The Sunday Oregonian., August 21, 1904, PART FOUR, Page 31, Image 31

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THE SUNDAY OREGONlAN, PORTLAND, , . AUGUST 21y 190$.;
31
The Summer Sport 'of ' Portland-. Street.AtaJKt iSS
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182
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the paper to come from press by a Uttla
pitch and catch.
It is particularly noticeable that games
always spread, like the measles or whoop
ing cough. Marbles are popular only by
periods. The popularity of mumblepeg
spreads over the land like the grasshop
per pest, then dies out to make room for
other games and sports. Tops are gen
erally the rage when school is In ses
sion, but the old-fashioned games which
require no expenditure not even the in
vestment of a solitary nickel are always
popular with the small boy whose princi
pal residence is the street, and who goes
home only to eat and catch a few winks of
sleep.
Hide and go seek, or hi-spy is an old
game which still retains its popularity
with the street gamin. It is frequently
called by other names, and sometimes
played with varyitlons, but the principle
of the game remains the same. The boy
who Is "It" stands with his face against
the wall of some building or street, and
while, he Is supposed to be counting 50
with his eyes shut, he Is making every
possible effort to peek so as to see what
directions the other boys go, that he may
easily locate them and beat them on the
race home. Sometimes he only has to find
those In hiding and call out in lusty tones.
"Hi-spy on you! hi-spy oh you!" but it
is also played with a run to base, the
first one "it" beats there taking his placo
the next time. "Who shall be "it" is gen
erally decided by counting out.
"Meeny mlny meeny mo,
Catch a nigger by the tool
If he hollers let him go
Meeny mlny meeny mol"
One two three
Out goes he!"
Thl3 lyric is repeated until there is but
one left in the line and he Is the unfortu
nate "it" so necessary to every game.
A street urchin Is never too young to
enjoy a game of craps. It3 strongest rec
ommendation for his favor is the fact;
that it is strictly forbidden by "de cops."
The Inexpressible joy of getting ahead of (
blue-coated, brass-buttoned enemies of
all small boys makes any game or pas
time forbidden by them the greatest to
be desired. In the vicinity of the Union'
depot the crap game has proven very
catching this Summer. I came upon a
group of small bojs on a side street in,
that neighborhood, who were so interest
ed in throwing the dice that they did not'
see me approach. A laughing-faced lit
tle colored boy whom they all dubbed'
'"Rastus" was throwing, and the crap in
stinct wjhich had dominated the famlly
blood for generations before him was
strongly alive in this youthful sport.
"Come seben! Come eleben! Come fer
'Rastus I" he would earnestly plead, giv
Ing a snap of the Angers as the dice would
Jpave his hands.
"Oh, we ain't playin' fr money! Jus
throwln' ter see who'll go after de water
melon we'se gwlne t'r buy!"
It fell to the lot of two white boys to
make the purchase, and while they were
gone 'Rastus and the other boys selected j
a shady spot on the curb and cleaned'
their pocket-knives in readiness for tha1
feast.
"I'll stand on my head for a nickel!"
(Concluded on Page 30.)
ouaAV war y
'IP:
4-
HEN the ball epidemic struck
Portland In the early Summer, the
street urchins of Slabtown and
other river-front localities were rather up
against It, for a Spaulding baseball calls
for the expenditure of the fabulous sum
of 5L60. Occasionally, however. Dame
Fortune would smile upon some young
ster In the vicinity of Twenty-fourth and
Vaughn, and he could pick up a foul
which some husky batter had put over
the high board fence, and be able to make
off with It before the policeman woke lip.
It was then that this youth tasted of the
joys of popularity and had all the gang
at his feet! For did he not own a real
baseball? no make-believe or 10 cent rub
ber affair that! All through June the epi
demic raged. It was pitch and catch on
every corner and in the middle of every
block, until ii became somewhat risky
to venture into the street without the
equipment of a professional catcher. The
fever has died out uptown, but the boys
of the street still play it, and practice
faithfully on curves.
"Aw. g'on! I aln' gcin' t'play if Cur
ley's In th game. None of us kids c'n
touch his curves!"
"Curves! nothln'!! He cant git by me!"
And with this boast a diminutive news
boy of 8 took the plate which was the
street crossing in this instance, and an
nounced himself as ready for the curved
balls of the crack pitcher of low.er Front
street. Up In front of the messenger of
.Jlces the boys wlll play, and the news
boys Tvhite away tho weary waiting 'for
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