Beverwyck (Albany) "having heard divers complaints from the Burghers of this place, against playing at golf along the streeis, which causes great damage to the windows of the houses, and exposes people to the danger of being wounded, and is contrary to the freedom of the Public Streets" did forbid all persons to play golf in the streets, "on pain of twenty-five florins for each person who shall be found doing so." We have no records to show how this golf was played. We do not even know the traditions of the links, the name of the colonial champion golfer, or the record for the course. But we can imagine the little Indian caddies dragging the bag of clubs after the players as they walked the green fields overlooking the Hudson, and can picture to ourselves the glories of these varied links which now skirted the forests, and now came close to the water's edge as the river made round a sweeping bend, now ran through the winding village streets of Albany out into the open again and then across the many little brooks which led down to Fort Orange. Think of giving up these glories for the sake of a few windows and stray elderly women travellers! What a shame, especially that enormous fine of twenty-five florins, equal to six dollars. Golf was not the only sport which met with the disapproval of the authorities of New Netherlands. In 1654 Peter Stuyvesant, then director general, pronounced the good old game of "Pull the goose" "an un profitable, heathenish and Popish festival and a pernicious custom" and accordingly prohibited it. This "Pull the goose" was an ancient Shrovetide game introduced from the Yaaterland. The neck and head of a goose were smeared with oil or soap, and the goose was tied between two poles. Horse men, riding at full tilt, would try to seize the head of the goose, and he who first suc ceeded was declared king of the festival. The prohibition of this sport led to a serious clash between the city officials of New Am sterdam and the director general and council
of New Netherlands. In spite of the ordi nance against the game some of the farmers' servants "in contempt of the supreme author ities, violated the same. Whereupon, some delinquents were legally cited and sum moned before the director general and coun cil by their fiscal to be examined and mulcted for their contempt, as may be proper. Two or three of them behaving in an insolent and contumacious manner, threatening, cursing, deriding and laughing at the chief magistracy in the presence and hearing of the director general and council themselves, were there fore, as is customary, committed to prison." The burgomasters and schepens (aldermen) of New Amsterdam, feeling that the director general and council were encroaching upon their powers and jurisdiction, sent a delega tion to attend upon them, with a formal re monstrance against the act of these officials. The honorable director general, Peter Stuyvesant, sent back this delegation with a "declaration of instructions telling the bur gomasters and schepens to mind their own business and that it was the particular power and duty of himself and his council "to enact any ordinances or issue particular interdicts especially those which tend to the glory of God, the best interests of the inhabitants, or will prevent more sins, scandals, debauch eries and crimes, and properly correct, fine and punish obstinate transgressors." In 1655 the director general and council forbade, under a penalty of twelve guilders (four dollars and a half), the popular amuse ment of "Planting the May Pole," because they said that it had degenerated into a carousal and led to "an unnecessary waste of powder" in the firing of guns. It was pro vided that one-third of the fine was to go to the poor, one-third to the officer and the remaining third to the complainant. Now while the youth of New Netherlands might sacrifice golf and might even cease to pull the goose yet they would not give up their May day celebration. So in spite of the heavy penalties, each succeeding May was sure to see the planting of the May Pole.
