The Washington times., 1926-02-23

building games at high and prep
Then came amateur teams, for
the most part made up of men
brought to the United States from
Canada. and representative of vari-
Gus cities that hoasted Of big in
door Kinks.
Further strikes were made when
several cities in the United States
antered the National Hockey League.
= professional combine that in
eludes Canadian teams
Then came Tex Richard with his
new Madison Square Garden and
probably the biggest and most
modern equipped indoor ice skat-
ing rink I'm the world-and with
the rink came the New York Hockey
Club, q member of the National
League and also q number of anna
teaIr and college teams-all to play
home games in New York City.
Blase New Yorkers, who could
not get a kick out OF a football
game, as was demonstrated when
the New York Giants and the Chi
cago Bears played rings around any
college team I'm the country and
FOR Grange, without thought for
the work being done on the field,
were struck with hockey.
They went wild over IL 50 much
- that af the present time the
game 81 hockey seems to be .
better drawing card than prize
fighting. And sport writers,
mirroring the thoughts 81 the
: thousands Of spectators who jam
their way into hockey Kinks all
over the United States and In
Canada. call Il the fastest game
On eaFtIa.'
But old timers. who have viewed
baseball games when every man on
the nine was graced with side
burns and nIoustachee, and not a
few with boards as portrayed in
our leading safety razor advertise
ments, disagree with the enthus-
lasts Of the present day who claim
hockey to be the speedlest of
nastimes.
Roller polo hits their fancy as
the speediesf of all. And there
are some OF the younger element of
today who agree with them. To
argue the matter out would be
futile but the roller polo champions
are not to be disregarded in their
claims. Roller polo is the fast
game-and fit isn't faster than
the present day ice hockey. it ranks
evenly with the game Of sharpened
steel and the rubber disc.
Within the past ten years game
Of roller polo was a novelty and
only a lover of the game would
IT,. ~. -. -
for the game would have to do
much searching before he found
enc.
But fifteen and more years ago
II was the favorite of indoor sports
and when a game was carded it
drew devotees from within a radius
OF fifty miles-and fifty miles was
quite a distance fifteen years ago.
Five men made up team OF
roller poloists and according TO their
positions were known as the follow
inS. first and second rushers,
center, halfback and goal.
All of the men were dressed much
like the hockey player of today.
and with the exception of the goal
tender who seemed to carry more
padding.
More like q diver the goaIie APP
peared and II was good that he
was so protected, for when the
hard rubber ball used came whiz-
xing toward the net it was his
duty TO stop It. Without the
heavy protection. covering the en-.
tire body and including a base
ball catcheF's mask the g0aIie
would be open to serious injury.
Like an old-fashioned shiny
game of the variety played by the
more daring of the youths who
seemed not bothered by physical
pain; TIN ball used would be placed
in the center of the playing court
and the two rushers would start
toward IT at the whistle
One can imagine the result when
these two rushers. speeding along
as though on wings rather than on
ball-bearing skates, met in the cen.
ter and made swings at the ball.
Then when the game was in
progress more action than a hocke
game was offered the spectator, for
much of the passing of the bal
was done in the air. Some of the
old-time players were really mar
yelous for the way they handled
the ball on the end Of their sticks
Points were tailed as in hockey
when the ball was shot into ne
placed at each end of the playing
court.
While summering at Naraganset
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