Bacone College - Warrior Yearbook (Muskogee, OK)

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7' U 28 THE BACONE CHIEF These lectures have been thoroughly enjoyed by the student body. Every lecture was interesting and was instructive. The Faculty Lecture Course has been a success this year and it is very probable that it will be continued next year. W. A. RoBEaTsoN, 'l4. AN INDIAN BALL GAME. Indians are fond of playing ball, and often ball teams from a number of towns meet at a given place to enjoy a game between two towns. They have a chairman, and a king, who selects the ground fwhich is generally on the prairiej, and arranges for match games. Sometimes the game begins on Thursday and lasts over Sunday, and sometimes it last for a week. Most of the people go early Monday morning. There are always large crowds of people coming from different parts of the country, and some come from a long distance. On the first day of the meet all the people stand fac- ing their opponents and singing a ball song, t'Don't look like we can beat you. but we will. They form two cir- cles, in the Iirst of which they meet, singing and march- ing around a number of times, then all rush into the sec- ond circle, which has a tire in the center. They take their places as quickly as possible and march around the fire for some time, it may be until midnight. This is done each night. The second day is spent in preparing for the ball game. On the third day they go to a place in the woods, and sing ball songs. This is called Indian religion. Their yell leader is called an owl, and after he has yelled awhile, the others join in and great excitement prevails. For supper they eat bread without salt or unleayened bread. At night four women sing while a man accom- panies on an Indian drum, which is made from the trunk of a small tree and carved into the shape of a horn, the large end being covered with buckskin. This drum can be heard for a long distance. Another man keeps time with a cocoanut shell, and when these men get tired, two others are appointed to take their places. On the fourth day, they start for the ball-ground and

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THE BACONE CHIEF 27 He showed that a great appreciation of our gifts is nec- essary to their fullest development. The men who fail are those who fear to undertake responsibility because they are afraid of their weaknesses. The continual be- lief that our mind is capable of solving all the difhculties, which may confront it, becomes a sort of instinct, which prompts a man to face cheerfully all the problems of life. The habit of power, which assumes that we are capable of performing any work entrusted to us, has many ad- vantages, which operate to make one successful. The man who is willing to undertake responsibility bears the impress of self-confidence unmistakably upon him. In Mr. Steells lecture, Modern Education, he con- trasted the educations of ycste1'day and today. The view of the average student towards education was given and some of the things the new education must do. Our de- velopment and modern civilization demand new educa- tional methods. He told what the latest educators are doing for the student body of the world and how they are furthering better and more efficient methods in our new education. After his lecture Mr- Steel gave an excellent reading of the first half of Van Dyke's Lost Word. Mr. Sharp in his lecture gave a comparative exposi- tion of the four great religions of the world. His sub- ject was, The Great WVorld Quartettef' The order in the comparison of the religions was, Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity and Mohammedanisin. Several similarities of the religions were given. They all have places for worship. They all adhere to the principles of their founders, and they all have for their prime object the future spiritual relief of humanity. Mr. Sharp gave the history of the religions and their founders. Budd- hism and Mohammendanism each have approximately three hundred million adherents, while Confucianism and Christianity each have four hundred millions adherents. In comparison of the religions, in thcii influence for good, Christianity is doing far more than the others. The number to be rendered in the lecture course for April is to be a recital by Miss Shelton and Miss Hamil- ton. Miss Hamilton will give musical productions and Miss Shelton will read several lyrics and also will give a prose reading.

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THE BACONE CHIEF 29 when a quarter of a mile from it. they stop and eat din- ner. After dinner they sing again, then twenty strong men are selected for each team, each town selecting its own. iWhen all is ready, the players march to the ball- ground, as they are not allowed to ride in the wagon. Tl1e women are left to drive the teams. Before appearing on the ball-ground, the players take red mud and paint their faces, and they dress like ani- mals, some representing the fox and others the tiger. After painting and dressing in this way, they must not be seen until they are in their places ready to play, and no one can recognize them, unless they are hurt and car- ried oft the field. The field is a quarter of a mile around and a rope is stretched around it. The men take their places, the ball is tossed up in the center and the game begins. They have curved sticks with which they pick up the ball and throw it to their own goal. These players show much courage, and unless badly hurt do not complain. If one is knocked down, he jumps up and gives a whoop. A man outside is appointed to watch the ball and re- port to the umpire when a ball is thrown over the goal. The umpire then drives a stick into the ground to mark the score, and when either side has twenty sticks driven into the ground, that side has won the game. Betting is done before the game begins and those who lose the bet, pay the victorious side. Very often the game is never finished, for generally tl1ey get into a iight and sometimes men are even killed. A liter the game is over all go home, the winners singing and rejoicing. Such a game as this is only played once in three to five years, but there are other games that are played every year. The game described was played by Artussee and Arbeka. Arbeka won. IDA TIGER, '16. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL REMEMABRANCE- My mind is all atlame and the wheels of my head Cfor they say I have wheelsj, are constantly whirling, be- cause graduating day and oration time is coming by and by.