nt thnnn