Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-12-03

Opening Day-The Various sports
A Cav Crowd and Much Enjoy

ment.
For some time past the officers and
members of the st. George and st. An
drew's Athletic Club have beer in
dustriously pushing forward the pre-
paration of their grounds, just outside
the city limits, for the purposes OF
their grand opening on Thanksgiving
Day. The grounds, comprising ten
acres, have been terraced and graded, |
tracks for the various sports have been
laid off and topped with clay, fences
have been built, a grand stand, capa-
BILE of seating many hundreds, has |
been erected, the cricket ground las /
been laid off and turfed, and battery !
for rifle practice has been erected.
The gentlemen who conceived the /
idea of forming On athletic club II /
Wilmington, and had the business tao
and ability to inaugurate the lnatit"- ,
ton on it's present extensive P!.n !
deserve not only the coamend"'1"n
and thanks Of the entire community, bnt
deserve to have their names llscrIo Il /
on an enduring monument, G. mmemoF-
alive of the event of Ihur-day
Nothing can he better calculated to
bring our people out together in social
Intercourse upon terms OF fraternity
and good feeling, one toward another
than an exhibition OF the manly Rl"r'"
of the gymnasium, participated II -
men and youths whom We daily ne {
and associate with. Besides tlio, ihF /
physical development % the system,
and the beneficial II suits to tue heat"
of those whose business overt"ks.a toe
mind and enervate5 the body, are IT,
rewards which such al OrganIz2t."n
will freely shower upon lis members.
The enthusiasm for athletic sporCs
among the Greeks, their I3Se Of the
beautiful, which was grG.lhcd IN IL"
0yn,nGsjd by the sight OF the flh@st
forms IN tie prime OF youth, anu by
the halls and colonnades adorned with
statues and pictures, and occupied by
teachers Of wisdom and philosophy,
rendered these places the favorlte
resorts of the old and the Young.
Gymnastics even formed an essential
part of the celebration of ali the great
festivals, and to be unable TO partici-
pate in these manly exercises, from
physical incapacity that arose from
want of development, was a case for
the bitterest reproach. "Ne can
neither saUi7,s nor arrite," is the well
known term of reproach which the
Greeks heaped On al such. Swim
ed, and the OIympiads wee named
from the victors in the race. Riding
on horseback. dancing and wrestling
were pre- otlced to the fullest extent,
Dancing was practiced, not for social
enjoyment OF the society of the falrer
sex, as with US, but for the purpose cf
giving grace aud confidence to the
orator on the rostrum and in the forum.
With the decline of Greece, the
gymnastic art naturally degenerated,
and became gradually reduced to the
exercises of the professional athlete,
which survived the ruin of the land of
their birth. The Olympic games con-
tinued to be celebrated several CEN
turies after Christ, and it is thought
by some modern travellers that they
could find traces of the ancient games
continuing to the present day. You
have the Pyrrhic dance as yet" says
Byron. The Romans initiated the
gymnasia, as they did everything
Grecian, but with them, these sports
never became national, as they were
with the Greeks.
Now we are strong advocate for
free bestowal of public support, both
moral and pecuniary. upon the noble
efforts which the st. George and ST.
Andrews Athletic Club is making in
this direction. It has made brilliant
beginning, and all that is now needed
20 make it a grand success is the
patronage and encouragement of the
community.
The weather on Thursday was pro
pitious to the opening. A bracing air
but not too cool. cloudy sky, Int no
rain, favored the comfort of both the
athlete and the spectators. Notwith-
standing the Club flag did not arrive
in time to welcome its visitors and
wave ovcr the joyous assemblage, It's
officers in charge of the entertainment
had provided everything necessary to
exhibit a hearty welcome to all. Al
an early hour the grounds were
thronged with the better class of Vii
mingtonians. youth and beauty"
the old, the young, and the middle
aged were all there. Al! day long,
from 10 O'Clock, until the shades of
evening closed around them, groups Of
merry men and youths could be seen
assembled at different points i'll the
grounds, either witnessing or partici-
patlDg In the various sports. KIND
words and cheerful greetings bespoke
the joy of the hearts within, and gave
evidence of happy day for all who
were present.
RIFLE MATCH
At 1870 o'clock the rifle team CON-
menced firing at the targets, 200 yards
distant Tie Judges were, MeFsrs.
D. McRae. Joseph Price, E. G. Barker
aud E. Lily. The entries were 80 in
number and were entitled to three
rounds each, and repeat. to be fred at
two targets, numbered 1 and 2.
At target No. the following gentle
men fired and made the score attached
to their several names:
Junius Davis, 2Os; Il. N. Latham,
1; Walter G. McRae, 81; J. F. Jones,
z; W. P. Mcmahon, p; J. @. James, |
liz; L. ST. Brown. 2O4; W. Roddlck, |
8; J. A. Byrne, l. DuBrutz Guitar.
16}; Eugene Maf1it, lit.