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Show THE ORIGIN OF HANDICAPPING. HANDICAP-PING. Most persons who take an interest in sporting events are well aware what the ward "handicap" means, but perhaps very lew of them know tbe origin of the expression. The origin of handicapping is to be found in a custom at one time, perhaps, as prevalent in England as the modern practice of raffliDg. One person, lei it be supposed, had a pocketknife which be wished lo exchange for another person's pencil-cuse. He would "challenge" the owner of the pencil-oase to make the exchange with him, and this being agreed to, a third person would be found to "make the award," or, in other words, to arbitrate as to the respective respec-tive values of the articles, and to award a certain sum by way of equalizing them. Bctore the award was made all three would deposit in a hat or cap a certain stake, which tbe arbitrator would appropriate in the event of big award proving satisfactory to both parties, er in tbe event of bis award proving satisfatory to neither party. The way in which the willingness will-ingness to abide by tbe award of the umpire was expressed seems originally origi-nally to have been thie: Tbe two exchangers ex-changers were to stand each with the "hand-i-the cap," and on the word beiDg uttered after an amount of circumlocution purposely intended to confuse them they were instantly to withdraw their hands and open them. If both bands held money in them, both were understood to accept tbe award, the exchange was made, and the arbitrator pocketed the stakes. II neither held tho money the bargiu was nut concluded, and the stakes .were still forfeited to the abitrator. : If only one of the two displayed a i coin, that one drew tbe stakes, and tbe exchange was not made. According Accord-ing to modern rules "a handicap match is A, B and C to put an equal sum each into a hat; C, who is the haodi-capper, makes a match for A and B, who, when they have perused ! it, put their hands into their pocket and draw them out closed; then they open them together, and if botb have money in their bauds the match is confirmed; if neither have money, it is no match." : Thus it will be seen that, whereas the old practice was literally, a "baud-i-the cap," the modern has become a "hand-i-the pocket." N. Y. Times. |